Metropolis 1998 looks harmless with its retro look, but behind the facade lies a special feature for ambitious construction fans
City-building sims such as Cities: Skylines 2 allow you to construct gigantic metropolises. However, all you have to do to build hundreds of houses is to drag and drop different zones such as residential, industrial or commercial areas with the mouse and the buildings shoot out of the ground. You don’t have any real creative freedom
Metropolis 1998 goes to extremes here. The small indie game is developed by just one person and yet trumps all other genre competitors in one respect: You can design every single building in your city yourself – down to the smallest detail.
The good news: There is even a demo, so you can try out the game for yourself immediately after reading this message. Judging by the existing FAQ on the Steam product page, an Early Access phase is apparently also planned
Like SimCity and The Sims in one package
You read correctly earlier: In Metropolis 1998, you construct your own buildings. This ranges from the floor plan, raising the walls and defining the floors to the interior design and decorative objects. Residential buildings, stores, restaurants and more – you can let your imagination run wild, but you don’t have to. There are also prefabricated buildings for all needs.
In this developer video you get a time-lapse demonstration of why the possibilities are reminiscent of the cult game The Sims:
On his (YouTube channel) the developer gives you many more insights into the creation of the title, including in the form of extensive devlogs where he talks openly about problems and successes in the development of his dream game.
Even apart from the special design features, Metropolis 1998 wants to be a full-blown construction game. In particular you must manage the traffic in your metropolis and meet the growing needs of your inhabitants.
By the way, the Metropolis 1998 engine should be able to simulate hundreds of thousands of inhabitants and vehicles at the same time. There is also an (impressive behind-the-scenes video). So make sure your metropolis is the right size
An exact release date for Metropolis 1998 has not yet been announced. A lot more content is planned for the future, including various branches of industry and a more complex economic simulation.
Are you interested in Metropolis 1998? Are you excited about the extensive construction feature or are you worried that the design of the buildings will be too small-scale? Which upcoming construction game is at the top of your wish list? Or have you had enough building for now and would rather look at other genres? Let us know what you think in the comments!
