OtherSide Entertainment have announced a new game: Underworld Overlord:

Blending proven tower defense and “god game” simulation mechanics, Underworld Overlord immerses players in an incredible VR setting steeped in the fantastical Underworld mythos.

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In Underworld Overlord, the player commands a dungeon full of monsters, traps and treasure, during an onslaught of so-called ‘heroic’ adventurers. Action takes place from a virtual ‘puppeteer’s’ perspective as the player pulls the strings, directing forces and building defenses in a dynamic VR environment.

There’s just one catch: the game is (at least at present) exclusive to Google’s just-announced Daydream VR platform:

“Underworld Overlord is specifically tailored to the capabilities of the Daydream platform, developed by a team of VR and Android experts in close collaboration with Google,” says OtherSide creative director Paul Neurath. “It’s a stand-alone game, but connects to the upcoming Underworld Ascendant, sharing creatures, characters, and rich lore. The Underworld franchise has a history of pioneering immersive video games, so bringing it to VR is a natural fit.”

Underworld Overlord, then, can be thought of as a kind of companion piece to Underworld Ascendant; it’s set in the Stygian Abyss, but players take on the role of an evil overlord, and must defend their realm against encroachers. It’s kind of like Dungeon Keeper, I suppose, albeit I don’t know how much dungeon building the game will allow.

One thought: It’s neat that OtherSide were able to announce this game on the eve of Google’s announcement of Daydream, but I can’t help but wonder if limiting Overlord to a single VR platform is the best choice. There aren’t that many VR-exclusive games out there yet, and this one could potentially be a strong contender on many of the available VR platforms. I can’t help but feel that OtherSide are limiting the impact and market of the game a bit too much by making Overlord a Daydream exclusive.

Still, it’s an interesting-looking project…and if it brings in more money for them to build Underworld Ascendant with, more’s the better.

Oh, and: OtherSide have also published some replies to feedback they’ve received about the current prototype of Underworld Ascendant.