Midjiwan’s award-winning 4X strategy game The Battle of Polytopia has landed a deal with Apple Arcade, bringing the full game to subscribers with DLC and every tribe available immediately via The Battle of Polytopia+.
These additional tribes, locked behind the DLC paywall to non-subscribers, provide a new spin on strategic gameplay with bonus buildings, technology and units to choose from.
Players of the Apple Arcade version have access to all 16 tribes from the fruit fanatics in Imperius to the frosty Polaris.
A laidback strategy
When Midjiwan first launched The Battle of Polytopia in February 2016 there were only five tribes, which quickly doubled to 10 by the end of the year. In the years since this has expanded to 12 regular tribes, 12 cosmetic skins, and four DLC tribes.
Eight years on, The Battle of Polytopia has been downloaded over 20 million times across Google Play and the App Store and will remain available in its classic form to new and existing fans without an Apple Arcade subscription. This version of the game is also available on Steam and Switch.
The Battle of Polytopia+ with all its perks, meanwhile, is an Apple Arcade exclusive and joins the service’s other March additions Crayola Adventures and Bloons TD Battles 2+.
Polyopia’s popularity is partially attributed to its laidback approach to monetisation, with any purchased goods becoming permanent additions to a player’s save file; providing all monetised content to Apple Arcade subscribers for no extra cost should only serve to bolster that reputation.
The game is also known for having a unique artstyle among 4X strategy titles, taking a colourful low poly approach while maintaining skill-based gameplay.
“The Apple Arcade release of The Battle of Polytopia will make the game available for even more players to enjoy. Whether it’s the unique insect abilities of the Cymanti, or the icy powers of the Polaris, the special tribes of Polytopia each offer a new spin on gameplay. By making all 16 tribes available, players can enjoy everything Polytopia has to offer from the very start,” said The Battle of Polytopia general manager Christian Lövstedt.
Even with its lax approach to monetisation, The Battle of Polytopia has generated enough good-faith in-app purchases to invest six figures into solar power projects in Africa.
