Terraria

''Terraria'' ( ) is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic and published by 505 Games. The game features exploration, combat, crafting, building, and mining inside a procedurally generated 2D world. It has several world difficulties, as well as a character class system. The player can encounter a variety of enemies throughout the game, such as those who spawn at a certain time or location or during special events, and can also complete specific goals to attract non-player characters who sell items and offer services to the player. ''Terraria'' also features support for modifications through tModLoader.

Development began in January 2011 by Andrew Spinks of Re-Logic. Initially released in May 2011 on the Steam digital distribution service, ''Terraria'' has since received continuous content updates that have considerably changed the game from its first version. The game has also been ported to different platforms, including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia.

''Terraria'' has received generally favorable reviews from critics. Gameplay aspects, such as exploration, replayability, and amount of content, have been praised, while the crafting system has been viewed as being complex. The lack of a tutorial for PC has also been criticized; however, the tutorial worlds of Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita were commended. The combat system, as well as the controls for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and the retro-styled sprites were also positively received. As of 2025, ''Terraria'' has sold over 64 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time. Re-Logic developed a separate game, ''Terraria: Otherworld'', from 2015 until it was canceled in 2018.

Gameplay

''Terraria'' is a 2D sandbox, action-adventure, role-playing, and platformer game with gameplay that revolves around exploration, building, crafting, combat, survival, and mining; it is playable in both single-player and multiplayer. The game's graphical style is reminiscent of the 16-bit sprites found on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game console. ''Terraria'' is noted for its classic exploration-adventure style of gameplay, similar to games such as '' Super Metroid'' and ''Minecraft''. The game starts in a procedurally generated world, with players starting out with basic tools and a non-player character (NPC) guide that teaches the player about aspects of the game and progression.

The world is divided into biomes that include a vast variety of resources, such as metal ores, which can be found while exploring caves. Some resources may only be found in specific areas of the world, stored in containers or dropped by enemies. Players also begin with low health and mana, which can be increased by finding and crafting specific equipment or items. Players can use found resources to craft equipment and items, such as weapons, armor, and potions, at crafting stations. The game has several difficulty modes: the default "classic" mode, "expert", and "master" modes, which increase the difficulty in exchange for exclusive items, and "journey" mode, which allows the player to duplicate items, adjust the world's difficulty, and control weather and time while playing.

The game features a character class system, primarily divided into melee, ranged, magic, and summoner classes. Throughout the game, players can also encounter a variety of enemies, the occurrence of which depends on several factors such as time, location, and special events. A more difficult version of enemies, called bosses, use a number of different combat mechanics and can drop valuable items. They can be summoned either by players using special items or when certain criteria are met. The defeat of some bosses is directly tied to in-game progression, such as Wall of Flesh, who advances the game into "hardmode", a stage of the game that introduces tougher enemies, as well as new NPCs, resources, and items. Like bosses, players can also battle enemies and mini-bosses during special events, such as goblins, pirates, or aliens, in which enemies appear constantly, and they must either be defeated or a certain amount of time must pass before the event ends.

By completing specific goals, such as defeating a boss or obtaining a certain item, players can attract NPCs, such as a merchant, nurse, or demolitionist, to occupy houses they have built. Some NPCs can also be acquired by finding them throughout the world. After acquiring NPCs, players may buy or sell items from NPCs with coins or obtain services from them. The happiness status of NPCs is controlled by two factors: the biome they reside in, and the NPCs they are neighbors with. Depending on their happiness, NPCs will raise or lower their prices and sell special items.

Players also have the option to customize their character's appearance when creating a new character, and in-game through equipping various items. Along with this, players can obtain vanity items, armor pieces and accessories with only a cosmetic effect, and dyes, which change the color of equipped items. Throughout the game, players can obtain accessories that provide boosts to the player's statistics, such as wings that enable the player to fly or a shield that provides knockback immunity.

''Terraria'' has support for modifications, which is facilitated by the third-party tModLoader. It received official support when it was released as a free downloadable content (DLC) on the Steam digital distribution service in 2020. Mods for ''Terraria'' vary widely in their scope, content, and purpose. Some, such as Thorium and Calamity, add new content to the game, including bosses, weapons, and biomes. Others, such as Overhaul, rework the mechanics of the game to provide players with a different experience. Additional ones, such as Recipe Browser, Veinminer, Magic Storage, and Fargo's Mutant Mod, aim to improve quality of life by streamlining parts of the game.

Development and release

''Terraria'' was developed by independent video game studio Re-Logic and published by 505 Games. Its development began in January 2011 by Andrew Spinks, the creator and lead programmer of the game. Spinks was assisted by a team of game testers on game design and graphics. He built the game on the Microsoft XNA framework. Scott Lloyd Shelly composed the game's music. ''Terraria'' was released on Steam for Windows platforms on May 16, 2011. The game was released earlier than planned considering that a beta version of the game was leaked to the public. The game's first major update, 1.1, was released on December 1, 2011. It introduced additional enemies and bosses, items, NPCs, and accessories, and improved the lighting system and world generation. In February 2012, Spinks announced that the game would not receive further content updates and that they would instead release a final bug-fix patch. A retail release of ''Terraria'', named the Collector's Edition, was released on March 16, 2012. Development of the game resumed in 2013, with Spinks asking the community for ideas to include in future content updates.

In September 2012, Spinks announced that Engine Software and 505 Games would port ''Terraria'' to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade on March 27, 2013, while the PlayStation 3 version was released via the PlayStation Network in North America on March 26, 2013, and in Europe and Australia on May 15, 2013. The console versions introduced a local cooperative multiplayer mode. Shortly after the initial console releases, 505 Games announced ''Terraria'' for PlayStation Vita; it was released in Europe on December 11, 2013, and in North America on December 17, 2013. The Vita version included a tutorial world and an online multiplayer mode via Wi-Fi. Spike Chunsoft localized the PlayStation 3 and Vita versions for the release in Japan, including exclusive items such as a costume based on Monokuma from their ''Danganronpa'' series. They promoted the game by sharing video footage of the game on Niconico and organizing broadcasts. Spike Chunsoft also said that a majority of players who downloaded a demo version of ''Terraria'' for PlayStation 3 bought the full game. 505 Games announced a mobile version of ''Terraria'' in May 2013, to be ported by Dutch studio Codeglue for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. The studio optimized the game for touch screens and introduced integration with Facebook. It was released for iOS on August 29, 2013, for Android on September 13, 2013, and for Windows Phone on September 12, 2014.

The game's second major update, 1.2, was released in October 2013. The update saw new mechanics, gameplay changes, and graphics adjustments, as well as the addition of new items, NPCs, bosses, and enemies. After its release, Re-Logic continued releasing minor content updates, introducing a Halloween-themed special event and a Christmas-themed seasonal event. The console and mobile versions received the 1.2 update in 2014. A downloadable version of ''Terraria'' was released for PlayStation 4 on November 11, 2014, and Xbox One on November 14, 2014, with a retail release on December 2, 2014. On August 12, 2015, the macOS and Linux versions were released. The Nintendo 3DS version was first released on the Nintendo eShop on December 10, 2015, while a Wii U version was released on the eShop in Europe on June 24, 2016, and in North America on June 28, 2016.

Re-Logic released the game's third major update, 1.3, on June 30, 2015. The update introduced new biomes, events, NPCs, items, enemies, and the "expert" difficulty mode, as well as improvements to the game's sound effects and graphics. Additionally, the update introduced the ability to invite players on Steam in the multiplayer mode. In November 2016, Re-Logic introduced crossover content from '' Dungeon Defenders 2''. The console version, developed by Pipeworks Studios, was released in February 2018, while the mobile version was released in August 2019. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on June 27, 2019. In December 2018, 505 Games announced that DR Studios would take over the development of the mobile version, while Pipeworks would focus on the Switch port of the game; in August 2020, DR Studios took over the development of console and Switch versions of ''Terraria''.

The fourth major update, 1.4 or Journey's End, was released by Re-Logic on May 16, 2020. With the update, tModLoader received official support from Re-Logic, having been added to Steam as a free DLC. It introduced new items, enemies, biomes, and gameplay elements, including the "master" and "journey" difficulty modes. The update was made available on Switch in January 2022. A March 2021 update of the game added direct support for resource packs, worlds, and character sharing through the Steam Workshop. In November 2021, a crossover update added content from the survival game '' Don't Starve Together'', which received its own ''Terraria''-themed content in return. An update known as Labor of Love, released on September 28, 2022, added many quality-of-life features to the game. In November 2024, '' Palworld'' announced collaboration with ''Terraria''.

In February 2021, Spinks announced the cancellation of the Google Stadia version of ''Terraria'' due to the suspension of Re-Logic's Google account without a given reason for over three weeks. He later clarified that existing Android and Google Play versions of the game would not be affected. Later that February, Google reached out to Re-Logic about the account shutdown and provided transparency around the situation and restored their accounts; subsequently, Re-Logic reaffirmed that they would release the game for Stadia, which it did on March 18, 2021. Google later announced the shutdown of Stadia in September 2022, with the platform being terminated in January 2023.

Reception

''Terraria'' received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. ''Gamasutra'' listed the game on its list of best indie games of 2011. In 2022, ''Terraria'' surpassed over a million reviews on Steam, while maintaining its status as an "overwhelmingly positive" game.

Reviewers have praised gameplay aspects of ''Terraria''. The game's exploration has been positively received, with Nathan Meunier of ''IGN'' commenting that "the drive to explore every nook and cranny of the landscape kicks in right away". Writing for ''GameSpot'', Britton Peele also praised the game's large world size, while Tom Mc Shea commended the game's boss battles. Its replayability has been praised by Jeffrey deMelo of ''TouchArcade''; writing for ''Eurogamer'', Christian Donlan saw the game as "an extremely enjoyable one", while also praising the inclusion of an in-game map. The game's large amount of content has been praised by critics. While Meunier and Mc Shea commended the game's crafting system, Luke Winkie of ''PC Gamer'' and Phill Cameron of ''Eurogamer'' disliked its intricacy.

Although PC critics disliked the lack of a tutorial, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release's separate tutorial world has been commended. Meunier also praised the PS Vita's tutorial world. Winkie liked the game's progression system, while Meunier commended the NPC village development aspect of the game. The game's multiplayer mode has also been commended by Meunier; Peele praised the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3's multiplayer invitation system. However, Marcel van Duyn of ''Nintendo Life'' disliked the lack of online multiplayer upon the launch of the 3DS version; he also saw the Wii U version as an improvement in regards to the multiplayer mode. Reviewers have also compared the game to ''Minecraft''. Peele has characterized the comparison as "somewhat unfair", while Donlan saw ''Terraria'' as a mix of gameplay elements from ''Minecraft'' and '' Spelunky''.

The game's technical elements have also been commended by critics, including the combat system. Winkie praised the game's physics engine, while Mc Shea commended the PS Vita's movement controls. Van Duyn commended the 3DS touchscreen abilities. Critics also praised the controls of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases of ''Terraria''. However, Mitch Vogel disliked the controls of the Nintendo Switch version. Mark Brown of ''Pocket Gamer'' praised the mining mechanics of the iOS release, but criticized its movement. The user interface of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases was criticized by Meunier, while he commended that of the PS Vita. The game's retro-styled graphics have been complimented by reviewers.

Sales

''Terraria'' sold over 50,000 copies on its first day, and 432,000 within its first month. As of May 2025, it has sold over 64 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time.

Sequel

''Terraria 2'', a sequel to the original game, was announced in October 2013. In an interview with ''Rock Paper Shotgun'', Spinks revealed that the game would be significantly different from the original, saying that it would have "infinite worlds" instead of one world.

In February 2015, a separate game, titled ''Terraria: Otherworld'', was announced by Re-Logic as an offshoot of ''Terraria''. The game tasked the player with trying to purify the world of the Corruption, which was to be achieved mainly by finding and activating "purifying towers" that push back the spread of the Corruption. ''Otherworld'' would have included more strategy and role-playing elements, such as a tower defense gameplay element, skill trees, and a plot. Re-Logic's partner on the project, Engine Software, hired a new designer and head of art in July 2016. However, in April 2017, Re-Logic announced that their previous partner on the project, Engine Software, would be dropped in favor of Pipeworks, due to the game being behind schedule. A year later, Re-Logic announced that ''Otherworld'' had been canceled due to them not being satisfied with its development.

Since the game's release, Re-Logic has released physical merchandise of the game. In July 2022, Re-Logic announced the release of a ''Terraria'' graphic novel in a collaboration with 50 Amp Productions. A year later, Re-Logic announced cooperation with Paper Fort Games on creating a ''Terraria'' board game.

Notes

References

External links

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Official Wiki

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