Happy Birthdays is a fantastic game and rather animated game that lets players create life on a planet. The game starts in the prehistoric eras, where players will contend with dinosaurs and other creatures of their kind. Happy Birthdays might be goofy, but it is a game that aims to teach players about how planets work and how they let evolution occur. Happy Birthdays starts with a pretty fun opening movie. This movie has character just like the game does. It has a catchy opening tune and pops around the other planets showing off what kind of ecosystems the player could potentially make. Seeing the creatures dance around shows that this game will be fun.
Players who start a new game have to pick one of four planet types. Green Plains is the easiest and comes recommended because it will be easy to make life. Scorched Earth is far more challenging because life can’t always take the heat. While the Stony Prarie is harder because plants won’t grow, and those are also necessary. The Frozen World is the hardest because plants won’t grow, and not every creature will survive so well in subzero temperatures.
Before truly starting the game, the player learns the main character’s back story. The main character found a map and decided to look for where it led. They soon found a cave and couldn’t help themselves to walk inside. Now they must help an alien named Navi get planets on track. It’s a little weird, but it’s a solid story and one that covers its bases well enough. Navi tells the player how to play the game. This game is quite in-depth, and; the player must not only create life but must terraform the planet too. Players play as a human dressed in a superhero costume and guide a cursor over the planet’s surface. They must be careful what they do because even small actions could have unforeseen consequences. Players need to be on their toes and work with what they have.
Terraforming is an intrinsic aspect of this game because it allows for planets to change quite drastically. At the press of a button, players will make the planet’s surface rise and fall. Terraforming causes the planet’s temperature to rise and fall too. Of course, it’s not the only thing that affects the planet’s core temperature but, it is the basis of the game’s life creating features. At different elevations, different creatures are born or die off. Using any powers in this game costs HP because an immortal god-like figure uses some energy to do monumental tasks. HP is easy to regain; all it takes is the player returning to Macro Mode. Macro Mode is the mode where players watch their planet do its thing. Happy Birthdays is a game about adjusting the terrain and then seeing how well it does on its own. It’s a simulator game and a zoo at the same time.
Players will also collect stars or the planet’s energy, thanking the player for doing their best. Players earn stars by editing the terrain and by filling out the database of all the organisms in the game. These things will give the player plenty of stars, which will help them learn new planet changing skills. Players will use skills that are quite powerful. These specials skills require the star power players earn by adjusting the planet and learning. There are numerous skills, including Valley source, which will instantly create a valley on the planet’s surface. Others might make fresh rivers or create high plateaus. These abilities are necessary; they can quickly change the land, so use them wisely, and the planet will prosper. The player should use them; they will help them in the long run.
With a single button press, the player enters Macro Mode, which allows them to watch the planet from a distance. The small cube is a lovely sight to behold, and it’s great watching life slowly change over time. Macro Mode is where the magic happens as it is the only place where the player can unfreeze time. As the player edits, the planet freezes, and no new life is born or dies. Mastering time in Happy Birthdays is key to winning the game. By mastering time, players can create life or destroy life at will. They will know what will kill off creatures and what will make them come to life. By mastering it, they will have the ability to do as they please and make the planet the best it can be, changing it from a prehistoric one to one teeming with life. It’s a magical game because it allows so much change to occur as a real planet would. Macro Mode offers up a different list of stats than the creation mode. This mode tells you which creatures are being born and which ones are dying. It gives the player access to the status of the cube as well. The information is a necessary thing because it’s where all the hard work pays off.
The use of temperature to create life is a phenomenal idea. The game allows players to feel like a god of sorts, which not many games allow. Raising and lowering the water’s surface and the ground changes the core temperature and changes how the planet functions. Every action has consequences, and players will learn how the planet ticks as they play. Evolution is also a great feature of this game. As creatures grow used to what’s happening on the planet, they will change through evolving. They might even change due to something dying off or being born. Every new creature can lead to birth and death and, seeing that in-action is a beautiful thing indeed.
After learning all the skills and before the game gets going, Navi tells the player what their goal is. Navi’s main goal for the player is a simple one; it wants the player to create man and make them flourish. Creating man will take time, but if the player is diligent and enjoys making life, they will get there. Challenge mode is the real test of a player’s skill. Player’s must, for instance, create a dinosaur, and the game will see how many years it takes them to do it. They can then compete with themself for a higher score. This mode is great; because the challenges will change up how players play. By implementing a challenge, they won’t just run around freely; they will be thorough and plan well. Happy Birthdays has a free mode too, where they don’t have to listen to Navi. Players can be free to do what they will and craft their perfect planet. This mode is better saved for later after players have gotten a handle on the controls, however. This mode is a light and airy one, great for practicing for the dreaded challenge mode. It allows players to learn what creates what without consequences.
Happy Birthdays is a beautiful game and one that might not be for everyone. Players who enjoy life simulation games are sure to enjoy this one. It’s a game a player can pick up and play when they feel like it, but also one that they can spend hours playing. If the player desire to create a flourishing planet, this might be the game for them. Navi wants to craft a thriving human civilization, will the player help it achieve its goal?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided