Solo developer Jason Rohrer, who is well-known for his independent games such as Sleep Is Death and Cordial Minuet, has released a new game today called One Hour One Life. This multiplayer survival game allows players to take on humanity as they work alongside others in a persistent server to advance civilization.
Each playthough, players are only granted with one hour to complete an objective that essentially represents their character’s whole life. Players see their character through a sixty-year lifespan, in which each year is represented through one minute of real time. As the persistent serves are shared, all players can see other’s journey, and interact with them as they see fit. Players are initially born in as babies, and must rely on their parents for their first few minutes. Soon after, players are granted with autonomy, with options to build a family, but overall focus on advancing society in a unique manner. As there are various others on a server, it is imperative to begin development in one’s own small way, in that each individual contribution leads to humanity’s success in the server as a whole.
The game is expected to evolve as players fine-tune their strategies. The altruistic goal of each lifespan will tend to usually benefit the children and later generations of each character, which is a phenomenon Rohrer has accounted for. The game’s tech tree is stated to take hundreds of generations to explore, promoting replayability as various new elements will begin to unfold over time. In waiting for the eventual unveil, players can continue to explore, eat, and craft during their lifespan. Rohrer has detailed a plan to bring in 100 new craftable items to the game, on top of the available 10,000, within the near future.
One Hour One Life is currently available DRM-free for PC directly on Rohrer’s website for $20.