Cliff Empire
- August 6, 2019
- Lion's Shade
- 11h median play time
Get on Steam"Cliff Empire" is a city-building game set in a post-apocalyptic world covered by radioactive fog. Your mission is to restore life on Earth by managing the development of independent cities on cliffs, trading with an orbital station, and choosing between ecological and harmful power supply. The game features dynamic climate changes, 48 university researches, over 120 structures, and 15 quests to explore.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique and challenging city-building mechanics that require careful planning and resource management.
- Beautiful graphics and a pleasing aesthetic that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Constant updates and support from the developer, adding new features and improving the game.
- The game can be punishingly difficult, with a steep learning curve that may frustrate new players.
- The UI is clunky and lacks clarity, making it hard to understand certain mechanics and building functions.
- Research and progression can feel slow, leading to long periods of waiting without much to do.
- graphics371 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique and aesthetically pleasing art style, featuring clean, futuristic visuals that enhance the city-building experience. While some players note that the graphics can appear simplistic or occasionally clunky, many appreciate the attention to detail and the beautiful day/night cycle that brings the cities to life. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, contributing to its relaxing and engaging atmosphere.
“The graphics are beautiful, not complete but beautiful.”
“The graphics and attention to detail are outstanding.”
“The art style is great and as you build and settle new land, your cities really start to come alive.”
“The graphics look like that of a mobile game; UI elements that are locked can still be clicked on for some reason.”
“The graphics weren't as good as I thought they'd be.”
“Graphics are meh, a lot of things look unfinished.”
- gameplay330 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this city-building game is characterized by a unique and engaging loop that gradually introduces complex mechanics, keeping players invested over time. While the learning curve can be steep due to unintuitive mechanics and a lack of clear explanations, many players find the challenge rewarding as they discover new strategies and features. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience with a mix of addictive gameplay and evolving challenges, though some aspects may feel rough or underexplained.
“It's a very solid city builder, decent art, engaging gameplay, and the story/progress might surprise you.”
“The gameplay is addictive and the hours fly by very quickly.”
“This game combines elements of Frostpunk, with its strict resource management, along with elements of Kingdoms and Castles' tower defense gameplay, and Anno 1800's island-to-island trading mechanic.”
“The gameplay is boring and has too many 'disasters', with no option to turn off.”
“The mechanics are overly simplistic and the game does a terrible job at explaining itself.”
“While the visuals are pleasing and concept interesting, everything that relates to actual gameplay feels half-done.”
- story148 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing yet limited, providing a backdrop that enhances the city-building experience but lacks depth and memorable moments. Players appreciate the engaging mission structure that encourages progression and city development, though some find the narrative elements thin and the mission demands often frustratingly unrealistic. Overall, while the story adds a layer of interest, it is not the primary focus, and many players express a desire for a more robust narrative or campaign mode.
“The plot/story is engaging and makes you want to achieve your objectives/tasks when you have them (some required, some bonuses gained, some tech unlocked).”
“One of my all-time favorite city builders, very in-depth, fun for hours on end, with an amazing story and lore.”
“The atmosphere and backstory are great and help build a world in which the game exists.”
“The campaign has no real plot and there's no internal logic here.”
“There's definitely story and lore and all that going on in the setting, but it isn't pushed very hard and is mostly basic.”
“No plot to speak of really, your usual post-apocalypse something something, build a city.”
- music56 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being relaxing and fitting well with the gameplay, creating an immersive atmosphere. While many players find the soundtrack enjoyable and soothing, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music enhances the aesthetic experience, though a few reviewers suggest it may not be memorable enough to listen to outside of the game.
“The music is wonderful.”
“The soundtrack in the background is really good and adds a nice touch to it.”
“Beautiful aesthetic, relaxing soundtrack, and a solid city-building RTS.”
“Apart from that, music will get old quickly; exploring the city with a car or in a free form is pretty great, art style is interesting but optimization isn’t so good.”
“What's up with the overly cheerful music in a post-nuclear, end of the world, freezing humans to survive scenario?”
“Graphics are nice and effective, the game does not lag at all, instant loads of saved game, soundtrack is probably a weak point.”
- replayability29 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a mixed reception regarding replayability. Many players appreciate the variety of game modes, flexible settings, and the opportunity for experimentation, which contribute to a high replay value. However, some users express concerns about limited depth in content and repetitive gameplay after mastering the mechanics, suggesting that while initial playthroughs are engaging, long-term replayability may be hindered.
“The variety of game modes, including sandbox and tower defense, adds depth and makes the game highly replayable.”
“It seems like there are many ways to approach each of your city's needs (food, water, power, money, etc.), so I think there will be a lot of replayability and room for experimentation.”
“The devs are adding new useful buildings and variable tweaks with sometimes new features every week on a consistent basis, making this well worth the price with a promise to be replayable and fresh in several months with more mechanics coming like diseases, more complex tourism, and more export possibilities.”
“The only negative thing I can say about Cliff Empire is limited replayability.”
“You will get a few weeks of enjoyment before the routine kicks in because the replayability is dampened by the limited depth in buildings available, events, and singular development strategy at the start.”
“Almost no replay value, but for a cheap game that's fine.”
- optimization27 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance and high frame rates even during late-game scenarios. While some users noted occasional performance dips and concerns about processor usage, the majority found the game stable and responsive, with few bugs. However, there are suggestions for further improvements, particularly regarding the user interface and certain gameplay mechanics that could enhance overall performance.
“Haven't had a single crash so far (in 40 hrs), performance is great (100+ fps in late game on 2k screen), and it looks fantastic and as futuristic as the game's premise would have you expect.”
“As a city building/managing game type enthusiast, I totally recommend this game; it brings up a futuristic idea of optimization in a very well designed and balanced environment.”
“Gameplay is smooth and optimized very well even for a slow-mid tier computer like me...you might need to turn off the smaller drone in options when you reach very late game though.”
“For a game that is about optimization and management, the UI is extremely important.”
“The tutorial isn't really the most optimized either in terms of instruction or build priority.”
“There is no option to turn off the day-night cycling and dynamic weather, which could help in game performance.”
- atmosphere23 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal, relaxing, and engaging qualities, creating a unique and immersive experience that encourages players to zone out and enjoy the aesthetics. With beautiful graphics and atmospheric effects, it successfully combines a serene environment with intriguing challenges, making it appealing for both casual gamers and city-building enthusiasts. However, some players note a desire for more dynamic elements to enhance the liveliness of the cities.
“There is something surreal about the game atmosphere that makes it easy for me to zone out and just stare at it.”
“The atmosphere and backstory are great and help build a world in which the game exists.”
“Great graphics, mechanics, and atmosphere...here's to hoping the developer sticks with it and makes it the game it could, and should become, excellent start for sure.”
“The atmosphere of this game is solid.”
“Add more figures of citizens on the street, more motions of citizens and buildings that can give a city a more active atmosphere.”
“Limited space, fulfilling people's needs, sci-fi atmosphere... survival elements.”
- grinding23 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 87 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the game features a mix of engaging and tedious elements, with many players finding the late game particularly grindy due to poorly designed mechanics and repetitive tasks. While some appreciate the rewarding aspects of city-building, the overall experience can feel slow and frustrating, especially when managing resources and responding to obscure game demands. Despite these issues, some players still recommend it for fans of the genre, noting that it offers meaningful challenges alongside its grindy elements.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You could get all achievements in one playthrough, no grinding required.”
“But some stupid decisions for the late game make it really grindy and boring.”
“A frustrating exercise in good and bad design choices, the game is initially interesting and engaging but the lack of polish and idiotic tasks become irritating as you are forced to grind to make progress - 'we see you've built a nicely sustainable city here - you need to completely re-gear it to earn money from office blocks for the next six days despite already swimming in cash, then knock the offices down immediately after so you can get ready for the next bizarre request' - it's not 'hard' so much as tedious.”
“Gameplay makes little sense, the tutorial doesn't teach you anything, and it's grindy as heck.”
- stability21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly related to the user interface and gameplay mechanics. While some players have experienced a relatively smooth experience without significant issues, others have highlighted persistent problems that detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, the game appears to be playable but is marred by notable stability concerns.
“Sadly, no native Linux version, but it runs great on Proton.”
“Sweet game, bug-free.”
“Bug-free.”
“The main issue I had with this game is some UI glitches, where if I click away from a trading window, it won't fully close and some parts of it will stay on screen until I click away again.”
“Island trading is broken, populations are picky, drones are buggy or broken, and food is impossible for a large population.”
“Other than that glaring issue, you got your typical buggy, glitchy experiences: civilians not walking on roads, demolish objects not disappearing, etc.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often situational, with players finding amusement in the absurdity of scenarios, such as citizens starving despite ample food supplies. While the humor can be entertaining initially, it may become repetitive over time. Overall, the game is described as having a quirky charm that adds to its appeal, with players appreciating its comedic elements alongside its gameplay mechanics.
“A hilarious detail is that you can walk around the town.”
“So this game is really really funny; the first time I played it, I almost spent 3 hours in it.”
“Embellished with a trace of humor as a final touch.”
- monetization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's monetization strategy is notable for its absence of intrusive advertising, which players appreciate, allowing for an immersive experience. However, there is a satirical element where players can choose to allow advertising in their cities, transforming aesthetically pleasing environments into commercialized spaces, reflecting a critique of cash-grab practices in gaming.
“There is no advertising, which is great.”
“The in-game purchases are fair and don't feel necessary to enjoy the game.”
“I appreciate that the monetization model allows for a balanced experience without pressure to spend.”
“Like a victim of a cash grab.”
“I was really impressed when I found and built a parliament and passed a law to allow advertisers to erect gaudy and equally depressing holographic advertising all over my cliff cities - turning my starkly beautiful buildings into money-making billboards.”
“Despite the small development team, this game is surprisingly detailed: each building has positions to display ads as per the in-game 'holograms' policy, and undercliff buildings have dedicated positions for each construction material that each undercliff drone will fly to deliver them.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express that the emotional aspect of the game alleviates feelings of guilt associated with certain actions, suggesting a connection between gameplay and personal feelings.
