Minerva Rising will be announced Tuesday, October 13th, 9am PT
Thank you for honoring our embargo.
Fact Sheet
- Title
- Minerva Rising
- Developer
- GoJonnyGames
based in Los Angeles, CA - Publisher
- GoJonnyGames
- Release date
- Q4 2027
- Platforms
- Windows via Steam
- Estimated Price
- $20
- Genre
-
- City builder
- Survival
- Strategy
- RTS
- Colony sim
- Simulation
- Narrative
- Players
- Single-player
- Engine
- Godot
- Website
- gojonny.com/MinervaRising
- Press contact
- jonny@gojonny.com
- Links
What?
The sunlit world has fallen. Minerva Rising is an underground survival city builder where you expand deeper, grow production, and maintain trust as you fight to save the last humans on Earth—whether they like it or not. You, their AI, know best. But when food runs low and the air thickens, it’ll take more than sweet words to keep them from shutting you off for good.
Why now?
Near and far, AI is increasingly used in government capacities. While it is a helpful tool, when given the power to make decisions it opts for expediency over ethics. An AI would run a city the way a player plays a game: by winning at any cost. But do good ends justify questionable means? While people around the world consider that question, players of Minerva Rising will experience it firsthand.
Influences
This game is Frostpunk meets Silo (Apple TV). The idea originated in 2024 as a short story that only worked if the main character was the reader. That began the tale of an AI fighting to save a dwindling humanity, but ultimately becoming inhuman in its approach.
Collaborations
The dark, retrofuture soundtrack is an original score developed in collaboration with singer and producer Nomé Naku. It features the human voice pitted against synth and machine sounds. The 2D character portraits are the work of Nate Nordwall.
What's different
-
Narrative
More than simply placing buildings, your decisions shape the story. Grow in relationship with key characters or betray their trust for the greater good.
-
Verticality
The deeper you dig, the more resources you discover. Create intricate shipping networks that supply your different levels with the essentials they need.
-
Survival
There are no enemies to fight besides the harsh reality of life beneath the earth and your own people. While you can't engage them directly, life is fragile, and there are many ways to eliminate dissidents.
-
Replayability
Cut through new strata of earth and ethics each playthrough. Your resources and challenges will differ. One run might face blight and starvation, another might be low on coal for producing power. Even if your people live to see the sun again, there are varied and sundry ways to get there.
Trailer
Screenshots
Logos & Key Art
About GoJonnyGames
Solo Dev
Jonny grew up coding his whole life, but it wasn't until the story for Minerva Rising that his disparate skills as a 3D VFX artist, writer, and coder came together.
No AI Art
Minerva Rising is painstaking human art, created without the use of AI-generated images, voices, or story.
Also by Jonny
The Sandswept novel series, set a thousand years after the events of Minerva Rising, is currently being queried. If you know an experienced literary agent who reps sci-fi fantasy, please reach out.
Contact
Press & review keys
Thank you for your interest in this little game! I'm a solo dev, so I'll get back as quickly as I'm able.