Over the last two decades god games almost vanished completely, but why ? I loved all the old god games like populus or DK, but similar to RTS games which have a hard time too, god games just seemed to disappeared.

Is it, that they are too complex, that they are hybrid of several other game genres ? That they are difficult to port to console (like RTS games) ? That they were never really successful, thought they have a loyal fan community ? No modding community ? To boring ? No competive multiplayer community ?

When regarding RTS games, then there are at least still some big names around (eg SC2), but what about god games ?

What do you think ?

Yes, I think it's a real shame.

Personally, I got turned off by the fact that as god games became more complex, I seemed to spend more and more time doing really boring micromanagement tasks.

Black and White in particular had the odd situation where I was playing as a super powerful god, but I seemed to spend all my time being a child minder to stupid minions. Now Godus combines similar tedious micro management with farmville-esque clicking-on-stuff-to-collect-it.

So I ended up making a god game which focuses on global war and destructive acts-of-god because I think the key thing about god games is the wielding of power, not worrying about minutiae.

I'd say Molyneux ran them to the ground by "overpromising" (aka, lying) for two decades.

Black and White in particular had the odd situation where I was playing as a super powerful god, but I seemed to spend all my time being a child minder to stupid minions

And I loved it that way :3 Specially when your creature went and randomly took a poop on top of the villagers because I WORK IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS.

I don't think god games have vanished, I think they've pretty much merged with sim city type games and RTS games. Look at Exiled, Reus, and Skyward collapse.

Black and White in particular had the odd situation where I was playing as a super powerful god, but I seemed to spend all my time being a child minder to stupid minions.

Hmmm... I think that this is partly a problem of the player himself. Many players will try to optimize the game and doing all the stuff yourself will most likely always beat the gamelogic/AI. So, is the option to interact directly with your minions a desgin flaw ? It is similar to save games, once they are in, user will quick save/load through any challenge they encounter. But isn't the direct interaction with your minions one of difference to a pure simulation game (compare them to Sims or Settlers) ?

The problem with any resource management game is that it is very easy to add an F2P monitization strategy.

This might be true for the recent games (~5-7 years, or the newest installment of Dungeon Keeper) , but the lack of godmode games reaches back longer than F2P games.

I'd say Molyneux ran them to the ground by "overpromising" (aka, lying) for two decades.

Godus got "overpromised", B&W was "overhyped", nevertheless, most godgames were created by Molyneux , when ignoring direct clones.

I don't think god games have vanished, I think they've pretty much merged with sim city type games and RTS games. Look at Exiled, Reus, and Skyward collapse.

Maybe this is an identity problem. Looking at the games you have mentioned, or comparing Populus, Dungeon Keeper and Black & White, then all games are really different, it is even hard to define a core game mechanism. Comparing this to FPS or RTS games, you often have lot in common.

What have godgames in common ? I think, that godgames are often grounded in life-simulation, that the player as a god has some power to interact beyond being just a commander.

So a god-game is a game in which you play a god? It sounds like calling Total War an emperor-gameseries (instead of TBS with zoomed combat and macro-economy) and saying these are rare(while the Age of Wonders series generally does the same things but is a "wizards"-game. I think older god-games were basically experimental sandbox-games geared towards semi-older players, but as time progressed sandbox-games became just sandbox-games and the more mature games restricted their players to make the game harder and more realistic.

I'm refering this definition more or less. It shares a lot of features with many other genres, most with RTS and simulation games, but there are some important differences.

For one you have the power to interact with your minions by influencing them in/directly. Eg. a lightning bolt cast as god or picking up your minions. In a RTS game on the other hand, it is not possible to manipulate the environment/minions directly, you only give orders.

The second aspect of a god game compared to RTS game is, that your minions are mostly self-sufficient and the goal of the game is not war in the first place. Your minions simulate artifical life to some degree, which is part of the challenge (how to get your stupid minions doing X or Y ?) . RTS games have often a very strong focus on battle, almost none on simulation and all about direct commands/orders.

I think older god-games were basically experimental sandbox-games geared towards semi-older players

Taking a look at dungeon keeper, then I wouldn't call it exactly a sandbox, because you have a clear level goal. Some god games might be experiemental or sandbox, but it isn't necessary.