Buy Populous: The Beginning CD key compare prices

Populous: The Beginning is a real-time strategy and god game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts. Originally released in 1998, it returned on Steam on March 7, 2024 for Windows PC.

The third Populous game puts you in control of a shaman rather than an unseen god. She leads a tribe of followers on a quest to conquer the 25 planets of a star system and ascend to godhood.

You build huts to grow your population, train braves into warriors, preachers, firewarriors and spies, and gather mana as your people worship. That mana powers spells such as lightning, swarms, tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanoes that reshape the land.

Each level pits your tribe against rival tribes with their own shamans. Alongside the campaign, the Steam release lists multiplayer support, including LAN play.

Levels play out from a rotating, curved view of each planet, which makes terrain an important tool. You can raise land to build space for your village, flatten ground for buildings, or sink enemy settlements into the sea with your shaman's spells. New spells and buildings are unlocked by worshipping at stone heads and totems scattered across the levels. Protecting your shaman is vital, because she is your main source of power and must be revived at your reincarnation site if she falls in battle.

It suits retro strategy fans, players who enjoy god games with real-time battles, and anyone curious about the classic studio behind Dungeon Keeper and Theme Hospital.

Which version should you buy?

• Activation: Keys activate on Steam and run on Windows 7 or 10.

• Language: The game is available in English only.

Check the activation platform and region on each offer before buying, and read how to activate your CD key if needed. Details are on the Populous: The Beginning Steam page.