View source for Godville

{{infobox video game
| image = Godville logo.png
| released = 2007
}}
'''''Godville''''' ({{langx|ru|Годвилль}}) is a mobile and desktop browser [[Zero-player game|zero-player]] [[role-playing video game]] developed by Mikhail Platov and Dmitry Kosinov. It was released as a Russian website in 2007 and as a mobile game in English on July 18, 2010. In the game, the player controls a character known as the [[Deity|god]], who interacts with a character called the hero. The hero progresses in the video game without interaction with the player's god character. Reception to the game was positive, with the focus on its gameplay.

== Gameplay ==
''Godville'' is a zero-player game, which means it does not require interaction from the player for the game to progress,<ref name="touch 072010">{{cite web |url=http://toucharcade.com/2010/07/22/godville-review-the-best-game-ive-ever-played-with-absolutely-no-gameplay/ |work=TouchArcade |title='Godville' Review – The Best Game I've Ever Played With Absolutely No Gameplay |first=Eli |last=Hodapp |date=July 22, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021074312/http://toucharcade.com/2010/07/22/godville-review-the-best-game-ive-ever-played-with-absolutely-no-gameplay/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016 }}</ref> though it does require some setup.<ref name="taxonomy">{{cite conference |first1=Sultan A. |last1=Alharthi |first2=Olaa |last2=Alsaedi |first3=Zachary O. |last3=Toups |first4=Joshua |last4=Tanenbaum |first5=Jessica |last5=Hammer |date=April 2018 |title=Playing to Wait: A Taxonomy of Idle Games |url=https://pixl.nmsu.edu/files/2018/02/2018-chi-idle.pdf |book-title=Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |location=Montreal, Canada |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=1–15 |doi=10.1145/3173574.3174195 |isbn=978-1-4503-5620-6 |number=621 |s2cid=5039415 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028001844/https://pixl.nmsu.edu/files/2018/02/2018-chi-idle.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the game, there is the hero-character, who is a [[non-player character]], and there is the god-character, who is played by the player.<ref name="sterling 082010">{{Cite web|last=Sterling |first=Jim |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/iphone-game-of-the-day-godville/ |title=iPhone game of the day: Godville |website=GamesRadar |date=August 21, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021013512/http://www.gamesradar.com/iphone-game-of-the-day-godville/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016 }}</ref> The hero is a religious fanatic who uses a diary to communicate with the god, and occasionally needs a sign of the god's existence;<ref name="sterling 082010"/> the player uses the god-character to influence the hero positively or negatively using rewards and punishments, and sometimes direct communication.<ref name="touch 072010"/><ref name="sterling 072010">{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/free-app-of-the-day-godville-179597.phtml |title=Free App of the Day: Godville |website=Destructoid |date=July 22, 2010 |first=Jim |last=Sterling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021003354/https://www.destructoid.com/free-app-of-the-day-godville-179597.phtml |archive-date=October 21, 2016 }}</ref> The hero can have a pet companion.<ref name="touch 2011">{{cite web |url=https://toucharcade.com/2011/08/05/godville-updated-with-all-sorts-of-goodies/ |title='Godville' Updated With All Sorts of Goodies |work=TouchArcade |date=August 5, 2011 |first=Eli |last=Hodapp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021073223/http://toucharcade.com/2011/08/05/godville-updated-with-all-sorts-of-goodies/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> After a period of time playing the game, the game enables the player to review the most-important events the hero has participated in since the last time the player checked the game.<ref name="touch 2011"/>

The game is also a [[role-playing game]], meaning the hero will wander his world, defeat monsters, find and use treasure and items, and sometimes lose to monsters and unfriendly non-player characters.<ref name="touch 072010"/><ref name="edge">{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Donlan |date=August 27, 2010 |title=The Friday Game: ''EpicWin'' and ''Godville'' |website=[[Edge Online]] |department=Features |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/friday-game-epicwin-and-godville/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630211456/http://www.edge-online.com/features/friday-game-epicwin-and-godville/ |archive-date=June 30, 2012}}</ref> The player names the hero.<ref name="edge"/> Over time, the hero levels up and learns special skills, and has his own personality as a result of his adventuring,<ref name="touch 072010"/> as well as his interaction with the god.<ref name="touch 082010">{{cite web |title='Godville' A Month Later – Still The Best Game I Don't Play |first=Eli |last=Hodapp |date=August 31, 2010 |url=https://toucharcade.com/2010/08/31/godville-a-month-later-still-the-best-game-i-dont-play/ |work=TouchArcade |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021065210/http://toucharcade.com/2010/08/31/godville-a-month-later-still-the-best-game-i-dont-play/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> Occasionally, the hero will be philosophical.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Светлана |last= Дмитриева |title=<!-- Player One --><!--Do not add -->  |date=January 21, 2014 |script-title=ru:Самые странные компьютерные игры |website=Игры@mail.ru |language=ru |department=Games |url=https://games.mail.ru/pc/articles/feat/samye_strannye_kompjuternye_igry/  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127013154/https://games.mail.ru/pc/articles/feat/samye_strannye_kompjuternye_igry/ |archive-date=January 27, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The game provides some items with enhanced abilities which the hero can use only with the god's involvement; the hero will sell these items even if they do "have some marvelous effect".<ref name="touch 082010"/> Limited [[player-vs-player]] interaction is provided as the god can have the hero duel other heroes.<ref name="touch 082010"/> The hero who wins takes some coins from the losing hero as well as some of losing hero's items.<ref name="touch 082010"/> The god can somewhat influence these duels, but sometimes the god's attempt aids the opposing god's hero instead of his own.<ref name="igromania">{{Cite web |last=Белый |first=Антон |date=September 1, 2014 |website=[[Igromania]] |script-title=ru:Игры, которым не нужен игрок |url=https://www.igromania.ru/article/25527/Igry_kotorym_ne_nuzhen_igrok.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224013506/https://www.igromania.ru/article/25527/Igry_kotorym_ne_nuzhen_igrok.html |archive-date=February 24, 2017 |url-status=live |lang=ru}}</ref>

The game was free-to-play at release and connected to the Internet.<ref name="sterling 082010"/> The game was not supported by ads at release and the developers were supported by their full-time jobs.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> Once their characters reach level 10, players can suggest updates to the game, which are then voted upon by the community of players for subsequent inclusion.<ref name="touch 082010"/><ref name="edge"/> Most of the phrases in the game are made and selected by the community.<ref name="pcworld masters"/>

== Development and release ==
The game was developed by Dmitry Kosinov and Mikhail Platov, where Kosinov focused on technical issues and Platov the gameplay issues.<ref name="pcworld masters">{{Cite news |interviewer-first=Ryan |interviewer-last=Rigney |first1=Dmitry |last1=Kosinov |first2=Mikhail |last2=Platov |date=August 24, 2010 |title=Masters of the playerless MMO |work=[[PC World]] |department=News |language=en-AU |url=https://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/358113/masters_playerless_mmo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321213733/https://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/358113/masters_playerless_mmo/ |archive-date=March 21, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> They attribute their community of players as co-designers, from which the designers took feedback on direction and feature set.<ref name="pcworld masters"/>

The designers found ''[[Progress Quest]]'' in 2003, which they say they "immediately loved" and which ''Edge'' called a "clear progeny".<ref name="pcworld masters"/><ref name="edge"/> Besides ''Progress Quest'', the game was inspired by Terry Pratchett's ''[[Small Gods]]''.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> It is named ''Godville'' because the name sounded good in both Russian and English and because it was appropriate for the game.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> ''[[FarmVille]]'' did not exist then.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> From 2003 to 2007, they worked on the ideas for the game in their spare time, including a prototype version in English.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> The web browser version eventually released in 2007 was in Russian because it was their native language, which would allow them to write better jokes.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> The developers self-describe that version as "barely-playable", but they continued developing the game another three years.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> Knowledge of the Russian version spread by word of mouth, eventually having thousands of players.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> This version had no graphics or sound in 2010.<ref name="igromania"/>

In early 2010 the developers started work on the English version, due to demand from Russian-speakers who wanted to show it to their English-speaking friends and because the developers wanted to work on an English version again.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> Russian-speakers helped with the initial translation.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> The English version of the website was not fully-featured in 2010, but new content was added daily.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> The developers released the game for iPhone and iPod in July 2010,<ref name="touch 2011"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://godvillegame.com/blog/post/5|title=Godville goes mobile<!--|author=Staff-->|date=July 18, 2010|work=GodvilleGame|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808034430/http://godvillegame.com/blog/post/5%7C|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> and by August it had over 20,000 downloads.<ref name="pcworld masters"/> Based on the user response,<ref name="pcworld masters"/> the developers released an iPad version with the 2nd version of the iPhone app in September.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://godvillegame.com/announcements/post/13 |title=iPad and a whole bunch of goodies <!--|author=Staff--> |date=September 11, 2010 |work=GodvilleGame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414165345/https://godvillegame.com/announcements/post/13 |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The developers subsequently released an Android version in March 2011,<ref name="pocketgamer">{{cite web |url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/godville/godville-handing-out-blessings-on-android/ |website=Pocket Gamer |title=Godville handing out blessings on Android |department=News |first=Will |last=Wilson |date=March 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314230657/https://www.pocketgamer.com/godville/godville-handing-out-blessings-on-android/ |archive-date=March 14, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> expanded Web browser access to the English version in April 2011,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://godvillegame.com/blog/post/42 |title=Opened to Friends <!--|author=Staff--> |date=April 22, 2011 |work=GodvilleGame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417084909/http://godvillegame.com/blog/post/42 |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> released a Windows Phone version in July 2013,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://godvillegame.com/blog/post/69 |title=Windows Phone 8 App |work=GodvilleGame <!--|author=Staff--> |date=July 12, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415145508/http://godvillegame.com/blog/post/69 |archive-date=April 15, 2015 }}</ref> and an Apple Watch version in 2015.<ref name="touch 2015">{{cite web |url=http://toucharcade.com/2015/06/23/godville-apple-watch-update/ |date=June 23, 2015 |work=TouchArcade |first=Jared |last=Nelson |title=Oh Glorious Day, Exalted One! 'Godville' Finally Comes to the Apple Watch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014021442/http://toucharcade.com/2015/06/23/godville-apple-watch-update/ |archive-date=October 14, 2016 }}</ref>

== Reception ==
On its English release, Eli Hodapp, editor-in-chief of ''TouchArcade'', said that the game "sounds a little stupid" but that "it's surprisingly amusing without needing to actually do anything at all".<ref name="touch 072010"/> [[James Stephanie Sterling]], writing for ''[[Destructoid]]'', called ''Godville'' "a fun, funny, incredibly clever little game";<ref name="sterling 072010"/> she later added in ''[[GamesRadar]]'' that it was "one of the most compelling, engaging, and addictive little bits of software out there".<ref name="sterling 082010"/> In 2012, ''[[Edge Online]]'' called the game "darkly rewarding in its meaningless levelling and incessant battles even before you take into account the smart writing", and was similarly addicted to "the promises of numbers that get larger and larger over time".<ref name="edge"/> In 2014, ''[[The New York Times]]'' said the game "has a wickedly funny side, and it will light up your imagination."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/technology/personaltech/with-mobile-god-games-unleash-your-inner-benevolent-creator-or-wrathful-deity.html |title=With Mobile 'God Games,' Unleash Your Inner Benevolent Creator — or Wrathful Deity |last=Eaton |first=Kit |date=October 8, 2014 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006215900/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/technology/personaltech/with-mobile-god-games-unleash-your-inner-benevolent-creator-or-wrathful-deity.html |archive-date=October 6, 2016 }}</ref> Multiple reviewers identified the game as satirizing religion,<ref name="sterling 072010"/><ref name="edge"/> the role-playing game genre,<ref name="edge"/><ref name="touch 082010"/><ref name="ndtv">{{cite news |first=Gopal |last=Sathe |date=August 12, 2014 |department=Apps Features |website=[[NDTV]] |title=Wanna Play God? Skip Godus and Check Out These Games Instead |url=https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/features/wanna-play-god-skip-godus-and-check-out-these-games-instead-574794 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814235115/https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/features/wanna-play-god-skip-godus-and-check-out-these-games-instead-574794 |archive-date=August 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="pocketgamer"/> the massively-multiplayer online game genre,<ref name="gizmodo">{{Cite news |title=10 Addictive Games For Killing Time on Your Phone |last=Zhang |first=Sarah |work=[[Gizmodo]] |date=February 26, 2015 |language=en-US |url=https://gizmodo.com/10-addictive-games-for-killing-time-on-your-phone-1687505143 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227093343/https://gizmodo.com/10-addictive-games-for-killing-time-on-your-phone-1687505143 |archive-date=February 27, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Bogost">{{Cite book |last=Bogost |first=Ian |date=April 22, 2015 |chapter=Can We Have Your Attention Please? |title=The Geek's Chihuahua |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |isbn=9781452949703}}</ref> and video games in general;<ref name="edge"/><ref name="igromania"/> the developers also included "internet memes and ordinary day to day things".<ref name="Bogost"/>

Hodapp said that the original adventures the character went on were repetitive, but that the developers had implemented a number of excellent community suggestions within the first month.<ref name="touch 082010"/> The lack of control over the hero was appealing.<ref name="touch 082010"/> He originally thought the game was novel and didn't expect it to last, but was surprised that he was still interested in the game years later, and likens checking the game to checking his email or Twitter feed.<ref name="touch 082010"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://toucharcade.com/2014/04/08/godville-is-the-only-ios-game-ive-played-for-nearly-four-years-straight/ |date=April 8, 2014 |first=Eli |last=Hodapp |title='Godville' is the Only iOS Game I've Played For Nearly Four Years Straight |work=TouchArcade |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820021740/http://toucharcade.com/2014/04/08/godville-is-the-only-ios-game-ive-played-for-nearly-four-years-straight/ |archive-date=August 20, 2016 }}</ref> ''GamePro'' identified typos in the content, likely due to the developers not speaking English natively, but that community suggestions continued to help improve the game.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rigney |first=Ryan |date=July 23, 2010 |title=App Store Games of the Week: July 23rd |magazine=GamePro |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/215912/app-store-games-of-the-week-july-23rd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827143543/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/215912/app-store-games-of-the-week-july-23rd |archive-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref> Bogost was unimpressed with the monetization and the use of god powers to influence the game, and was disappointed that the god could interact at all, but suggested that some interaction was necessary for ''Godville'' to be a game rather than a reading work.<ref name="Bogost"/>

''[[NDTV]]'' compared the game favorably to ''[[Godus]]'', another video game in the genre.<ref name="ndtv"/> Due to the [[idle game]] genre's "ease of access", ''Godville'' is cited as one game providing for "a variety of player preferences".<ref name="taxonomy"/> Reviewers approved of the game on mobile platforms, including iPod Touch,<ref name="ta list">{{cite web|title=Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2010 Buyer's Guide |url=http://toucharcade.com/2010/12/24/best-ipod-touch-and-iphone-games-2010-buyers-guide/ |work=TouchArcade |date=December 24, 2010 |first=Eli |last=Hodapp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021064657/http://toucharcade.com/2010/12/24/best-ipod-touch-and-iphone-games-2010-buyers-guide/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> iPhone,<ref name="ta list"/><ref>{{Cite web|first=Jim |last=Sterling |url=https://www.destructoid.com/ten-iphone-games-you-really-should-play-190786.phtml |title=Ten iPhone games you really should play |website=Destructoid |date=January 4, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021003442/https://www.destructoid.com/ten-iphone-games-you-really-should-play-190786.phtml |archive-date=October 21, 2016 }}</ref> Apple Watch,<ref name="touch 2015"/> and Android.<ref name="gizmodo"/> It was also included in ''Mashable''{{'s}} "11 Facebook Games You're Embarrassed to Admit You Play" list.<ref name="mashable">{{Cite news |last=Casti |first=Taylor |date=October 29, 2013 |work=[[Mashable]] |title=11 Facebook Games You're Embarrassed to Admit You Play |language=en |url=https://mashable.com/2013/10/29/facebook-games-embarassing/#PiDwMpTxNmqG |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101081442/https://mashable.com/2013/10/29/facebook-games-embarassing/ |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |url-status=live}}<!-- last/first/date in metadata of page --></ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Rigney |first=Ryan |date=December 15, 2011 |title=Buttonless: Incredible iPhone and iPad Games and the Stories Behind Them |publisher=A K Peters/CRC Press |pages=103–105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZMHMBQAAQBAJ&q=godville |isbn=978-1-4398-9585-6}}
* {{cite book |last1=Purkiss |first1=Blair |first2=Imran |last2=Khaliq |title=2015 IEEE Games Entertainment Media Conference (GEM) |chapter=A study of interaction in idle games & perceptions on the definition of a game |date=October 2015 |pages=1–6 |publisher=IEEE |location=University of Toronto |doi=10.1109/GEM.2015.7377233 |isbn=978-1-4673-7452-1 |s2cid=29407551 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282981063 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028001955/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282981063_A_Study_of_Interaction_in_Idle_Games_and_Perceptions_on_the_Definition_of_a_Game |archive-date=October 28, 2018 |url-status=live}}

== External links ==
* {{official website}}

{{use mdy dates|date=July 2017}}
[[Category:2010 video games]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) games]]
[[Category:God games]]
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Browser games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Russia]]
[[Category:Windows Phone games]]