Standard Studios
Game 04 · God simulator game · Windows PC

Deity

The Good, the Bad and the Godly

Become a god. Rule a civilisation. Raise a creature.

In developmentGod simulatorWindows PC
Houses, the court and the sanctuary, with Morrow behind.
The game

What kind of god would you be?

Have you ever wondered what kind of god you would be? Good, bad, or something in between? Deity is a god simulator that lets you find out.

You become a god in a universe of gods, and belief has to be earned. You must fight for your right to receive prayers from the people, and keep fighting, because rival gods want them too.

So rule. Build magnificent towers. Answer prayers with miracles, or silence them with fear. Destroy armies with fireballs. Fight other gods for dominance.

And you will not do it alone. You raise a giant creature that learns from everything you do. Teach it kindness and it will care for your people. Teach it cruelty and it will terrify them. When gods go to war, their creatures do battle.

Our aim is a god game with no right way to play. The world is yours for the taking, if you are worthy.

How it plays

Raise. Rule. Conquer. Rival.

Raise

Bring up a giant creature of your own. Praise it, scold it, play with it, and watch it become a reflection of you.

Rule

Guide a civilisation any way you want. Build magnificent towers, answer prayers, hand out miracles or hand out punishment.

Conquer

Win more people to your name. Help them, dazzle them, frighten them, or march an army through the gates.

Rival

Other gods want the same prayers. Fight them, and their creatures, for dominance.

What makes it different

Inside the game

Ada thanks Morrow for watering her beans, and remembers it.
In-gameAda thanks Morrow for watering her beans, and remembers it.
04.1

Raise a creature in your image.

Your creature learns from you. Reward it and it will do the same thing again. Punish it and it will think twice. Raise it gently and it will look after your people; raise it hard and it will keep them in line. Either way it becomes yours, and everyone can see it.

Morrow lands a punch on Cinder, the rival god's giant.
In-gameMorrow lands a punch on Cinder, the rival god's giant.
04.2

Fight other gods.

You are not the only god with plans for this world. Your rivals have followers, ambitions and creatures of their own. When persuasion fails, your creature meets theirs, and everyone on the island is watching to see who is left standing.

The painted-pottery interface: the sanctuary menu of miracles.
In-gameThe painted-pottery interface: the sanctuary menu of miracles.
04.3

Miracles are yours to spend.

Bring rain to dry fields. Heal the sick. Or point at an advancing army and answer it with a fireball. Your power comes from belief, so how you use it decides how much more of it you get.

A platoon marching on a village.
In-gameA platoon marching on a village.
04.4

Earn their prayers. Or take them.

Every village is a prize. Help it, impress it or frighten it into believing in you, or send soldiers to make the argument for you. However you win it, you still have to keep it.

The same lion raised cruel: darker coat, harder look.
In-gameThe same lion raised cruel: darker coat, harder look.
04.5

The good, the bad and the godly.

Nobody tells you what kind of god to be, but the world notices. Your people, your creature and even your rivals change with every decision you make. Good, bad, or something in between: find out which one you really are.

Your first session

A world, a creature and a great deal of power.

  1. Reach down into the world with your own hand. Pick something up. Put it somewhere it should not be.
  2. Meet your creature. Throw a ball and see what it does.
  3. Hear your first prayer, and decide whether to answer it.
  4. Try a miracle. Then try a bigger one.
  5. Look across the water. Another god is watching, and it has a creature too.

“I did not ask for a tour of the sky.”

A villager, shortly after being thrown
Making of

From a drawing to a companion.

The shape of a creature gives us a starting point. Its movement, expression and behaviour give us reasons to care about it. These development images follow our work through concept art, models, rigging and animation. We’re exploring how each giant can feel distinct, how it occupies the world, and how its appearance can reflect the way it has been raised.

Where it starts: a concept turnaround sheet for the lion.
Concept artWhere it starts: a concept turnaround sheet for the lion.
Step 1: 3D models generated from the concept sheets.
Making ofStep 1: 3D models generated from the concept sheets.
Step 2: the lion, rigged and posed.
Making ofStep 2: the lion, rigged and posed.
Step 3: all six giants walking in the game.
Making ofStep 3: all six giants walking in the game.
Step 4: living eyes that look around and blink.
Making ofStep 4: living eyes that look around and blink.
Step 5: each giant wears its nature, from cruel to kind.
Making ofStep 5: each giant wears its nature, from cruel to kind.
Making of

Finding a style that belongs on the island.

We explored several visual directions before settling on painted pottery. Its simple shapes and warm colours fit the world we want to build: readable, tactile and full of character. The aim is an interface that helps you act without continually drawing your attention away from the island.

Explored: bronze and marble.
Design explorationExplored: bronze and marble.
Explored: celestial line.
Design explorationExplored: celestial line.
Explored: parchment and ink.
Design explorationExplored: parchment and ink.
Chosen: painted pottery.
Design explorationChosen: painted pottery.
What we’re building

Building the bond, and the world around it.

  • Development centres on the creature relationship, the divine hand and village life.
  • Miracles, construction, rival gods, creature encounters and wider strategy grow around those foundations.
  • We want the game to remain personal as its scale increases, so the companion you raise and the people you guide continue to matter.
Why it lasts

Be a different god next time.

  • Rule with kindness, with terror, or with whatever works that day
  • Raise a different creature and get a very different companion
  • Win people by helping them, dazzling them, scaring them or conquering them
  • Rival gods who fight back
  • A creature that remembers how you raised it
How it is made

Chasing the feeling of having a world in your hands.

  • We use modern development tools and AI-assisted workflows to build and test Deity.
  • Our direction comes from the things we care about as players: responsive controls, expressive creatures, believable villages and choices that have a visible effect.
  • We keep coming back to one question: do we feel attached to what’s happening here?
Development screenshots

Meet the giants. Visit the island.

Development screenshots of our creatures, villages, miracles and life under your watch. Select an image to enlarge.

The orangutan giant between a house and the sanctuary.
In-gameThe orangutan giant between a house and the sanctuary.
The lion giant, eye to eye.
In-gameThe lion giant, eye to eye.
The gorilla giant at the edge of the village.
In-gameThe gorilla giant at the edge of the village.
The bull giant.
In-gameThe bull giant.
The wolf giant, eye to eye.
In-gameThe wolf giant, eye to eye.
Morrow, the first giant: the cow.
In-gameMorrow, the first giant: the cow.
Cinder rears up to win a village by a show of strength.
In-gameCinder rears up to win a village by a show of strength.
Earn the rival's respect and the giants greet in peace instead.
In-gameEarn the rival's respect and the giants greet in peace instead.
Playing fetch: Morrow brings the ball back.
In-gamePlaying fetch: Morrow brings the ball back.
Morrow has learned to water the fields with a rain miracle.
In-gameMorrow has learned to water the fields with a rain miracle.
A cove on the coast.
In-gameA cove on the coast.
A village laid out around its court, with rain falling on a field.
In-gameA village laid out around its court, with rain falling on a field.
The creature's mind: its habits and what it is thinking.
In-gameThe creature's mind: its habits and what it is thinking.
Everyday play: the world first, almost nothing on screen.
In-gameEveryday play: the world first, almost nothing on screen.
Two platoons meet outside a village.
In-gameTwo platoons meet outside a village.
A watchtower and a barracks.
In-gameA watchtower and a barracks.