Pan for gold in SomaSim’s 1849, hitting PCs this year

The gold rush in general has been something of a hot topic as of late and developer SomaSim is hopping that the promise of visiting the great rush and panning for the shiny ore (well, virtually panning for the shiny ore) will grab gamers attention with 1849.

Set in California during the greatest mass migration and rush for gold the civilized world has ever seen, 1849 tasks players with creating a bustling town and thriving in a harsh world.

With all of the peril and possibility of the new frontier, 1849 challenges players to build a thriving mining empire in 19th century California. Inspired by SimCity and other classic simulation games, 1849 is set within 20 real Gold Rush-era cities, each with unique topography and natural resources that influence how they grow. Transform Northern California from a rugged backwater into an economic powerhouse: build mines, establish farms, attract workers and keep up with their ever-increasing needs, set up trade networks from the High Sierras to San Francisco and beyond — and best of all, strike it rich!

With a campaign mode featuring 20 unique scenarios and an endless sandbox mode, 1849 promises hours of addictive fun in a compact indie package. Screenshots released today show off the Old West flavor of 1849‘s mining camps. Other locations will include wooded outposts, riverside settlements, and bustling cities, all with a rich visual style informed by surviving Gold Country architecture and period photographs. Catch a glimpse of 1849‘s detailed world at the official website: http://www.somasim.com/1849

SomaSim’s founders, Robert Zubek and Matthew Viglione, have been fans of simulation games since childhood, when they enjoyed games like Caesar, Civilization, Railroad Tycoon, and SimCity on computers that could be overpowered by today’s tablets. With 1849 they are striving to create an experience as immersive as those classics, and just as fun in small bursts as in marathon sessions.

I don’t think I’ve ever played anything like 1849 other than SimCity, but I’ll be danged if it doesn’t look like a hot prospect. There’s no combat, no monsters coming down from the hills and no robots landing from other worlds- just city building at it’s most rugged and it looks like a lot of fun. I love the idea of it being set in California too as I can’t recall another game that took advantage of what’s really one of the most interesting times and settings in American history.

In early access beta for the PC and Mac right now, 1849 will also be on the way for mobile platforms like iOS and Android. Expect to see it become officially available for PC, Mac, iOS and Android some time this May.