Dystopika

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Dystopika is a city-building, sandbox, cozy game developed by Voids Within and released on June 21, 2024. The game allows the player to create cyberpunk-style cities with no goals or resource limits.^[2]

The game was developed by Matt Marshall, a solo indie developer.

Critics praised the game for its relaxing atmosphere, cyberpunk aesthetic, lack of goals, and freedom, while others criticized it for a lack of direction and content, calling it flawed.

Gameplay

The player starts with a plot of land and the freedom to start wherever they like. There is no laid out path as the game has no management mechanics. On the left-hand side, there is a simple UI that contains a list of tools and buildings that they can place, organized by different districts.^[3] They can edit the buildings using tools to rotate, change the size and height, and alter their appearance, while existing buildings can be demolished.^[4] The game uses procedural generation, which creates smaller structures near the placed buildings or bridges between buildings. Building decorations can also be added, typically in the form of holographic figures, neon signs, company logos, advertising airships, and so on. The game also features a built-in progression system: the more buildings the player places and decorates, the more objects become available. A brush allows players to "paint" neon lights and advertisements. Players can also import their own images as decorations.^[5][6]

In June 2025, a major update called Meditations was released, which gave the game more content and tools for players.^[7] Another update in October 2025 added modding support for player-created content.^[8][9]

Development and release

Canadian-based studio Voids Within, which consists solely of Matt Marshall, developed Dystopika over the course of three years.^[8][10] Marshall quit his job to travel for several years through Asian countries such as Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. He was delighted by the megacities he saw, such as Hanoi, Osaka, and Bangkok. Marshall was drawn to their unique futuristic aesthetics. Returning home, he conceived the idea of ​​creating a visually appealing sandbox for panoramas. Marshall himself mentioned that he had long enjoyed playing games like SimCity, but with cheat codes so players wouldn't have to worry about a limited budget, economy, or citizens' well-being.^[10] The success of small urban sandboxes inspired him to develop the game. He has long been a fan of the cyberpunk genre in general and had previously attempted to develop several games within it. The city's visual style was also inspired by films such as Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Altered Carbon, and Cyberpunk 2077.^[11]

The demo was released in March 2024 during Steam's NextFest.^[12]. At the same time, a trailer for the game was released on the IGN website and its YouTube channel.^[13] The release was delayed from March 2024 to June. Marshall decided not to engage with his then publisher and, with his experience as a sales manager, to promote the game independently.^[12] Despite extremely positive reviews on Steam, the game failed to make large sales, with an all-time peak of 258 players as of June 2024.^[14] Marshall promised to add more game content, taking into account the wishes of the community on Discord.^[10] It is also available on the Steam Deck.^[15]

Critical reception

Critics reviewed Dystopika generally positively, praising its relaxing tone, use of the cyberpunk aesthetic, photo mode, and core concept.^[17] The ambient soundtrack was consistently highlighted as contributing greatly to the calming atmosphere. However, some criticism was directed at the game's unintuitive user interface (UI), limited content, and a perceived lack of depth.^[18][5][6]

The game's near-total lack of traditional goals, an economy, or challenges was a major point of discussion among reviewers. Some critics praised this design choice, viewing Dystopika as a representative of a niche, relaxing genre. For example, critic Gamegrin expressed that the game was a good representative of a "criminally underrated genre."^[19] A New Game Network critic called the game a "suitable compromise" for players who enjoy complex city-building games like Cities: Skylines, Anno, or Surviving Mars but prefer the creative process rather than the management aspect. Similarly, a critic from WellPlayed described the experience as akin to "playing a lo-fi playlist," emphasizing its simple and meditative quality.^[20] Conversely, other reviewers cited this absence of mechanics as the game's main flaw, leading the game to feel empty or limited. A Finger Guns critic noted that it is more of an interactive piece of art than a game, suggesting it could become boring after a few hours and is not suitable for players who prefer a more task-based game.^[21] Critic Digital Chumps noted that the game's longevity problem may not be because of a lack of content but rather that the player can unlock all the content rather quickly.^[18]

Reviews of the visuals and the building editor were also varied. Some reviewers praised the visual effects and the attention to detail. Tryhardguides particularly commended the "fog trick," which appeared to hide roads that do not exist in the game.^[22] However, a critic from New Game Network was unhappy with the inability to see the streets. Other players expressed a similar sentiment about the limited visuals and overly static environments. Regarding the editor, some critics admitted to simply enjoying the process of city-building itself and appreciated the mechanic of unlocking items as they progressed. However, others found the construction and terrain editor too limited. A critic from GodisaGeek wanted the ability to work with more diverse landscapes and to see how the city adapts to the terrain.^[6] GameGrin similarly noted that the game's urban landscapes were too monotonous and expressed a desire for greater variations in the environment.^[19]

References

Links

• Official website