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Citadelum

Citadelum brings city building to the next level, and although some ideas feel a bit like busywork, at the base of it all is an exceptional sim experience.
Citadelum Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, grinding
83% User Score Based on 439 reviews
Critic Score 73%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCXboxSteam DeckWindowsNintendo Switch 2
Buy Nowfrom €24.99
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Citadelum Game Cover

About

Citadelum is a single player economy city builder game with economy and historical themes. It was developed by Abylight Barcelona and was released on October 17, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Build your settlement. Gather and refine resources from forests and quarries, breed animals, grow vegetables, fish and make wine, so you can keep your population healthy and fed. Improve your buildings and ensure water supply with aqueducts. Welcome citizens to your village as artisans, farmers, carpenters... or train them to join your legions in different units. Towers and walls will protect your…

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Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
Citadelum screenshot
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83%
Audience ScoreBased on 439 reviews
story11 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • Strong nostalgia factor, successfully evokes classic city builders like Caesar III, Pharaoh, and Zeus with modern graphics and UI improvements.
  • Well-polished core gameplay with detailed resource management, layered production chains, and engaging city-building mechanics.
  • Active developer support with frequent updates and free DLCs, including a mission editor and community-created content that extend replayability.
  • Lacks depth and variety in campaign missions, which tend to become repetitive with similar city layouts and objectives across maps.
  • Simplified and sometimes underwhelming combat and divine systems that add little challenge and can feel like busywork rather than meaningful gameplay.
  • Optimization issues and UI shortcomings, including limited zoom levels, lack of clear information on some mechanics, and occasional glitches, reduce overall experience.
  • story
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally seen as weak or minimal, with many players feeling that the campaign lacks a cohesive or engaging narrative and instead consists of repetitive, similar missions without meaningful progression. While some missions tie into a thematic rise of the Roman empire, the overall experience is described as repetitive, with limited variety and little incentive beyond basic mission completion. Players often find the missions disconnected, lacking depth and challenge, making the campaign feel like a series of efficiency puzzles rather than a compelling story-driven journey.

    • “Citadelum comes with a 10 mission campaign provided by the developers, following along with the rise of the Roman Empire.”
    • “The game has a great story line with plenty of action-packed maps and challenges.”
    • “The missions increase in difficulty and it's fun to build up your city every mission, each time going just a little bigger than the last.”
    • “You have the sandbox, and the missions, and I really don't know why the missions are there. It would have been way better if the missions were something you could do inside the sandbox, and the sandbox was the main gameplay, because doing the missions implies doing the city over and over again, and it's not like it changes a lot; it's just really building the same city over and over again with different final objectives. At the same time, on the sandbox, you hit a really big wall at the end and there's really not much to do. You have a lot of resources, citizens are happy, but it lacks something, like something I can do when I'm on endgame that keeps me going.”
    • “The campaign is presented very rudimentary and boring; after half the second tutorial mission, I went to sandbox. The game-play is rudimentary, and after just a few missions, you'll unlock all the features, losing any sense of progression or challenge. In contrast to games like Caesar III, where each mission offers a real incentive to continue, this title lacks engaging challenges in its campaign.”
    • “The campaign is just a series of disjointed missions; combat is disconnected from your settlement, and the game devolves into more of an efficiency puzzle than a city-builder. City design is pretty much the same from mission to mission, and you'll do pretty much the exact same sequence of actions to achieve the exact same results with only a small amount of variation. Every single mission is start a whole city from the beginning.”
  • gameplay
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay offers a solid and enjoyable city-building experience reminiscent of classic titles like Caesar III, featuring modernized mechanics, engaging god systems, and simplified combat elements. However, it suffers from repetitiveness, lack of depth in mission variety, and some underdeveloped or unnecessary mechanics that may limit long-term engagement. Overall, it’s a polished, accessible game with potential for further refinement and expanded content.

    • “The city-building mechanics have a very good ratio between beauty-building, functionality, and planning, thanks to well-thought-out effect radiuses and good complexity increment in tiers and at the end of first three missions I ended up with a settlement I could easily call pretty.”
    • “Citadelum does a fantastic job on taking inspiration from Caesar 3 and implementing modern mechanics, graphics, while keeping the same spirit behind the management basis.”
    • “The religion mechanics are the best I have seen in a long time—super engaging and fun to interact with, with a decent impact on the city.”
    • “You have the sandbox, and the missions, and I really don't know why the missions are there. It would have been way better if the missions were something you could do inside the sandbox, and the sandbox was the main gameplay, because doing the missions implies rebuilding the city over and over again. It's not like it changes a lot; it's just really building the same city repeatedly with different final objectives. At the same time, in the sandbox, you hit a big wall at the end and there's not much to do—you have a lot of resources, citizens are happy, but it lacks something to keep me going in the endgame.”
    • “In general, a good, nice memory of Caesar 3, it has a good core, nice gameplay, and really good art, but it lacks variety and feels unpolished in some areas. You don't really know what to do after hitting a certain wall, and it would be cool if it had something else to keep players engaged. At the same time, the mission system is something I ignored completely and went straight to sandbox after realizing that I always had to redo everything in the same way and form.”
    • “If, after two hours of gameplay, I am still frustratedly clicking on individual buildings with 20-40 tiny goods icons and numbers, with no idea of what goes where or how the supply streams work (how many of which items you need for the next step, etc.), it's missing immersion and clarity.”
  • graphics
    69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features charming, polished graphics that modernize the classic Roman city-building aesthetic with detailed buildings and interiors, clean visuals, and a nostalgic yet fresh art style. While generally praised for its visual appeal and atmosphere, some note occasional glitches, limited graphical settings, and minor optimization issues. Overall, the graphics effectively enhance the immersive experience without being groundbreaking, striking a balance between retro homage and modern presentation.

    • “The graphics are stunning - I often just spend 10-15 minutes just watching the little settlement I've created come to life.”
    • “A great graphical overhaul and nostalgia trip for lovers of Caesar III, with a stepped-up difficulty level in terms of complexity, but alongside some nice quality of life upgrades.”
    • “The game also shines with its stunning graphics, bringing the beauty of ancient Rome to life in a way that feels immersive and rich in detail.”
    • “The gods interface / Olympus visuals need improvement.”
    • “The brown aesthetic and blurring at the screen edge gets really tiresome and the camera field of view is a bit low.”
    • “The optimization is a little poor and the graphics could use some tuning (anti-aliasing and shadows seem off).”
  • music
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for being relaxing, atmospheric, and capturing a Roman-themed vibe that complements the calm yet focused gameplay. While some users appreciate its resemblance to classic soundtracks like Caesar III and its soothing quality, others find it occasionally lacking in variety, somewhat generic, or forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong, though sometimes imperfect, element that enhances the city's ambiance.

    • “Any Caesar III fan should try it; while it misses the great music from Caesar III, the music in this one still gives you the vibes!”
    • “The UI is clean, the pacing is chill, and the soundtrack makes you feel like a Roman emperor.”
    • “Has a wonderful soundtrack that captures the Roman feel.”
    • “The soundtrack is nothing to write home about.”
    • “Roman-themed soundtrack has loads of potential, and that is not here.”
    • “The music is boring and forgettable.”
  • optimization
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is mixed, with some users experiencing stuttering, overheating, and poor performance on mid-range hardware, especially at medium to high settings. Although it offers many graphics options, it often struggles to run smoothly without tuning settings down. However, a recent update (v2.0) reportedly improved performance and addressed many optimization issues.

    • “This game has a lot of graphics options and feels optimized!”
    • “Edit- v2.0 released on 11 Apr 2025 fixes all the below criticism on performance.”
    • “The game is very clean and polished for a release (no game-breaking bugs, good optimization and cute graphics).”
    • “Unfortunately, the game is not optimized. With my computer i9-11900k, 32GB RAM, 3060ti, I can only play on normal settings at 60 FPS. My GPU was at 85%. If set to higher settings, the GPU loads at 100% and the computer starts freezing.”
    • “On low settings (with no anti-aliasing), the game is playable, but any attempt to switch to medium or high results in sluggish performance and GPU overheating.”
    • “The optimization is a little poor and the graphics could use some tuning (anti-aliasing and shadows seem off).”
  • grinding
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is described as a mixed experience: while the employment and farming systems offer fun and expanded options compared to similar titles, the overall process can become tedious, especially during long play sessions and difficult missions. Some players find the grind rewarding if they enjoy management mechanics, but others criticize repetitive tasks like exploration and city defense as monotonous and frustrating.

    • “After about ten hours I found it tedious.”
    • “Meanwhile, you’ll be clicking scouts through a tedious exploration mini-game before they inevitably stumble upon and are killed by an enemy legion.”
    • “☐ you'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • replayability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability is generally seen as a strong aspect, with many players appreciating the game's multiple options and sandbox nature that offer extended playtime. However, some find it less compelling or somewhat bland compared to similar titles, suggesting that additional content or challenges could further enhance replay value. Overall, the game offers good replay potential but leaves room for improvement.

    • “Very good value for the money as well as a lot of fun with lots of replayability options.”
    • “Replay value is high due to the nature of the game.”
    • “I'm about 3 hours in; I'd estimate there is probably 10-15 hours of gameplay, with replayability of all missions thanks to the sandbox options.”
    • “Unlike Caesar III, there isn't much replayability and it feels somehow bland.”
    • “I think more content or challenges can be added to improve replayability, for instance.”
    • “I'm about 3 hours in; I'd estimate there are probably 10-15 hours of gameplay, with replayability of all missions thanks to the sandbox options.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is generally praised for its charming visuals and immersive sound design that effectively reinforces the game's calm yet engaging mood. While the soundtrack complements the setting well, creating a lively and authentic environment, some note a lack of variety and standout musical moments compared to top composers. Overall, the atmosphere successfully enhances the game's thematic experience.

    • “The visuals are clean and readable while still being charming, and the soundtrack and atmosphere reinforce that calm but focused 'just one more thing' mindset.”
    • “It made the whole city feel alive, and the atmosphere really sold the Roman setting.”
    • “The soundtrack and audio cues complement the atmosphere, though they occasionally lack variety.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally runs with nice graphics and aesthetics but experiences occasional glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, sometimes requiring a reboot. The tutorial in particular is noted to be buggy.

    • “The game's tutorial is buggy.”
    • “My only complaint is the game glitches out occasionally and has to be rebooted.”
    • “Still buggy.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional experience is mixed, with some players appreciating the nostalgic tribute to classic city-building games like Caesar III, while others feel the gameplay lacks depth and polish, especially regarding the trials system and early game progression. Overall, it evokes a sense of strategic satisfaction for fans but can feel incomplete or unchallenging for others.

    • “If you grew up loving the Caesar series (especially Caesar III), Citadelum feels like a heartfelt modern love letter to that era of city-building.”
    • “I am a strategist, but this is the first game where not touching my units at all actually yielded better results.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is less charming compared to Zeus, but it introduces nice ideas from Caesar, making the portrayal of gods more amusing and lighthearted.

    • “Nice ideas from Caesar, gods are more funny now!”
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73%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews
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7h Median play time
13h Average play time
3-27h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Citadelum is a economy city builder game with economy and historical themes.

Citadelum is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing Citadelum.

Citadelum was released on October 17, 2024.

Citadelum was developed by Abylight Barcelona.

Citadelum has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Citadelum for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Citadelum is a single player game.

Similar games include Nebuchadnezzar, Pioneers of Pagonia, Grand Ages: Rome, Lethis: Path of Progress, Settlement Survival and others.