Players control Mark as he attempts to solve the various issues facing the new civilizations, such as retrieving lost objects or mediating a dispute.

[7] Chris said their influences include "A Boy and His Dog, Soylent Green, Logan's Run, and a healthy dose of Mad Max".

[8] Fallout and Baldur's Gate influenced the look and feel of the game, including the isometric point of view and the detailed-oriented backgrounds.

To appeal to Westerners, The Brotherhood considered limiting the amount of South African cultural references and hiring voice actors with a more international accent.

[3] Don's voice actor is a veteran of the South African Border War, which informed some of the emotional weight in the game's story.

They said that progressing through the story can be "both engaging and frustrating" because of the quest and puzzle design, which occasionally require pixel hunting and backtracking.

[16][17] Though calling it an "ambitious and lovely-looking game", Nintendo Life criticized the puzzles and story, which they felt involved too many fetch quests and an emphasis on quirky dialogue.