Half-Earth Socialism
Released Jul 2022
Try your hand as a global planner of a future society. Play with a wide range of technologies and policies spanning different fields and ideologies. Will you lead the world to ecological utopia or planetary ruin?
81% positive · 1,024 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to get it
Free on Steam
Evaluation
Half-Earth Socialism launched on July 19, 2022 as a free-to-play game based on the book of the same name. Shortly after launch, the developer acknowledged in an August 2, 2022 post that they are "an extremely small team with full-time jobs" focused on addressing bugs reported by players — a clear signal that this is a passion project with limited ongoing support rather than a game with a planned content roadmap. The team shipped a handful of bug fixes in the weeks following launch, and then delivered one more notable update on March 18, 2024, which included balance adjustments and new translations (Japanese, Thai, French, and German in beta). There have been no developer communications since March 18, 2024, and no major content updates, expansions, or roadmap announcements have been made at any point. No DLC has been listed. The game launched as a complete, self-contained experience adapted from the book, and all available evidence points to it having been shipped as a finished product. The 2024 patch was a maintenance and localization update, not an indicator of ongoing new content development.
Evidence
Developer describes themselves as an extremely small team with full-time jobs, focused on fixing bugs rather than building new content
Store description presents the game as a complete adaptation of the Half-Earth Socialism book with no mention of future content, DLC, or ongoing development plans
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Trust
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows, macOS, Linux
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player
About this game
If you've enjoyed the book or the game Half-Earth Socialism, then join the HES discord server where you can chat with gamers, readers, and the authors. There you can chat about strategies for the game, organize with fellow ecosocialists, and learn more about history, theory, and utopia! To get an invitation to the channel email: half.earth.socialism@proton.me
SET THE PLANETARY PLAN: Half-Earth Socialism allows anyone to try their hand as a global planner of a future society. Starting in the year 2023, you must make decisions about what projects the world will pursue--new research like alternative energy sources, or massive infrastructure projects like mass electrification or space travel, or one of over one hundred other possibilities. Decide how energy and food is produced across the world. Should we immediately halt all fossil fuel usage, or should we swap to a "transition" fuel source first?
WORK WITH PARLIAMENT: At the same time you must juggle relationships with competing political factions in global parliament and improve the quality of life for everyone on the planet. Will you be able to guide the world into a better future amidst differing interests and visions?
IMPACT THE WORLD: Half-Earth Socialism features a simple model of the world: the impact of your decisions are simulated using the HECTOR climate model and a model of planetary production and demand. See how the world changes according to your actions--perhaps new culinary trends around eating invasive species, or the emergence of eco-terrorists if your plans fail to improve planetary health and human well-being.
This game, based on the book Half-Earth Socialism (Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese, Verso 2022), is the fruit of the labour of many designers, researchers, and artists (full credits below). Francis Tseng (Jain Family Institute) is the game developer and Son La Pham (TRUST) is the designer.
Concept: Arthur Röing Baer, Chiara Di Leone, Drew Pendergrass, Son La Pham, Francis Tseng, Gregory Vettese, Troy Vettese
Design: Son La Pham, Francis Tseng
Development: Francis Tseng, Son La Pham
Research and Writing: Lucy Chinen, Drew Pendergrass, Son La Pham, Spencer Roberts, Francis Tseng, Troy Vettese
Music: PRINCE SHIMA
Playtesting: Spencer Roberts, Dargan Frierson, Sean Raspet, Sarah Friend, Filip Mesko, Wassim Alsindi, Bradley K, Julia, Grace Van de Pas, Michael Vettese, Xinyue, Lukas Eigler-Harding, Adrian Dinh, Aural Ephem, Nick Houde, Simon Zhang, Paul Turberg, Jan Philipp Dapprich, Matt Goerzen, Neilson Koerner-Safrata, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nicholas Carter
SET THE PLANETARY PLAN: Half-Earth Socialism allows anyone to try their hand as a global planner of a future society. Starting in the year 2023, you must make decisions about what projects the world will pursue--new research like alternative energy sources, or massive infrastructure projects like mass electrification or space travel, or one of over one hundred other possibilities. Decide how energy and food is produced across the world. Should we immediately halt all fossil fuel usage, or should we swap to a "transition" fuel source first?
WORK WITH PARLIAMENT: At the same time you must juggle relationships with competing political factions in global parliament and improve the quality of life for everyone on the planet. Will you be able to guide the world into a better future amidst differing interests and visions?
IMPACT THE WORLD: Half-Earth Socialism features a simple model of the world: the impact of your decisions are simulated using the HECTOR climate model and a model of planetary production and demand. See how the world changes according to your actions--perhaps new culinary trends around eating invasive species, or the emergence of eco-terrorists if your plans fail to improve planetary health and human well-being.
This game, based on the book Half-Earth Socialism (Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese, Verso 2022), is the fruit of the labour of many designers, researchers, and artists (full credits below). Francis Tseng (Jain Family Institute) is the game developer and Son La Pham (TRUST) is the designer.
Concept: Arthur Röing Baer, Chiara Di Leone, Drew Pendergrass, Son La Pham, Francis Tseng, Gregory Vettese, Troy Vettese
Design: Son La Pham, Francis Tseng
Development: Francis Tseng, Son La Pham
Research and Writing: Lucy Chinen, Drew Pendergrass, Son La Pham, Spencer Roberts, Francis Tseng, Troy Vettese
Music: PRINCE SHIMA
Playtesting: Spencer Roberts, Dargan Frierson, Sean Raspet, Sarah Friend, Filip Mesko, Wassim Alsindi, Bradley K, Julia, Grace Van de Pas, Michael Vettese, Xinyue, Lukas Eigler-Harding, Adrian Dinh, Aural Ephem, Nick Houde, Simon Zhang, Paul Turberg, Jan Philipp Dapprich, Matt Goerzen, Neilson Koerner-Safrata, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nicholas Carter
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 16, 2026
Something about this evaluation looks wrong Report illegal or harmful content