Populous

Populous is regarded by many as the first 'god' game, developed by Bullfrog and published by Electronic Arts in 1989. The game was designed by Peter Molyneux, with Bullfrog creating a gameplay prototype by making a board game out of Lego pieces. Initially released for the Amiga, it made its way onto many other platforms in the years following its release.

Populous is set on a 'tabletop' and seen from an isometric perspective. In the game, you play as a deity who competes with his fellow gods to show who is the best. The object is to lead your followers in conquest to destroy the followers of your fellow gods. You can use your divine powers to influence your followers and lead them to victory. You can move the ground up and down to allow your followers to trek across the land to reach new goals or make space to build upon. You can also cause natural disasters and endow specific followers with powerful upgrades. Your godly powers are not without their limits and are at the mercy of your mana level. To build up mana, you need to have your followers build dwellings to increase the population, thus increasing your mana. Once you have made your village leader strong enough, they will engage the enemy's followers in violent holy combat until they are victorious or dead. Your villagers don't get to have all the fun, though; you can use your godly powers to drown enemies by moving the land or burn them by making a volcano appear in the center of town. Featuring 500 levels to conquer, you can show those other gods who's boss!

Upon release, this title received critical acclaim, being praised for its graphics, design, sound, and replay value. It also won multiple awards, including "Best Computer Gaming", Best Game Idea, and Best Strategy Game. Populous has also earned a place on the All-Time Top 100 Amiga Games list and the 150 Best Games of All Time list. Critically acclaimed and fun as hell, get ready to play God and win.