A new type of digital board game where strategic planning and swift platforming meet. As nobles vying for power in a mysterious ancient civilization, players harvest resources and bid in real-time auctions in a contest to worship the almighty goddess Inanna!
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Release Date:
Feb 15, 2017
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Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Sumer is largely done, but ahead of us is the exciting task of adding online multiplayer. Since successfully funding Sumer on Kickstarter, we have had a large number of playtesters asking how they can continue to play Sumer. We want to open the game up to those eager players and welcome them into our community while we continue to balance, polish and develop the last bits of the game!”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Sumer’s Early Access will end when we are confident in the online multiplayer feature. We estimate this to take about a year, but recognize that creating a quality online experience means addressing a lot of unknowns as they come up. Players will be kept up to date with release plans, so if online multiplayer takes longer than expected we’ll be transparent about it.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version of Sumer is the full local game. At first Early Access players will be able to play Sumer in its entirety locally with friends or versus AI. Once online is closing in on being finished, we’ll make it available for testing, and release the game soon after! As we develop online play we’ll also be making improvements to various aspects of Sumer including the onboarding experience, game balance and visual polish. Expect to see improvements to the base game during Early Access and further expansions after we release.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Currently Sumer is a fully playable digital board game! The foundations of the game are all in place and we’ll continue to improve upon them while in Early Access. The current version includes:

  • Three competitive game lengths and several tested variants.
  • Compatibility with keyboard, mouse and a variety of controllers.
  • AI with adjustable difficulty for all games with less than 4 humans.
  • Fully accessible interactive tutorials.

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes, we plan to raise the price of Sumer when online play is added and we leave Early Access.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Early Access is our community’s chance to take a deep dive into Sumer and help us achieve our vision. We hope that you will engage with us in discussions of game balance, the onboarding experience and more. When online play becomes available we’ll allow you to opt in to the beta and test it out! As part of our Early Access community, you will be a critical force in helping us improve the online experience. Your gameplay will help us gather analytics of player behavior and game balance. We’ll continue showing Sumer at live playtest events and will host seasonal tournaments. We look forward to meeting you all at these events and on our streams and are excited to see how skilled you become at Sumer!”
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Reviews

“It's a very unusual, clever idea, and by the time I was done with it I wanted to play more of it.”
Chris Remo, Idle Thumbs Podcast

“Fun, snappy, smartly-designed stuff.”
Matt Lees, Shut Up and Sit Down

“Sumer takes the best parts of board games and the best parts of video games… and adds the best parts of bankrupting your friends and stealing their goats.”
Bennett Foddy, Designer of QWOP

About This Game

Sumer is a unique blend of modern board game design and exciting real-time action, set against the beautiful backdrop of a mysterious ancient civilization.

To claim the throne, four nobles of the ziggurat must compete for Inanna’s favor. She is not easily pleased, but what god is? To prove your worth you must perform sacrifices according to Inanna’s sacred rituals. Place your workers in workshops to gain resources and goats. Offer up the resources to Inanna and use the goats to trade for new workshops and abilities. Only the swiftest and cleverest noble will become the ruler of Sumer.

A Worker Placement Video Game!


Sumer takes the board game mechanic of worker placement to a new level. Each day, you and your competitors will awaken at dawn to begin your worship. Run and jump around the ziggurat to place your workers so they'll collect resources. You only have 2 workers, so you better figure out your strategy, move fast, and claim workshops before your friends beat you to it!

Real-time Dynamic Auctions!


Whoever is willing to sacrifice the most goats gets Inanna's blessing! The auction is simple — just move left or right to change your bid in real time. Each auction is a mind game of bluffing and bravado, and you never know an item’s real price until time is up! Trick your opponents into overpaying for their bids while you snag good bargains for your own!

Key Features


  • 1-4 players - Play local with up to 4 players. Master playing solo or try to beat up to three of your friends.
  • Devious AI - A variety of personalities and skill levels makes the game a challenge for any player.
  • Comfortable game length - With a game experience of 20 to 30 minutes, Sumer plays in a fraction of the time of a comparable strategy board game.
  • Infinitely replayable - Randomized setup and a huge variety of different auction items make each playthrough a unique strategic experience.
  • Nuanced strategies - There is no single key to winning. Being quick on your feet and making smart long-term investments are both crucial to victory.
  • Sumerian culture - We’ve worked with professional historians to bring you the ancient civilization that invented writing, beer, and board games.
  • Customizable gameplay - Play the way you want by turning on variants like Big Head mode and Hidden Auction Items.
  • Your controls - The game can be played with controllers, mouse and keyboard, all at the same time!

System Requirements

Windows
macOS
    Minimum:
    • OS *: Windows XP, 7, 8, 9, 10
    • Processor: 2 Ghz
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Good
    • Storage: 1 GB available space
* Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions.
    Minimum:
    • OS: OSX 10.6
    • Processor: 2 Ghz
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Good
    • Storage: 1 GB available space
* Starting February 15, 2024, the Steam Client will no longer support 32-bit games or macOS 10.14 or lower.

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