Wes's take — coming soonPlayed? Beaten? 100%? Rating, tier and a Pocket log line will live here.

Instruction booklet · September 1991

Populous

Real Time Strategy (RTS)Role-playing (RPG)SimulatorStrategy1 playerPre-ESRB

The story

Populous is a real-time strategy game where the player takes the role of a deity influencing the development of civilizations. You shape terrain, guide followers, and use natural disasters like floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes to influence or eliminate opposing tribes. The game features an isometric perspective and includes 500 levels (worlds), each with different challenges.

Specifications

Released: September 1991
Developer: Infinity Co., Ltd
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Players: 1
Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS) · Role-playing (RPG) · Simulator · Strategy
Rating: Pre-ESRB
Series: Populous
Themes: Fantasy · Sandbox
View: Bird view / Isometric

What the magazines said

EGM · not on record yet

Famitsu · four reviewers

Players: 74/100 (47 ratings)
Games International: 2/5

BE KIND, REWINDSeptember 1991

#1 song

(Everything I Do) I Do It for YouBryan Adams #1 album

MetallicaMetallica Admit one · #1 movie

Dead Again$4,366,330 weekend

Vol. 1 · No. 3Omaha, Nebraska · Late edition25¢

The Omaha World-Pixel

Week of September 6, 1991

Sep. 8

Tailhook scandal: At the 35th Annual Tailhook Symposium in Las Vegas, 83 women and seven men are assaulted by U.S. Navy and Marine aviation officers.

💵 A Super NES was $199.99 at launch · about $473 today

Open this week in the Time Machine →

Also out in September 1991

DrakkhenSeika Corporation · Role-playing (RPG)

Hal's Hole in One GolfHAL Laboratory · SimulatorEGM 7.8

HyperZoneHAL Laboratory · ShooterEGM 4.5

Super Bases LoadedJaleco · Sport

Super R-TypeIrem · ShooterEGM 8.0

The ChessmasterMindscape · Strategy

U.N. SquadronCapcom · Shooter

◀ HyperZone Super Bases Loaded ▶

Data: IGDB · Wikipedia · libretro-thumbnails · Charts: Billboard · Box office: Box Office Mojo via Wikipedia. Today’s money uses US CPI-U, 2025 dollars.