Populous Cheats & Cheat Codes for Amiga, Sega Genesis, and More

Populous is a 1989 god game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts. The game was led by legendary game developer Peter Molyneux, and laid the foundations for his long career in the industry. Populous has been released on a ton of different platforms over the years, including the Amiga, MS-DOS, Game Boy, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, and SNES.

Populous was hailed as revolutionary upon its release. It is seen as the title that invented the god game, pioneering an entire genre. It did not take years of retrospect for critics to recognize this, giving Populous its praise at the time of its release. As of the most recent public sales numbers, Populous had sold over 4 million copies, making it a hit commercially as well as critically.

Populous Premise

Populous is played from an isometric perspective, giving you a perfect view of the fictional world. The game’s world map is portrayed as an open book, giving the sense of really acting as that reigning deity writing the story of your subjects.

Each level features two sides: your followers, and the enemy followers. The objective is simple: use your divine powers to shape the world seen in the level to gain more followers than your enemy. Only after this point can you move to the next level. These powers allow you to shape the landscape through shape and biome, even creating natural disasters that can totally destroy the world. Your job is to essentially make the lives of your enemy’s followers miserable, while improving the lives of your own. Populous gives you the tools – you just need to take the reins.

Populous Main Characters

As a god game, the focus is on the macro of the world as opposed to the micro of the characters in Populous. Because of this, there are no named characters in the game. Only you, a nameless deity, and your subjects. How you control their lives is totally up to you.

Populous Titles in the Series

The Populous series invented the god game as we know it. In the years since, other developers have put their own spin on it, but it was Populous that laid the foundations for everything to come.

Ultimately, the longevity of the Populous series was always in doubt. Despite incredible sales, Populous isn’t the same without Peter Molyneux at the helm as the brains of the operation. And Molyneux? He moved on to found Lionhead Studios, subsequently creating the Fable franchise. He was always far too ambitious to get stuck on one idea or franchise. However, this left Populous caught in the crossfire of his lofty goals.

Nowadays, god games are a rare sight. With Molyneux’s stock lower in recent years thanks to a tough past decade, could this mean a return to where it all began? At the moment, it seems unlikely.

• Populous (1989)
• Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods (1991)
• Populous: The Beginning (1998)
• Populous DS (2008)

Populous Cheat Codes

On the PC version of Populous, there are a few different cheat codes that you can enter. Follow the instructions below to get the cheats corresponding to the correct codes.

Now, for the more substantial set of codes. In Populous, you can enter level passwords. These codes take you to the level corresponding to the password. For example, “HURTOUTORD” takes you to level 1. We’ve got the full guide to every level below, so you can start Populous from wherever you want. Codes differ between versions though, so make sure you’re using the right table for the platform you’re playing Populous on.

Populous Level Passwords (Amiga and Sega Master System)

Populous Level Passwords (SNES)

Populous Cheat Code FAQ

Does Populous Have Achievements?

No. Despite its amazing legacy, Populous did it far before you could ever get achievements in games. However, Retro Achievements does have a series of fan-made achievements that you can tick off for yourself, if you’re desperate for them.

How Do I Enter Populous Level Codes?

Entering level codes in Populous is simple. When starting a new game, you’ll see an option that says “World To Conquer.” This is essentially your seed for the level. In the empty bar below the quote, enter the cheat you want to use from above. This will allow you to play the level you have entered as a code.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Populous.