Terraria
Encyclopedia
Terraria is an action-adventure
/RPG
indie game
released by independent game studio Re-Logic. The game features exploration, crafting, building structures and combat with a variety of creatures. The game's slogan was previously "Shut Up and Dig Gaiden", a reference to another indie game, Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
.
Released on May 16, 2011, the game is estimated to have sold about 50,000 copies during its first day of release, with over 17,000 players online at the same time during the first day's peak. Over the course of a week, 200,000 copies of the game were sold, making it the top selling game on Steam for the week, "ahead of games like The Witcher 2 and Portal 2
." It remained number one on Steam for the first six days of its release before it eventually dropped to the number four slot.
and classic exploration/adventure titles such as Metroid. Basic gameplay features day/night cycles, aggressive nocturnal attackers such as zombies and floating eyeballs, world-building elements and character advancement based on increases to health/mana and equipment found while exploring. The game has a tile-based graphical style reminiscent of the 16-bit sprites found in video games released for the SNES.
called the Guide will appear nearby and can explain the basics of gameplay. The Guide can also show the player the various crafting recipes if the player has obtained a relevant ingredient. Once the player's first house has been built, the Guide will move in to the first available NPC room, provided that one is available.
The first day in-game is usually spent by gathering materials around the randomly generated world to build a shelter for the first night, while fending off slime creatures.
Players may also summon powerful boss monsters, such as the Eye of Cthulhu
or the Eater of Worlds. Independently of summoned bosses, each map has a dungeon
that contains rare items and unusual enemies, and can only be safely entered after defeating the Skeletron boss guarding the dungeon on that map.
s with unique monsters and surroundings, such as the Underworld (a lava-filled chthonic
area filled with demons and skeletal serpents), the Corruption (a dangerous, diseased wasteland full of deadly creatures and chasms full of rare items), deserts and jungles above and below ground.
Random events may occur in the course of play, such as the Blood Moon
, which increases the number of monsters out at night and allows some to enter the player's structures, and the Goblin Invasion, which sends a goblin army to march from one/both ends of the map, and lay siege to the players' home. Meteorites can fall randomly during gameplay, allowing the player to mine meteorite ore and create armor and weapons. Events can also be caused by destroying shadow orbs in corrupted map areas (biomes) and creating certain boss summoning items near demon altars.
to make bars, with which better and faster tools can be made. The best tools are made from Hellstone, which is found deep underground, guarded by dangerous enemies.
. In the review for Destructoid
, Jordan Devore stated that, "You need to give Terraria a chance. It's affordable, unpredictable, full of depth, and most promising of all, the game is still growing through free updates." Gameblog.fr reviewer Fumble gave the game four out of five stars, with the one major criticism being that the 800x600 max window size makes playing the game difficult(however, this maximum window resolution has been changed to 1920x1200 as of a month after release). For Videogame.it, reviewer Stefano Castelli said, "This is a game that takes over the whole concept and mechanics of Minecraft, but manages to successfully integrate it into a fully two-dimensional sphere." GameZone
gave the game a 9 out of 10, stating "Re-Logic has given gamers the opportunity to either enjoy Terraria as a side-scrolling action-adventure title or like a toy that they can play with for hours on end. Either way you look at it, Terraria is a sandbox that you won’t be able to get away from regardless of whether or not you’ve already invested entire days."
GameSpot reviewer Tom Mc Shea praised Terraria's exploration and feeling of accomplishment by stating "And then, out of the corner of your eye, you see a sparkle amid the gloom and point your pickaxe in that direction. A small cache of silver awaits. It may not sound like much, but you need it to build the next set of tools, and the feeling of joy when you find such a treasure is hard to contain." but criticised its lack of tutorial or explicit directions. Mc Shea concluded the review on a high note by stating "The early hours are punishing because you have no idea what you're supposed to do, and the lack of direction makes Terraria initially off-putting. But after sinking dozens of hours into this impressive game, you'll wonder how you could ever have been frustrated."
Tim Colwill for Games On Net gave it two and a half out of five stars, while criticizing the world-building elements of the game and praising the more action-based parts.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
/RPG
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
indie game
Indie game
Independent video game development is the process of creating video games without the financial support of a video game publisher. While large firms can create independent games, they are usually designed by an individual or a small team of as many as ten people, depending on the complexity of the...
released by independent game studio Re-Logic. The game features exploration, crafting, building structures and combat with a variety of creatures. The game's slogan was previously "Shut Up and Dig Gaiden", a reference to another indie game, Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
Tales of Game's Presents Chef Boyardee's Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa is a freeware RPG developed by Tales of Game's Studios, presented as an unofficial sequel to Barkley Shut Up and Jam! and Space Jam...
.
Released on May 16, 2011, the game is estimated to have sold about 50,000 copies during its first day of release, with over 17,000 players online at the same time during the first day's peak. Over the course of a week, 200,000 copies of the game were sold, making it the top selling game on Steam for the week, "ahead of games like The Witcher 2 and Portal 2
Portal 2
Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
." It remained number one on Steam for the first six days of its release before it eventually dropped to the number four slot.
Gameplay
Terraria is noted for its similarity to MinecraftMinecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox-building independent video game written in Java originally by Swedish creator Markus "Notch" Persson and now by his company, Mojang, formed from the proceeds of the game. It was released as an alpha on May 17, 2009, with a beta version on December 20, 2010...
and classic exploration/adventure titles such as Metroid. Basic gameplay features day/night cycles, aggressive nocturnal attackers such as zombies and floating eyeballs, world-building elements and character advancement based on increases to health/mana and equipment found while exploring. The game has a tile-based graphical style reminiscent of the 16-bit sprites found in video games released for the SNES.
Starting Out
At the start of the game, players have a copper axe, a copper pickaxe and a copper shortsword. They start out with 5 hearts, which is equal to 100 health(but can potentially earn more by gathering life crystals.) When the player first spawns in a new world, an NPCNon-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
called the Guide will appear nearby and can explain the basics of gameplay. The Guide can also show the player the various crafting recipes if the player has obtained a relevant ingredient. Once the player's first house has been built, the Guide will move in to the first available NPC room, provided that one is available.
The first day in-game is usually spent by gathering materials around the randomly generated world to build a shelter for the first night, while fending off slime creatures.
Enemies
At night, different creatures may spawn, such as Zombies and Demon Eyes, who will constantly attack the player until morning. At dawn, they all run away, even if they are still attacking the player. Daytime creatures are limited to gentler slimes. However, different areas may contain powerful monsters including giant worms and hornets, while enemies progressively get harder as you travel deeper. On one or more nights of Terraria's moon cycle there will be a Blood Moon. Blood Moons spawn more enemies and give zombies the ability to open doors.Players may also summon powerful boss monsters, such as the Eye of Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
or the Eater of Worlds. Independently of summoned bosses, each map has a dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
that contains rare items and unusual enemies, and can only be safely entered after defeating the Skeletron boss guarding the dungeon on that map.
Unique Features
Beyond basic gameplay features, Terraria has several elements not present in the games it takes its inspiration from. By completing specific goals (such as defeating a boss, or gaining an extra heart), players can attract NPCs to occupy structures or rooms they have built, including the Merchant, Dryad, Demolitionist, Arms Dealer, Clothier and Nurse. Players may then buy equipment with coins gained from defeating monsters, breaking pots, or finding treasure chests hidden within the world. Each map contains generated biomeBiome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
s with unique monsters and surroundings, such as the Underworld (a lava-filled chthonic
Chthonic
Chthonic designates, or pertains to, deities or spirits of the underworld, especially in relation to Greek religion. The Greek word khthon is one of several for "earth"; it typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the living surface of the land or the land as territory...
area filled with demons and skeletal serpents), the Corruption (a dangerous, diseased wasteland full of deadly creatures and chasms full of rare items), deserts and jungles above and below ground.
Random events may occur in the course of play, such as the Blood Moon
Hunter's moon
The hunter's moon—also known as blood moon or sanguine moon—is the first full moon after the harvest moon, which is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox.- Background :...
, which increases the number of monsters out at night and allows some to enter the player's structures, and the Goblin Invasion, which sends a goblin army to march from one/both ends of the map, and lay siege to the players' home. Meteorites can fall randomly during gameplay, allowing the player to mine meteorite ore and create armor and weapons. Events can also be caused by destroying shadow orbs in corrupted map areas (biomes) and creating certain boss summoning items near demon altars.
Resource Gathering
The player starts out with a Copper Shortsword, a Copper Pickaxe and a Copper Axe, which can be used to attack monsters, mine ores, stone and dirt and collect wood respectively, at a slow speed. The correct tool must be used to collect resources, and ores can be smelted in a furnaceFurnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
to make bars, with which better and faster tools can be made. The best tools are made from Hellstone, which is found deep underground, guarded by dangerous enemies.
Crafting
Items can be made by gathering resources and standing near the appropriate crafting station, like a workbench or furnace, then opening the inventory. As long as the ingredients are present, new items can be made just by clicking on them (as opposed to the often-compared game Minecraft, where one must visualize and 'draw' the item with the ingredients). There are several types of crafting stations in the game, with the most basic station being the workbench. Throughout gameplay, the player will discover new crafting station recipes depending on the ingredients they obtain. The fun of Terraria crafting is figuring out which station allows the creation of which items. There are hundreds of items that you can collect throughout the game.Version History
The 1.1 patch was released December 1st, 2011, and introduced many new features to the game, and is the largest addition to date. New features include improved lighting effects (which now supports colored lights), many new items and enemies, added background graphics, and a looting system.Reception
Terraria has received favorable reviews with an 83/100 metascore on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. In the review for Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
, Jordan Devore stated that, "You need to give Terraria a chance. It's affordable, unpredictable, full of depth, and most promising of all, the game is still growing through free updates." Gameblog.fr reviewer Fumble gave the game four out of five stars, with the one major criticism being that the 800x600 max window size makes playing the game difficult(however, this maximum window resolution has been changed to 1920x1200 as of a month after release). For Videogame.it, reviewer Stefano Castelli said, "This is a game that takes over the whole concept and mechanics of Minecraft, but manages to successfully integrate it into a fully two-dimensional sphere." GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
gave the game a 9 out of 10, stating "Re-Logic has given gamers the opportunity to either enjoy Terraria as a side-scrolling action-adventure title or like a toy that they can play with for hours on end. Either way you look at it, Terraria is a sandbox that you won’t be able to get away from regardless of whether or not you’ve already invested entire days."
GameSpot reviewer Tom Mc Shea praised Terraria's exploration and feeling of accomplishment by stating "And then, out of the corner of your eye, you see a sparkle amid the gloom and point your pickaxe in that direction. A small cache of silver awaits. It may not sound like much, but you need it to build the next set of tools, and the feeling of joy when you find such a treasure is hard to contain." but criticised its lack of tutorial or explicit directions. Mc Shea concluded the review on a high note by stating "The early hours are punishing because you have no idea what you're supposed to do, and the lack of direction makes Terraria initially off-putting. But after sinking dozens of hours into this impressive game, you'll wonder how you could ever have been frustrated."
Tim Colwill for Games On Net gave it two and a half out of five stars, while criticizing the world-building elements of the game and praising the more action-based parts.