God game

A god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine/supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character (as in Spore), and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to guard and influence.

This is not to be confused with god mode, a state (often, a cheat), in many games where the player is invincible.

Definition
God games are a subgenre of artificial life game, where players use supernatural powers to indirectly influence a population of simulated worshipers. The genre is separate from strategy video games, because players are unable to tell specific units what to do, although god games may still involve competition between rival players. The genre is also separate from construction and management simulations, because gameplay revolves around growing and utilizing their supernatural powers to indirectly influence their worshipers.

Game design
God games allow players to take on the role of a god with limited powers, similar to the gods from the mythology of ancient Greece. The player's power comes from simulated worshipers, who are usually simple or tribal in nature. It is common for most people in god games to look alike. Early god games only featured models for full-grown men and women, while Black and White introduced children. Players must economize quantities of power or mana, which are derived from the size and prosperity of their population of worshipers. The player consumes this power by using godly powers to help their worshippers, such as blessing their crops or flattening hills to make better farmland. This results in a positive feedback loop, where more power allows the player to help their population grow which helps them gain more power. However, more powerful abilities typically require more power, and these usually take the form of natural disasters that can damage rival populations rather than improve life for the player's worshipers. Games typically utilize an aerial top-down perspective.

God games are classified as a subgenre of artificial life game because players tend to a population of simulated people that they control only indirectly. Although god games share qualities with both construction and management simulation games and real-time strategy games, players in god games are only able to exercise indirect control over their population. They cannot tell specific units what to do, as seen in strategy games, although players may sometimes compete against other players with their own population of supporters. Moreover, players are given godlike powers not seen in construction or management games, such as the ability to control the weather, transform the landscape, and bless or curse different populations.

History
Although there are many influences on the god game genre, the first god game is largely considered Populous from 1989. Developed by Peter Molyneux of Bullfrog Productions, the game established the gameplay template where the player's godlike powers would grow in proportion to the population of their worshipers. The game was notable for giving players supernatural powers over land and nature that could be used for good or evil, and some of this gameplay was emulated by other real-time strategy games with more direct control. Notable hybrids of the genre included the action-god game ActRaiser for the Super Nintendo in 1990. It was also an influence on the real-time strategy hybrid Dungeon Keeper, developed by Molyneux in 1997.

Molyneux's Black & White was heavily influenced by the Populous series.

On mobile platforms such as iOS there are also a couple of unique examples such as Pocket God with simulation gameplay and Doodle God in which you match elements and use your imagination to visualize created world.