Before the Ash

Step into the hot seat of ancient Pompeii, where every card you play and every tile you place brings your city closer to glory—or disaster. In ‘Before the Ash,’ you aren’t just a bystander; you’re the mastermind sculpting a civilization in the literal shadow of Mount Vesuvius. With the clock ominously ticking down to eruption, strategy is your best friend and only hope.

This indie sensation, born from the adrenaline-fueled Godot Wild Jam, packs surprising depth into a simple, one-handed control scheme perfect for both desktop and mobile. Lay down hexagonal tiles to expand your growing city, weave together farms, homes, and marketplaces, and watch the heart of Pompeii beat with life. Each building card is a strategic choice: generate vital resources, unlock new bonuses, and balance short-term gains with long-term needs.

The experience is beautifully tactile. Drag and drop vibrant, hand-drawn cards onto the ancient landscape, feeling every decision ripple across your expanding hex grid. As prosperity blooms, Vesuvius looms ever larger, its eventual eruption inevitable but not insurmountable—if you’ve prepared wisely. Resource management is intuitive yet provides layers of challenge. Build resource chains, optimize tile placement, and keep a keen eye on Pompeii’s growth to maximize your score before the ash clouds descend.

‘Before the Ash’ shines with pick-up-and-play accessibility—its easy difficulty welcomes newcomers, while card synergies and tile placement rewards captivate strategy vets. It’s a love letter to city-builders and card-driven gameplay, all wrapped in atmospheric visuals that ooze charm and historical drama. Forge your legacy as the city planner who dared to challenge a volcano and lead your citizens to glory, one careful card at a time.

Whether you’re a casual player looking for a clever strategy fix or a hardcore tactician aiming for the perfect run, ‘Before the Ash’ delivers quick, compelling action straight from your browser—literally in the palm of your hand.