"The Planet has entered into a new Epoch of the Comet, marked by a burning sky and scorched land."
Totem Tribe is a game made by Enkord. It is mainly a Real-Time Strategy with puzzle and Hidden Object elements.It follows the story of Aruku, from Tetala Island, chosen as leader of her tribe, as she encounters the Tear of Heaven, a crystal that fell from the heavens. The world is in a chaotic era since a comet crashed long ago, and the Tear of Heaven gives Aruku images of a man. That man is Guro, and he tells Aruku to collect the six sacred Totems that guard the world and take them to the Cradle of the North, to bring peace, but not everything will go smooth...
The gameplay involves creating buildings that create units, research facilities, and upgradeable towers to defend from enemies. There are different puzzles that involve searching items, using items, spells and/or units. Various items can be obtained to boost the tribe permanently, and gems can be collected to unlock a level.
A sequel is in the works nicknamed Totem Tribe II: Jotun. It expands the gameplay of the first game, adds different eras to play through, and makes it a MMO.
Tropes in Totem Tribe 1/Gold.
- Ability Required to Proceed: Some stages will have islands that are unreachable. Later on you can get an aqualung which allows your scouts to swim.
- Anachronism Stew: In the scene where achievements, inventions, and discoveries are remarked, fireworks can be shown in the CG that shows "perfect" achievement, where Aruku becomes a known heroine across the planet. Fireworks weren't even mainstream until the 1600's, and this game takes place in prehistoric/ancient ages.
- Animal Motifs: The totems, include ones such as Dolphin, Monkey, Seagull. The tribes also are named after an animal, like the Wolf Tribe.
- Anthropomorphic Personification: The Shades are nightmares given physical form, created when the Comet crashed into the Dream Shore and began to corrupt the dreams of humanity. King Shade itself was born from Aruku's dreams and nightmares, explaining both its hostility toward her and its sheer power.
- Artifact of Doom:
- The Tear of Heaven is actually a fragment of the Comet that has been causing all of the story's problems. It's implied that several of Aruku's worse decisions were due to the Tear's corrupting influence, though it can be purified at the Guardian Moon.
- The Dark Totems. While they're vital to upholding the world's stability, merely carrying one around causes Aruku to feel weakened and fatigued; without the Light Totems to balance their influence out, they also prompt war and violence to run rampant.
- Balance Between Good and Evil: The Totems' purpose is essentially to maintain this, balancing death and destruction with life and creation. When Aruku places the six Light Totems in the World Seal, it explodes and plunges the world into anarchy; her subsequent investigation reveals that she needed both the Light and Dark Totems to be there for the World Seal to operate properly.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Found only in Beetle Island.
- Bonus Level: Guardian Moon, reachable by collecting all the gems, it gives an extra artifact to boost the population, some plot, and unlocks the best ending. Totem Tribe Gold adds some Egypt-themed levels which act as a side-story arc instead of independent interludes.
- Comet of Doom: The Epoch of the Comet is heralded a comet that falls to earth, bringing with it increased strife, discord, and eventually outright war once the World Seal breaks. The Tear of Heaven is a shard of this comet, which is actually containing an alien monstrosity.
- Dem Bones: Skeletons and large skeletons are enemies ingame.
- Dream Land: The Dream Shore is a physical place in the world, where all of the dreams in the world were born. Near the Epoch of the Comet's beginning, the Comet slammed into it and trashed the place; later in the game, Aruku and her tribe have to explore it as part of their quest.
- Evil Doppelgänger: On the Island of Worship, an evil version of Aruku appears to try and dissuade her from continuing on her quest, accusing her of being an Evil Overlord sending her tribespeople to their deaths. She looks like the regular Aruku, though with sickly grey skin, glowing scarlet eyes, and a set of snaking black markings along her body, all of which serve as forshadowing that it's actually King Shade in disguise.
- Evil Overlord: Discussed in the Island of Worship. An Aruku look-alike (actually King Shade) accuses the real Aruku of being one. She responds saying that her spirit is strong, she wants to repair the world and (in response of sending minions to their deaths) that she was chosen as chief of her tribe. She does become an Evil Overlord in the bad ending.
- Expansion Pack: Totem Tribe Gold, which adds some new side islands and a pyramid arc.
- Exposed to the Elements: Despite going through snowy islands and scorched lands, the Hawk Tribe never complains about the cold or heat, not even Aruku, clad in her leopard bikini.
- Fire, Ice, Lightning: There are three elemental towers; Fire, Ice, and Lightning. Fire is gained throughout the story, while Ice and Lightning are obtained only via sidequests.
- Fog of War: Fog of War is used and the common ways to remove fog of war include towers and later on a Idol of Divination, which is the only idol which cannot be used in the Temple building.
- Giant Squid: The final boss and its minions resemble squids, with the boss in particular being nearly on par with the mountains in-game.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: The Aruku-lookalike on the Isle of Worship sports glowing scarlet eyes, underscoring her sinister nature.
- Hero Must Survive: The level is lost if either Aruku or Guro is killed.
- 100% Completion: Collecting all the small gems will give access to the Rainbow Road, allowing access to a Bonus Level where Aruku foresees the future and purifies the Tear of Heaven. This is necessary to get the Golden Ending.
- Last of His Kind: Guro is the last survivor of the Wolverine Tribe. Averted, yet played straight, in Totem Tribe Gold, as Guro can find that the Wolverine Tribe has survived, but had disbanded and joined the Hawk Tribe.
- Multiple Endings: Three, and the result is made with the actions in the last levels.
- Bad Ending: Reached by sacrificing troops to the comet. Aruku sacrifices most of the Hawk Tribe to the comet and seizes control of its magical power, prompting a disgusted Guro to leave her. Aruku becomes a malevolent tyrant who exploits her magical powers to reign supreme for hundreds of years, before gradually fading into history as a sinister witch-like figure.
- Good Ending: Defeat the Final Boss normally. While the world lies in ruins and many lives have been lost, the threat of the Comet has been nullified and humanity may begin to rebuild.
- Golden Ending: Gather all the small gems, then complete the Guardian Moon Bonus Level. Having foreseen the future of humanity and the way the Comet will bring its destruction, Aruku purifies the Tear of Heaven before confronting the final boss. The world is still battered, but the Tear of Heaven's purification means it can be used to repair the damage much faster and forge a newer, better world. Aruku goes down in history as a wise, benevolent leader who used her tremendous powers to help the world.
- New Skill as Reward: Many sidequests and challenges can give you treasures which boost stats of your units or give you new buildings.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: To try and restore balance across the land, Aruku tries to install the six Totems into the Cradle, only for it to self-destruct and cause even more chaos. This however, leads to an even bigger twist where Aruku WASN'T supposed to install the six "Light" totems only, also the "Dark" Totems as well, but the damage is already done.
- Unintentionally Unwinnable: Downplayed. Early versions of the game lacked the last gem to complete the Rainbow Road and thus it isn't possible to reach the best ending.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Aruku's Evil Doppelgänger tries to break her down with one on the Island of Worship, castigating her for her supposed failures as a leader and her recklessness causing the World Seal's destruction. Aruku responds with her own and continues onward regardless.
Tropes in Totem Tribe II: Jotun
- Anachronism Stew: There are 9 eras to play. The eras can be fused, so, for example, a tribal culture can fight against an UFO.
- Multiple Endings: Six ones: Adventure (obtained as "default", the player doesn't get other ending), Science, Culture, Wealth, Expansion, and War Victory. The player needs to take decisions though the whole game, not just the last parts.
