Niche Gamer Plays is an ongoing video preview series where our staff take an in-depth and yet concise look at classic, current, and upcoming games across all current gaming platforms.

In the latest Papa Orselli Chill / Preview stream, I got a first hands-on look at a promising yet upcoming city-builder called Dawn of Man.

The game has you take control of a tiny ancient human tribe as they transition from hunter gatherers to the first phases of human civilization. I also talk about gaming news, debacles, and respond live to fans in the chat!

Expect a second preview stream for the game next week on Monday at 6 PM, Eastern on our YouTube and Twitch accounts. Also make sure to subscribe to us on both as we regularly upload trailers, and do other previews.

Here’s a rundown on the game:

Dawn of Man is a survival/city-builder from the creators of Planetbase. The game starts in the Stone Age, and takes you up to the Iron Age, spanning more than 10,000 years of human prehistory. Take control of a settlement of the first modern humans, guide them through the ages in their struggle for survival. You will have to get your people to survive, expand and evolve, just like our ancestors, facing the challenges that the environment will throw at you.

Key Features:

• Hunt – Animals were a vital source of food and resources for ancient humans. Use their meat to feed your people and their skin and bones to make clothing and craft the tools you will need to stay alive. Confront Mammoths, Woolly Rhinos, Ancient Bison, Megaloceros, Cave Lions and other species that roamed the earth at the time.
• Gather – Collect a variety resources from the environment: fruit, berries, water, wood, flint, stone, ores. Use them to prepare food, to make tools and to build structures in your settlement.
• Plan for harsh times – Fish is more abundant in spring, berries and fruit can be collected in summer and animals are easier to come by when it’s warm. When winter comes, make sure to have enough non-perishable food and warm clothing in order to survive.
• Expand and fortify your settlement – Build more homes and facilities for your people, in order to expand your population. Construct fortifications and craft weapons, so you are ready for when the inevitable conflict comes.
• Research Technologies – Each new discovery will make it easier for your settlement to be able to support larger populations, but will also bring new challenges: increased food demand, morale issues and more frequent raider attacks.
• Build Megalithic Structures – Our ancestors were capable of incredible engineering feats: mine massive rocks from the environment, transport them using sledges and construct colossal stone structures.
• Control Nature – Unlock farming technologies to grow your own vegetables, so you can feed large amounts of people. Domesticate animals to produce food, resources and provide increased muscle power.

Dawn of Man is launching on March 1st, for Windows PC and Mac (via Steam).