Anachrony - Essential Edition

It is the late 26th century. Earth is recovering from a catastrophic explosion that wiped out most of the population centuries ago and made much of the surface uninhabitable due to supernatural weather conditions. The surviving humans have organized themselves along four radically different ideologies, called Paths, to rebuild the world as they see fit: Harmony, Dominance, Progress, and Salvation.

The followers of the four Paths live in fragile peace, but in almost complete isolation alongside one another. Their only meeting point is the last great city on Earth, now known only as the Capital. By empowering the mysterious Time Rifts that opened in the wake of the cataclysm, each Path is able to return to specific moments in their past. This can greatly accelerate their progress, but too much interference can endanger the space-time continuum. But progress is more important than ever: if the mysterious message coming through the Time Rift is to be believed, an even more terrible cataclysm looms on the horizon: an asteroid containing the mysterious substance called Neutronium is heading towards Earth. Even stranger, scientists show that the asteroid's energy signature matches the explosion from centuries ago...

Anacrony features a unique two-tiered worker placement system. To travel to the Capital or venture into the devastated areas in search of resources, players need not only various specialists (Engineers, Scientists, Administrators, and Genies) but also Exosuits to protect and upgrade them, both of which are in short supply. The game is played in 4-7 turns, depending on when the impending cataclysm occurs – unless, of course, it is averted! Turns are measured on a dynamic timeline. By upgrading Time Rifts, players can rewind to previous turns to replenish resources for their past selves. Each path has a very different objective that rewards it with a huge amount of victory points upon completion. Settlements on the Trails will survive the impact, but the Capital will not. Whichever Road manages to collect the most points will be the new home of the Capital, and thus the most important force left on the planet…