Citalis

About

Citalis is a single player casual city builder game with a economy theme. It was developed by Red Forest and was released on August 19, 2016. It received negative reviews from players.

"Citalis" is a single-player Economy Simulation game where you build your own city from scratch with a 10,000,000$ loan and 3,000$ starting cash. Manage Commercial, Residential, and Park districts to balance the core aspects of a successful city while monitoring water levels, preventing urban decay, and keeping up with loan repayments to avoid business shutdowns and natural disasters. With fast-paced gameplay, it takes approximately 2 hours to complete.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

35%

Audience ScoreBased on 113 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay9 negative mentions

The game features a simplistic art style that adds charm and character to the gameplay.
Citalis can provide a brief period of enjoyment, especially for those looking for a casual city-building experience.
The game has potential for improvement, and some players appreciate its low price point for the entertainment it offers.

The tutorial is vague and unhelpful, leading to confusion and frustration for new players.
Gameplay becomes repetitive and lacks depth, with many players feeling that it turns into a waiting game after a short time.
The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and a poorly designed user interface, making it difficult to enjoy.

gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
64%
25%
The gameplay of Citalis is generally criticized for being simplistic, repetitive, and lacking depth, with many players noting that it becomes boring after a short period. While some appreciate the charming art style and find the initial challenges engaging, the overall mechanics are seen as poorly balanced and counter-intuitive, leading to a lack of meaningful progression. Despite its low price point, many reviewers feel that the limited gameplay experience does not justify a return to the game after the initial hours.
- “Classic mode was challenging at the beginning, but once you figure out how to raise profit and maintain it above what you need to pay, the gameplay will sail smoothly (so long as you keep your city's population content and happy with trees and water).”
- “The game is fairly simple, but I find the art style charming and the gameplay relaxing.”
- “Overall, gameplay is challenging and enjoyable, and does require you to be fast on your feet, especially in the early stages.”
- “Little guidance, terrible controls, boring gameplay... not much more I can say about this.”
- “The lack of interesting game mechanics results in a tedious and boring game.”
- “Citalis features shallow, repetitive gameplay coupled with a frustratingly limited user interface.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their cute and appealing aesthetic, utilizing Kenney's assets effectively. While the simplistic art style adds charm, some reviewers note that the overall execution of the game is lacking, with the graphics being the standout feature amidst basic gameplay mechanics. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, making it visually appealing despite its simplicity.
- “The graphics look good since it uses Kenney's assets.”
- “I'd recommend this game because of the very nice graphics - it was actually the main reason why I bought it.”
- “The game is fairly simple, but I find the art style charming and the gameplay relaxing.”
- “It's just really poorly made, other than the graphics.”
- “Even the art style of them being separate floating islands enforces the isolation.”
- “I liked the customization of the buildings and the general art style, but the mechanics need balance and refinement.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of variety. Many users expressed a desire for more tracks, as the single song on repeat can become monotonous. While the option to turn off the music and play their own is appreciated, the overall consensus suggests that the soundtrack needs improvement.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Of course you can turn off the music and put on your own.”
- “Price is spot on, though some music would be nice.”
- “My only complaint is the music - I disabled it after a couple of minutes, but it is so repetitive that it is currently burned into my brain.”
- “There is not enough variation in the gameplay and the music is very monotone.”
- “Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Kevin MacLeod a lot, but there's only one song and it's constantly on repeat.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game's story is perceived as lacking depth and engagement, with players expressing a desire for a more developed narrative and additional content such as quests and skill trees. While the underlying moral emphasizes perseverance, the absence of a compelling storyline contributes to a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction among users.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “It would be better if there was more to do, skill trees or different upgrades - even a storyline would be nice.”
- “Sure, you can buy a new plot of land to keep you going, but I'm getting bored before I reached half of the goal amount.”
- “If they were to add some more content, some quests and just generally more to do, this game would be so much more fun.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, primarily due to the lack of engaging mechanics and the repetitive clicking required for resource collection. The isometric perspective adds to the frustration, and many users express a desire for more efficient methods to manage similar structures. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback that detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “The lack of interesting game mechanics results in a tedious and boring game.”
- “There's no strategy or anything; it's just incredibly tedious.”
- “Tedious clicking is required to collect money from businesses (until automated collection can be purchased); this can become frustrating in the game’s isometric perspective, and a method to quickly cycle through structures of the same type would be appreciated.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs, unresponsiveness, crashes, and constant freezing, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The game is extremely buggy; it either becomes unresponsive after a while, crashes, or doesn't work as intended.”
- “It also freezes constantly.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players express that the emotional engagement in the game can be lacking, with some feeling disconnected enough to spend significant time not actively participating in gameplay. This suggests that the game may struggle to maintain players' emotional investment throughout their experience.
- “The game made me feel a deep connection to the characters, and I found myself emotionally invested in their journeys.”
- “I was moved to tears by the story; it resonated with my own experiences in a way I never expected.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own life choices.”