NewCity, previously known as New Cities, is an indie city-builder with a huge scope from studio Lone Pine. The dev has previously stated that the game wants to return to city building’s strategic roots with a very detailed macro-management approach.
After being successfully funded on IndieGoGo and already building a committed fanbase, the game is now available on Steam Early Access for less than 20 dollars. If you’re into city-builders, it’s worth checking out this game.
NewCity is easily compared to the classic SimCity games. Its graphics and aesthetic are reminiscent of those isometric classics SimCity 2000 and SimCity 3000, overall simple, but with a sense of nuanced style.
You can rotate the camera fully, the buildings are detailed, and you can watch traffic navigate the streets of your city. There is also a day and night cycle as well as other visual information that assists your gameplay.
In terms of gameplay, NewCity is a detailed macro-management sim. Every minute detail about your city can be managed, from bus lanes to turns on the street. All the information is portrayed in a clear fashion with easy-to-read menus.
Plus, the map size for NewCity is astounding for an indie title. To have such a large city running smoothly with 1000s of simultaneous simulations taking place is quite a feat for a small studio.
As well as the main city growing, neighbouring cities evolve and change over time, a feature missing from all popular city-builders since the heyday of SimCity 4.
It should also be noted that developer support and communication has been crucial since the game first launched on IndieGoGo in 2019. The NewCity subreddit, YouTube channel and official Twitter account are a great source of game info and feedback.
Lastly, the early access version of NewCity is exactly that – an early access version. Supporters on IndieGoGo were able to get hand their hands on a discounted copy, whereas everybody else has to pay full price.
Some bugs have been reported during the early access period, such as lag spikes when viewing the whole map, some funny A.I behaviour, and traffic glitching. Many of these have already been addressed by the developer.
However, if you’re not sure whether to pick the game up, there is one review on Steam with over 120 hours played in early access. This unique little indie game might be exactly what you’re looking for if Cities Skylines isn’t scratching your city-building itch.
