Atomic Society

Atomic Society is a post-apocalyptic city-building simulation game where players are tasked with rebuilding civilization after a nuclear apocalypse. Emerging from a vault to prove that society can exist again on the surface, you must gather resources, manage your settlement’s economy to keep inhabitants alive and healthy, and defend against raiders. A unique feature of the game is its emphasis on moral and ethical decision-making, allowing players to set laws that govern social issues and determine punishments, shaping the very fabric of their new society.

Atomic Society: A Post-Apocalyptic Experiment in Morality and Survival

Introduction

In the vast and often unforgiving landscape of post-apocalyptic video games, where franchises like Fallout and Wasteland dominate with their action-RPG sensibilities, a small, ambitious title emerged from the shadows to ask a different, more profound question: not just how to survive the end of the world, but how to rebuild a society from its ashes. Atomic Society, developed by the indie studio Far Road Games, is a town-building simulation that dared to blend resource management with deep ethical dilemmas. It is a game that, despite its modest origins and tumultuous development, carved out a unique niche by forcing players to act as both architect and moral arbiter of a fledgling community in a nuclear-scarred wasteland. This review will explore the game’s journey, its mechanics, its thematic ambitions, and its ultimately mixed legacy—a testament to the challenges and triumphs of indie game development.

Development History & Context

Atomic Society was the passion project of Far Road Games, a tiny team founded by Scott MacDowall, a former employee of Rare, alongside artist Mariana MacDowall and programmer Nick Stevens. The concept was born from a decades-old daydream, pitched by Scott in his youth, only to be resurrected in 2014 with the advent of accessible game engines like Unity and the rise of Steam Early Access. The team, which later expanded to include a second programmer, Adam, operated largely unpaid, driven by a shared desire to create a game that no one else was making—a post-apocalyptic city builder focused on societal values rather than combat.

The development was a marathon of passion and perseverance. Initially projected to take three years, it ultimately spanned over six, a common pitfall for first-time developers who underestimate the complexities of game creation. A failed Kickstarter campaign in 2015, which raised only £3,000 of a £70,000 goal, was a early setback, but the team pressed on, fueled by a dedicated pre-alpha audience. The game entered Early Access on Steam in October 2018, after years of iteration, including painful reboots of features and struggles with pathfinding AI. The team’s commitment never wavered, even as they faced the exhaustion of balancing player feedback with their original vision. Their journey is a classic indie tale: underfunded, overworked, but unwavering in their dedication to a unique idea.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Atomic Society does not offer a traditional narrative with a linear plot or voiced characters. Instead, its story is emergent, woven from the struggles of your settlers and the ethical choices you impose upon them. The premise is simple: you are a survivor who has emerged from a vault to prove that civilization can be rebuilt on the surface. But this setup is merely a backdrop for the real drama—the moral fabric of your new society.

The game forces players to confront a staggering array of social issues, from abortion and drug use to cannibalism and homophobia. Each issue presents a choice: legalize, tolerate, or criminalize, and then decide on a punishment ranging from education to execution. This system creates a narrative of moral experimentation, where your town becomes a laboratory for human behavior under duress. For example, you might face a “Straw Vegetarian” who refuses to eat meat even when starving, or deal with slaves fleeing a wasteland tyrant who threatens your settlement. The “Big Bad” is not a boss to be defeated in combat but a ideological foe represented by the raiders, whose leader demands your submission.

The themes are unflinchingly dark, exploring the depths of Blue-and-Orange Morality in a Crapsack World. The game does not shy away from controversial topics, asking players to weigh survival against ethics. Can you justify cannibalism if it prevents starvation? Should murder be met with execution or rehabilitation? These questions are not just gameplay mechanics; they are the heart of Atomic Society‘s narrative, making each playthrough a unique story about the society you choose to build.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Atomic Society is a city-building simulation with a diagonal-down isometric perspective. Players start with nothing, scavenging resources from ruined buildings to construct essential infrastructure: housing, farms, water pumps, and medical facilities. The core loop involves managing resources—food, water, health, and happiness—to keep your settlers alive. There are 33 types of structures to build, each with unique functions, and nine handcrafted maps ranging from deserts to snowy mountains, offering varied challenges.

Where Atomic Society innovates is in its integration of moral choices into the gameplay loop. The law system is its standout feature: when crimes or social issues arise, you must act as judge, jury, and executioner. This adds a layer of strategic depth beyond typical resource management; your decisions directly impact settler happiness, productivity, and even survival. For instance, legalizing drug use might boost morale but lead to health crises, while banning it could incite unrest.

The game also includes a leader character, whom you can create and control directly to explore the wasteland for salvage or help with construction. However, this feature feels underdeveloped compared to the settlement management. Defense against raiders is handled through tower-defense mechanics or diplomacy, adding occasional tension but never becoming the focus.

Despite its ambitions, the gameplay is not without flaws. The UI can be clunky, and pathfinding issues—a notorious time-sink during development—sometimes hinder efficiency. The survival elements can feel punishingly difficult, especially in the early game, where settlers frequently die from starvation or disease. Yet, these challenges are part of the experience, emphasizing the harshness of the world. The custom difficulty mode allows players to tailor the brutality, making it accessible for both sandbox enthusiasts and hardcore survivalists.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Atomic Society‘s world is a bleak, desolate landscape of crumbling buildings and irradiated soil, captured in a 3D art style that is functional rather than breathtaking. The visuals are dark and muted, emphasizing the grim tone of the post-apocalypse. While not graphically advanced, the art direction effectively conveys a sense of decay and desperation. The isometric view allows for clear oversight of your settlement, though it lacks the zoomed-in detail of more polished builders.

Sound design is minimal but effective. The soundtrack, composed by a former World of Warcraft guildmate, features ambient, somber melodies that enhance the atmosphere of isolation and struggle. The absence of voice acting or extensive sound effects keeps the focus on the gameplay, but it also means the world feels somewhat sterile compared to AAA titles.

Where the world-building excels is in its environmental storytelling. The ruined structures you repurpose hint at the world that was, and the random events—plagues, elder care, sanitation crises—make the world feel alive and unpredictable. The nine maps offer enough variety to encourage replayability, though the core experience remains consistent across them.

Reception & Legacy

Atomic Society launched into Early Access to a mixed reception. It garnered a dedicated fanbase impressed by its ethical depth and unique premise, but also faced criticism for its rough edges and unmet potential. The Steam version eventually achieved a “Mixed” rating with a player score of 66/100, based on 582 reviews. Positive reviews praised its ambition and moral challenges, while negatives highlighted its incomplete feel and technical issues.

The game’s legacy is complex. It left Early Access in August 2021, but was eventually delisted from Steam, likely due to the team’s inability to maintain it indefinitely. Despite this, it remains a cult favorite, discussed in forums for its bold approach to societal simulation. Its influence can be seen in later games like Frostpunk, which also explores ethical dilemmas in survival settings, though with more polish and narrative focus.

For Far Road Games, Atomic Society was a learning experience—a first game that took twice as long as planned but demonstrated the power of perseverance. It stands as a case study in indie development: ambitious, flawed, but ultimately respectful for its willingness to tackle themes most games avoid.

Conclusion

Atomic Society is not a game for everyone. Its rough mechanics and steep learning curve may deter casual players, and its dark themes can be unsettling. Yet, for those willing to engage with its moral complexities, it offers a uniquely thought-provoking experience. It is a game that challenges you not just to build a town, but to define its soul—to grapple with the weight of leadership in a world where every choice has consequences.

In the annals of video game history, Atomic Society may not be remembered as a masterpiece, but as a bold experiment from a team that dared to dream big. It is a testament to the indie spirit: imperfect, passionate, and unafraid to ask difficult questions. For students of game design and fans of ethical simulations, it remains a fascinating, if flawed, chapter in the evolution of the city-building genre.