one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

parts

13 mechanics, as Against the Storm does them

core · 4

governance & policy

Citizen satisfaction

Contentment per species responds to met needs; discontented villagers leave and content ones raise reputation.

time & pacing

Crisis countdown

The Queen's Impatience gauge fills over time and recalls the player when full; recurring storms raise pressure between calm periods.

resources & production

Production chains

Production buildings convert goods by recipes such as raincoats, ale, and pies, chosen from a run-specific building set.

progression & goals

Scenario objectives

Each settlement is won by filling the Reputation gauge through orders, villager contentment, and opened glades.

supporting · 9

risk & failure

Adaptive threat scaling

Forest hostility rises as the settlement cuts trees and opens glades.

space & construction

Building placement

information & legibility

Fog of war

Forest glades stay hidden until cut open and may hold boons or threats.

population & lineage

Population strata

Seven species with distinct preferences; three per village.

world generation

Procedural terrain

A new map is generated for each settlement across six biomes.

environment & ecology

Seasons

A calm building period alternates with the storm.

progression & goals

Tech tree

Meta-progression resources upgrade the Smoldering City between runs.

economy & finance

Trade routes

A visiting trader's wares change each year.

core loop

embark with three species and a few goods -> build camps, production, and housing in a cleared glade -> meet each species' needs to keep it content -> complete orders and open glades for reputation -> win before the Queen's impatience fills -> carry rewards to the Smoldering City

design notes

Against the Storm compresses a city builder into short runs: each settlement is a fresh generated map with a race between two gauges, reputation that the player fills and the Queen's impatience that fills on its own, and earning reputation also lowers impatience. Each village hosts three of seven species with distinct housing, food, luxury, and recreation preferences, so the same production network must serve conflicting demands. Rewards carry over to upgrade the Smoldering City between runs, a meta-progression system the taxonomy lacks (see run proposal).

appears in

the paper, 2 sections · 3 chapters · 2 episodes
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

Appendix A. Game catalog

linked in this section of the paper

paper
catalog

The catalog

listed with its year, developer, subgenre, and number of mechanics

book
ch 4

Chapter 4. Families

linked from the text

book
ch 5
book
ch 9

Chapter 9. Vacant lots

linked from the text

book
ep 3

Families across genres

on screen at 5:20 the sequel that moved, 6:59 limits

episode
ep 8

Vacant lots

on screen at 5:20 lots already built

episode

sources

3
Wikipedia contributors (2026). Against the Storm (video game). Wikipedia
PCGamingWiki contributors (2026). Against the Storm. PCGamingWiki
Eremite Games, Hooded Horse (2026). Against the Storm on Steam. Steam

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-gacatalog
2026-10-24
reviewed2026-10-24-review-fixesmaintenance