1 , ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁As ▁a ▁ge ologist , ▁he ▁wants ▁to ▁study ▁a ▁recent ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁meteor ▁crash ▁somewhere ▁in ▁the ▁desert ▁south - west ▁of ▁the ▁small ▁town . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁game , ▁he ▁lear ns ▁that ▁the ▁radiation ▁of ▁the ▁meteor ▁has ▁en larg ed ▁a ▁local ▁ant ▁population ▁to ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁size . ▁However , ▁few ▁take ▁his ▁observations ▁seriously . ▁Wor ried , ▁that ▁the ▁an ts ▁will ▁soon ▁mate ▁and ▁spread , ▁he ▁must ▁work ▁against ▁a ▁tick ing ▁clock ▁and ▁dev ise ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁an ts ▁from ▁terror izing ▁the ▁world . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁succeed , ▁the ▁player ▁must ▁visit ▁many ▁locations ▁r anging ▁from ▁mines , ▁far ms , ▁a ▁pub , ▁an ▁air field , ▁a ▁local ▁radio ▁station ▁and ▁many ▁more ▁to ▁find ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁an ts , ▁then ▁conv ince ▁towns folk ▁and ▁authorities ▁of ▁imp ending ▁do om . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁the ▁player ▁must ▁contain ▁the ▁ant ▁inf est ation . ▁ ▁Only ▁in ▁using ▁every ▁resource ▁available , ▁from ▁workers ▁to ▁the ▁t anks ▁and ▁f ighter ▁j ets ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Guard , ▁will ▁the ▁player ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁fight ▁to ▁the ▁giant ▁an ts . ▁ ▁Mechan ically , ▁It ▁C ame ▁From ▁the ▁Des ert ▁can ▁be ▁considered ▁real - time . ▁Wait ing , ▁sleep ing ▁( at ▁home ▁or ▁in ▁a ▁hospital ▁bed ) ▁and ▁driving ▁around ▁cons umes