Judging by all the 'Tech points' racked up, the Scientists had worked themselves to death. The others had stripped the berry bush bare, but had not learned to farm, (something I had to teach them apparently) so they had starved. "This village will remain a myth"; the pop up text box scolded. I had failed.

Learning from these mistakes, I optimistically clicked 'start over'. I could make this work. I was going to give playing 'god' another try.

The new bunch of castaways appeared. This group appeared younger, hardier. Maybe it would work this time. But I would have to learn to be more patient, and I would have to babysit them much more. This time I didn't rush things. Instead I kept checking in, nudging where necessary. This wasn't a 'god game' - it was a lesson in control freakdom and micromanagement. Well, I didn't design the game; I had to play by its rules. So - micromanage I did. I pulled the scientists away from their research bench repeatedly to make them eat. (How many times a day do pixel people have to eat? About 20, apparently, if they're on this island.) I pulled the builders away from building their hut. I didn't push the 'breeding' issue, having been worried last time that the population would die out if I didn't aim for at least one new baby. When I left off finally, the village seemed fairly well balanced. I crossed my fingers and slept.

But very early the next morning three villagers were dead. I don't know what happened to those poor sim folk. Their skeletons were mute. They had racked up enough 'tech points' (something Scientists accumulate at the research table, which can be used to buy advances in various skills for the entire village) before they died to purchase "Spirituality" so I purchased a gain in spiritual knowledge for the village. I had gleaned online that this would allow burial. Sure enough, a burial ground was dedicated and the villagers solemnly buried their kin. (A bit grim, this game, isn't it?)

They had lost a master scientist (the only one who can open a village school), a healer, and the third was a scientist as well. And I had lost hours of tweaking a computer game in hopes it would progress. Only three villagers were left - one man, one woman, and a child who had become a tween overnight. None had gone near the science table.

So where are things now? The remaining villagers had no prompt boxes checked. That would make them prefer a task to other types of work. I had learned that they took that type of thing much too seriously, literally working themselves to the bone. I dragged them to food and water even more often than I had the others. And when the older female approached forty I dragged her to the male and nature took its computer course. They had a baby. Soon the younger female was nursing an infant alongside her. (Childbirth means a baby magically appearing in the woman's arms. In this game, biological functions take place off screen and/or fully clothed.)