The developers behind the critically-acclaimed Artist Colony are back, and this time they’ve brought a shovel. Launching next month, Buried in Time is a simulation game by i-Play that is set to take players on an archaeological adventure in the Valley of the Ancients.
The developers behind the critically-acclaimed Artist Colony are back, and this time they’ve brought a shovel. Launching next month, Buried in Time is set to take players on an archaeological adventure in the Valley of the Ancients.
A king once gave his queen a jewel with a value beyond measure. The valley which they ruled was lush and majestic, but one day the queen died, and the jewel was lost forever. Now, centuries later, the water has dried up and there is very little life in the valley.
Buried in Time is a simulation game that places players in charge of a team of archaeologists searching for the missing jewel. Players will build a team of up to 20 characters, each possessing a different combination of five skills; surveying, excavating, brushing, analyzing and cooking.
Players will manage each team member individually, assigning tasks that will lead to the discovery of new artifacts. One member may survey the land to find the artifact, while another excavates. From there it will be taken to a brushing table for another member of the team to brush, and then sent to yet another member for analysis. In addition to these specialized abilities (of which each member will have two), characters will need to participate in normal human behaviour like eating and sleeping if they want to have the energy needed to dig for great archaeological finds.
In between gathering artifacts and managing their archaeological team, players will be tasked with solving puzzles to advance through the game. In our brief hands-on time with Buried in Time we found the puzzles to offer up a great level of challenge, forcing us to decipher clues and apply logic to accomplish the task at hand. The first puzzle that we encountered felt very much like an interactive riddle, while the next offered up a fresh take on sliding block puzzles. If the puzzles prove too challenging, you needn’t worry; the developers have included a skip option in case you find yourself completely stumped.
As players continue on their quest for the jewel, they will reveal pieces of the legend of the jewel and the king and queen who possessed it, as well as the tale of Bingham, Jack, Emelia, and the rest of the archaeology crew. If you’re eager to start digging for buried treasure, you won’t have to wait too long. Buried in Time will be available for download in mid May 2010.
Check out all of our exclusive screen shots and be sure to set an alert to follow Buried in Time to be notified the moment this game is released!
