Desolation Tycoon

Desolation Tycoon is an open-world merchant game set after the end of the world. You travel a wasteland scoured by winds from a caustic sea, where most large mammals are extinct and insects have taken their place. There is no fixed storyline: you choose how to use the setting and its mechanics.

A persistent world

Each character begins with a randomly generated history and traits, and their career eventually ends in retirement or death. The world remembers your actions across characters, and civilization slowly rebuilds as a result. Accomplishments across multiple lives unlock new cities, crew units and challenges.

Trade and travel

You travel, trade and defend your cargo from dangers, while improving skills through use. You can explore places worth plundering and build relationships with city notables, working with them on various schemes. Supply-and-demand networks are randomized between playthroughs, and trading too often with the same cities makes those routes less profitable.

Choices and dangers

Gameplay centers on making decisions and trade-offs in an open world. Time only passes when you take an action, and there are no real-time challenges or grindy minigames. You face threats including climate calamities, giant insects, bandits and demons. You and your crew can become injured or sick, and may die as a result; local trading partners have their own motives and may betray you. Performance-enhancing symbiotes can also cause side effects.

Characters who live long enough retire automatically, limiting the time available to develop every possible skill. The game also provides a high-information interface designed to reduce what you need to remember.