CaesarIA

About

CaesarIA is a single player strategy game with a historical theme. It was developed by rdt.32 and was released on January 20, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

CaesarIA is inspired by an old-school economic strategy game, Caesar III which is a masterpiece among the games of this genre in our opinion. There are different economic strategy games and they can be broken down to subtypes but from our viewpoint Caesar encompasses planning, constructing, diplomacy and military campaigns.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 699 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

stability49 negative mentions

The game brings back nostalgia for fans of Caesar III, providing a similar city-building experience.
Despite being in early access, the game shows potential with its core mechanics and gameplay.
It's free to play, making it accessible for those who want to try a city-building game without financial commitment.

The game is riddled with bugs, including missing textures, unresponsive controls, and frequent crashes.
The user interface is clunky and difficult to navigate, making it hard for new players to understand the mechanics.
Many features are incomplete or poorly implemented, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.

graphics
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
66%
16%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are simplistic and reminiscent of older titles like Caesar III and Pharaoh, but lacking in detail and polish. Numerous users reported missing textures, graphical glitches, and overall poor quality, suggesting that the game is still in need of significant improvements. While some appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic, others find the graphics unacceptable for a modern release, indicating that the game may benefit from further development before it can fully satisfy players' expectations.
- “They have done great work on updating the graphics and getting the engine running smoothly; I personally can't wait until it's completed.”
- “The classical graphics are wonderful and are, though old, very nice to look at.”
- “It has rather good graphics, and it isn't even laggy or slow on my less-than-adequate laptop.”
- “They didn't even improve the graphics.”
- “The game is broken; menus don't work; horrible graphics.”
- “The biggest problem is that most buildings are blacked out with no graphics, and some don't even have the blackened texture so it's invisible buildings.”
stability
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many describe it as a "buggy mess" and "unplayable" in its current state, while some acknowledge its potential and express hope for future improvements. Overall, the consensus is that while the game has enjoyable elements, its stability issues make it difficult to recommend at this time.
- “It's still really buggy; the tutorial is actually pretty difficult to complete without using the debug cheats.”
- “At this game's current state in early access, it is buggy and essentially unplayable.”
- “I have no idea whether they're really trying to revive the old feeling of city-building strategy or just trying to cash in with a hobby project at some point, but right now, it's a dysfunctional, buggy mess with hardly any means of actually testing it.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of strategic city management mechanics reminiscent of classic titles, though it suffers from unfinished elements and occasional bugs. While the graphics are rustic and some mechanics are janky, players find the core gameplay engaging and addictive, especially for fans of old-school city builders. However, the game’s lack of polish and clarity in certain mechanics can lead to frustration, particularly for newcomers.
- “It has very rustic graphics and is held quite simple, but still allows for strategic and interesting gameplay.”
- “For the gameplay: if you're a fan of old-timey city builders and strategy games, this is a must-have.”
- “The gameplay is satisfying and can keep you playing for quite a while as it is addictive.”
- “It's a little tricky to get into the swing of the gameplay, but I suppose it won't be too hard after a while.”
- “Gameplay is jumpy and as soon as you build something, e.g., a straight horizontal road, it will break up into vertical segments.”
- “It is completely pointless at this time as you can't even get a feel for the core gameplay and mechanics due to the lack of completion of so many parts.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of coherence and depth, with many players noting that missions often feel unplayable due to numerous bugs and missing objectives. While the game features mission-based goals related to population and prosperity, the overall narrative is weak, with some players expressing frustration over the absence of a compelling storyline and the presence of technical issues that hinder gameplay. Overall, the game's early development stage is evident, leading to a disjointed experience that detracts from the potential enjoyment of its building mechanics.
- “In each progressive mission, you are assigned certain goals, usually a target population and target scores in the various categories in which your performance is rated, including the prosperity and culture level of your people and your favor with the emperor.”
- “Setting these buildings down, claiming land for your own use, and seeing people join your soon-to-be empire is fun, but keeping them up is a whole different story.”
- “At this moment, the game is still in its 'mid' phases of development, but I can say that I enjoyed playing the first two missions.”
- “And there were still numerous errors and it's verging on unplayable on some missions.”
- “There is also a huge deal of bugs that makes the game unplayable after the 2nd mission on top of text not being there.”
- “Infact it's more of a ripoff in the sense that they literally nick sound and art assets and even missions directly from Caesar III.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the nostalgic tracks borrowed from "Rome: Total War," while others express disappointment over the lack of original compositions and the need for a more engaging soundtrack. Many users noted that the game could benefit from a dedicated score reminiscent of classics like "Caesar III," as the current music does not fully capture the atmosphere or challenge they desire. Additionally, technical issues such as music settings not saving and frequent crashes detract from the overall experience.
- “The game has some things in it that made me laugh, like the market lady from Pharaoh (a similar game about Egypt) or the music from Rome: Total War that made my day.”
- “That game had the challenge, the nice atmosphere, and aahh the music was amazing.”
- “The textures are great, the soundtrack is really really cool, and with a good team, this game could surpass Caesar III in fame.”
- “Not gonna lie, it has a lot of bugs and a lot of missing models, and no music.”
- “What really bothers me is that the in-game music is 'borrowed' from Rome Total War's campaign mode.”
- “On top of all that, the soundtrack is lackluster and will make random noises at unnecessary times.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and overwhelming, requiring extensive resource management and repetitive tasks like farming and trading. This has led to frustration, with some describing it as unplayable due to the sheer volume of grinding needed to progress.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It just gets tedious and makes the game unplayable.”
- “Just another farming game with so many bugs.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is appreciated for its clever references, such as the market lady from Pharaoh and nostalgic music from Rome: Total War, which elicit genuine laughs. Players suggest that a sense of humor is essential to enjoy the game fully, and many anticipate that it will become even funnier once certain issues are resolved.
- “The game has some things in it that made me laugh, like the market lady being from Pharaoh (a similar game about Egypt) or the music from Rome: Total War that made my day.”
- “You will need your sense of humor in this game.”
- “Although I recommend this game because I can expect a really funny experience once it's fixed.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's current state is considered unplayable in its pre-alpha version, but users express hope for improved replayability following future updates. Many are willing to revisit the game once it becomes more polished and playable, indicating a potential for increased engagement in the future.
- “I will follow to see updates, and when it is more playable, I will reinstall and hope for the best.”
- “Maybe later this game won't suck, but this pre-alpha is pre-playable.”
- “After a series of updates, it became a lot more playable than it was when I first tried it.”
- “I will edit my review if this game becomes more playable.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The optimization of the game is currently lacking, with users noting issues with display text and overall performance, indicating that it requires significant improvement. While the concept shows promise, the execution has drawn criticism, particularly in comparison to classic titles like Caesar III. Overall, players feel that the game is in need of substantial optimization work to enhance the experience.
- “In each progressive mission, you are assigned certain goals, usually a target population and target scores in the various categories in which your performance is rated, including the prosperity and culture level of your people and your favor with the emperor.”
- “Still in early access, definitely needs some work with display text and optimization, but otherwise a great concept.”
- “It's bad, and they should feel bad for not being able to copy Caesar 3 entirely. That was a good game. If I could have downloaded Caesar 3 with reoptimized graphics, I would, but this thing is absolutely terrible. I apologize to the developers because I do assume that there has been some work involved in this... thing.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its enjoyable ambiance, challenging gameplay, and exceptional music, despite some missing content like walker sprites and voices. Overall, it retains the atmospheric quality of the original, making it a compelling experience.
- “It is still very enjoyable, to say the least, and even though some content is missing (like walker sprites and voices), it is as atmospherically sound as the original.”
- “That game had the challenge, the nice atmosphere, and the music was amazing.”