Celestial Empire

About

Celestial Empire is a single player strategy game. It was developed by President Studio and was released on September 23, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Celestial Empire lets you build and manage ancient Chinese cities on beautifully crafted maps where nature and urban life blend seamlessly. As Governor, you must fulfill the Emperor’s wishes by creating efficient production chains, meeting citizens’ needs, and guiding your settlement from humble beginnings to a prosperous metropolis. Strategic planning and resource management are key to your success.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+17

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 164 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

Celestial Empire offers a beautiful and immersive experience with stunning graphics and a unique ancient Chinese theme, reminiscent of the Anno series.
The game features engaging mechanics such as a tech tree, faith-based systems, and the ability to interact with your city in first-person mode, enhancing gameplay depth.
Players appreciate the balance between relaxation and challenge, with a variety of production chains and resource management that keeps the gameplay interesting.

The game currently suffers from bugs and performance issues, particularly with crashes and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
Some players find the mechanics too simplistic compared to other city builders, noting a lack of depth and challenge in the late game.
There are concerns about cultural inaccuracies and the portrayal of ancient Chinese elements, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.

gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
56%
9%
The gameplay of this city-building strategy game is praised for its well-thought-out mechanics, combining familiar elements from the Anno series with unique features like a tier system, gods and faith mechanics, and a rich, historically inspired setting. Players appreciate the balance between challenge and relaxation, the intuitive interface, and the depth provided by extensive production chains and resource management. While there are minor bugs and areas for improvement, the overall experience is immersive and engaging, making it a worthwhile addition for fans of the genre.
- “I really like the mechanics; this is a very well thought out game, with lots of features that are not in other city-building games, such as showing the locations of existing buildings.”
- “It's quiet and calm when you want it to be, but the underlying mechanics are elaborate: over 120 buildings, 60+ resource types, production chains, seasonal weather, disasters, trade caravans, and a gods/demons system which really spices things up.”
- “This game not only combines the long production chain of the Anno series with the workforce mechanics of city-builders, it also explores interesting ways of progression with its tech and faith mechanics, and does it all in a package that plays smoothly and looks good.”
- “Currently has a number of minor visual bugs, and moderate gameplay bugs, most of which can be dealt with by some combination of exiting to main menu/deleting buildings.”
- “There are some minuses from me like for repetitive music, awesome but also repetitive comments from the gods, not ideal trade mechanics and absence of map generator.”
- “While this design for aesthetics/gameplay is not a big deal, if someone wants to know about real Chinese bathhouses: they were indoors with rectangular pools, partitions (not just screens), offering privacy.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
41%
9%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers highlighting the charming art style that draws heavily from Chinese aesthetics, featuring vibrant landscapes and intricate designs. Players appreciate the impressive visuals and smooth performance, noting that the graphics enhance the overall relaxing experience of the city-building gameplay. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are generally strong, there is room for improvement in certain areas.
- “The visuals are breathtaking, like a moving ink painting, and the soundtrack wraps you in peace.”
- “Excellent game, beautifully done graphics and very unique and easy to navigate as a city builder.”
- “The game’s art style leans heavily into Chinese aesthetics: vibrant pagodas, flowing rivers, terraced fields, and ornate decorations.”
- “Cons: graphics could be better, complexity/difficulty could really go up a notch.”
- “Sadly, as you can see in our posted photos, the game needs a lot of work graphically for the quality of life additions.”
- “After upgrading every driver I could find, I noticed that according to the system requirements, integrated graphics cards are not supported :-(”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players expressing their love for the soundtrack and even purchasing it. The combination of traditional instruments creates a relaxing and immersive atmosphere, although some users noted instances of repetitiveness. Overall, the music is considered a strong complement to the game's visuals, contributing to a serene and engaging gameplay experience.
- “The visuals are breathtaking, like a moving ink painting, and the soundtrack wraps you in peace.”
- “The soundtrack complements this beautifully, with traditional instruments setting the mood—sometimes meditative and sometimes tense when challenges mount.”
- “I love the music; it makes the game feel so relaxing and mellow.”
- “There are some minuses from me like for repetitive music, awesome but also repetitive comments from the gods, not ideal trade mechanics and absence of map generator....”
- “The work flow seems medium, not too fast and that helps to match the music at times.”
- “Music helps the stress drop... positive note.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
Overall, "Celestial Empire" is well-optimized, running smoothly on most systems with appealing graphics and intuitive controls. While players may experience minor performance dips in late-game scenarios with large cities, these issues are generally outweighed by the game's complexity and visual quality. The use of Unreal Engine contributes to its efficient performance, making it accessible even on lower-end hardware.
- “Well optimized anno-like game with some niche features.”
- “On a technical level, celestial empire runs smoothly, with intuitive controls and a clean interface.”
- “Built on Unreal Engine—beautiful scenery, good graphics, optimized okay, light on hardware.”
- “Occasionally, late-game cities with hundreds of citizens can lead to slight performance dips, but these are minor compared to the complexity on screen.”
- “Both are resources passively gathered from the population, and while tech points are used to unlock new buildings to thus produce new goods, the real novel impact is the way they allow optimization of already existing production.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
Users express a desire for a more developed and varied storyline, noting that the current missions lack challenge and depth. While the game is praised for its fun gameplay and beautiful graphics, many reviewers feel that the addition of a structured story or campaign mode would enhance the overall experience.
- “Great game, needs expanding, maybe a storyline, but really fun and with beautiful detailed graphics.”
- “However, for the peasants and craftsmen, it's a different story.”
- “Would like to see a story/campaign mode.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its depth and harmony, enhanced by the inclusion of blessings and religious elements. Players appreciate the balance of lighthearted quests with a sense of responsibility and fragility, contributing to an immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as rich and engaging.
- “Having blessings and religions involved as well creates more atmosphere, which makes the game more in-depth and fun!”
- “The atmosphere of the game and the little funny quests.”
- “The atmosphere is one of harmony, but with an underlying sense of responsibility and fragility.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while grinding is present, particularly on expert difficulty, it remains manageable with a patient approach. The farming mechanics, especially regarding irrigation for rice, add complexity but can feel inconsistent. Overall, the game's pacing is well-balanced, allowing for extended playtime without becoming overly tedious.
- “Even on expert difficulty, if you take your time, it is not that hard—just more grinding.”
- “Strange crop farming system: irrigation canals for rice can be acceptable, though rice does not always need canals.”
- “The game’s timeline is appropriate; natural progression extends playtime without becoming tedious.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently experiences significant bugs, reflecting its early access status, but many users see great potential for improvement.
- “Pretty buggy at the moment, but it's early access.”
- “Great potential, but still buggy.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted through its engaging atmosphere and amusing quests, contributing to an overall lighthearted experience. Reviewers appreciate the consistent and genuine comedic elements, which enhance the enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “The atmosphere of the game and the little funny quests.”
- “Reliable, honest, unpaid reviews with a humorous twist, always updated.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is currently limited due to the game's linear structure, though there is hope that the developers will enhance this aspect in future updates.
- “Replayability is lacking as it's very linear, but I'm sure the devs intend to address this sometime in the future.”