Good morning, Spaceman.
I’ve made a mistake. I thought I could just “play” Terra Invicta. After putting in over 20 hours this week alone, I’ve realized the truth: you don’t play this game; you survive it.
Terra Invicta officially launched its 1.0 version on January 5th, 2026, and the learning curve isn’t a slope—it’s a vertical cliff face covered in grease and alien spores. If you’re looking for a game that respects your intelligence by trying to crush it, you’ve found it. Today, I’m giving you the Definitive 1.0 Briefing to help you navigate the shadow politics of Earth and the cold vacuum of the solar system.
The Arsenal: Joining the Resistance
Before we dive into orbital mechanics, if you’re a fan of deep-thinking strategy, you know Hooded Horse is the publisher to watch right now. I’ve partnered with them to offer Terra Invicta 1.0 directly through my store.
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Earth 2026: Geopolitics and the “North Korean Utopia”
The 1.0 release introduces the 2026 Scenario, updating the world map to reflect our current reality. The war in Ukraine is ongoing, global tensions are peaking, and then—the aliens arrive.
I started my journey in Spain, using it as a stepping stone to take over France. In Terra Invicta, you need three things to survive: Research, Money, and Nukes. France gives you all three in a neat, high-authority package.
The Great North Korean Experiment
The real magic happened during a coup attempt when I accidentally ended up in control of North Korea. While most players would “Spoil” the country (stripping it of wealth to fund space stations), I decided to try something radical: The North Korean Utopia. I’ve shifted the nation’s focus entirely to Welfare, Economy, and Knowledge. In 1.0, the AI factions (like the Servants or the Initiative) are much more competitive. If you leave a country as a “failed state,” they will use it as a base to sabotage you. By fixing the country, I’m creating a stable bastion.
Master the EU Unification
If you want to win the Earth game, you must master Unification. I’ve unified France and Spain into a single superstate and am currently working on bringing Italy, Ireland, and Portugal into the fold. Merging countries consolidates your Control Points, making your empire far easier to manage.
Captain’s Tip: Use the 1.0 “Fire and Forget” feature for your lower-level councilors. Set them to automate public campaigns or surveying, so you can manually micro-manage your “A-Team” for assassinations and coups.
The Science of War: Global vs. Private Research
The biggest trap for new players is Global Research. 1.0 simulates a “Democratic Science” model where everyone contributes to three global slots.
I used to try and lead every project, but that was a fool’s errand. If you dump all your points into Global Research, your enemies get those breakthroughs for free!
- The Strategy: Let your enemies do the heavy lifting on “Theoretical” techs.
- The Priority: Save your points for Private Faction Projects. These are the techs that give only the Resistance better guns and better drives.
The Exception: I “sniped” the lead on the “Race to Mars” project. I missed the Moon entirely because I moved too slow, and the AI snatched the best spots. To save the campaign, I poured everything into the Mars project and secured the high-water, high-metal craters before the AI could blink. Be a follower in global science, but be a leader in the land-grab.
The “Alien Hate” Meter & The Japanese Kaiju Hunters
One of the most terrifying mechanics is the Alien Hate Meter. It’s essentially a popularity contest where the prize is being vaporized from orbit.
I’m currently ignoring the “Safety First” approach. I’ve been hunting Alien Megafauna (Kaijus) without mercy. When one popped up in Africa, I sent the Japanese military. It felt poetically correct—if you have a giant monster problem, you call the people who have been making movies about it for 70 years.
What are they going to do? Call my mum? Actually, in 1.0, they do something worse. If that meter hits 5 pips, the aliens enter “Total War” mode. They stop kiting you and start systematically deleting your space stations. Balance your Mission Control (MC) usage carefully; build enough to be profitable, but not enough to get “evicted” by an alien fleet.
The Ship Designer Trap
A final warning: the Ship Designer is a physics-based nightmare. 1.0 features a Realistic mode where mass and propellant are simulated 1:1.
90% of the drives you research are “traps.” They look cool but have the efficiency of a lawnmower engine on a cargo ship. I’ve postponed my fleet construction until I unlock high-exhaust-velocity drives. Without them, you just end up with expensive “Space Bricks” that can’t catch an alien scout.
Cinematic vs. Realistic Combat
When you finally get into a scrap, you have two choices:
- Cinematic: Feels like a movie. Great for casual pilots.
- Realistic: 1:1 scales and punishing propellant usage. This is “Kerbal Space Program: War Edition.” Master the basics before you touch this.
Final Thoughts: The Climate and the Void
As for Global Warming? In 1.0, it’s a meme. To fix the climate, you have to stop investing in your military. If I do that, the aliens win. Sorry, Earth—it’s going to be a little warmer, but at least we won’t be alien slaves.
Terra Invicta 1.0 is ambitious, unfair, and brilliant. If you want to see the progress of the North Korean Utopia or the unification of Europe, join us on Twitch: twitch.tv/captaincollins. My community there is the only reason I survived the “No-Moon” disaster of ’26.
Until next time, keep your councilors active and your eyes on the stars.
Captain Collins, signing off.