Developer Polyperfect has announced Polylithic, a new third-person survival/crafting game "with a dash of sci-fi plot" set in the Paleolithic era – i.e. early man. It's due to launch into Steam Early Access in Q3 of this year. Take a look at the announcement trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.
The story setup is as follows: "A small tribe leads a difficult yet happy life filled with everyday challenges and threats. Until an epidemic breaks out, and the mysterious sickness decimates their people. Could it have been brought by newcomers who fell from the sky? Or is it a punishment sent by angry gods? The tribe’s leader is too old, weak, and tired to even try finding answers to any of these questions. That’s why he assigns this seemingly impossible task to you. A young successor who’s destined to lead the tribe to a hopefully brighter future."
The intentionally low-poly, colorful graphics give Polylithic a distinct look. Polyperfect hopes the gameplay will be distinct as well, as the studio is promising gathering/crafting/hunting, tribe management, exploration, and hidden secrets. If you lead your tribe well enough, you'll all eventually evolve into farmers (via unlocks on the tech tree).
You'll also "discover the true origin of your tribe." Wishlist it on Steam if you're interested in following its development/learning more.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
