Sphere: Flying Cities

About

Sphere: Flying Cities is a single player survival strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by mañana studios and was released on October 13, 2022. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Sphere: Flying Cities" is a city-building strategy game where you construct and manage advanced flying cities in a post-apocalyptic world. Harvest resources, research new technologies, and adapt to changing weather conditions while fending off threats from the ground and sky. Your goal is to ensure your city's survival and expansion while seeking out a new home for humanity.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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47%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

story4 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept of managing a floating city in a post-apocalyptic world, which adds an interesting twist to the city-building genre.
The graphics and atmosphere are appealing, creating an engaging environment for players.
There is potential for the game to improve with future updates, as the developers seem responsive to community feedback.

The game feels unfinished and lacks polish, with many bugs and performance issues that hinder gameplay.
The tutorial is inadequate, leaving players confused about mechanics and how to progress effectively.
Resource management is frustratingly unbalanced, leading to frequent game overs due to power shortages and overwhelming environmental challenges.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it bland and lacking depth, often describing it as mediocre or forgettable. While some appreciated the light narrative and found it serviceable for a city-building sim, others criticized the dialogue and overall execution, suggesting that it needs significant improvement and more engaging elements to enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the story is seen as a basic framework that could benefit from further development, especially given the game's early access status.
- “I like the story; it wasn't long and tedious and was interesting enough.”
- “It's good for what it is - a light city builder sim with uncomplicated management and a small production chain, played in a small area, and bundled with a serviceable campaign/story.”
- “What I liked was the great intro story sequence leading, giving background and an overall premise of where we are heading.”
- “The story is mediocre.”
- “The story is the same; the dialog is forgettable and robotic and doesn’t carry any depth to the fact that your world is ending and you just blew up your city getting it off the ground.”
- “This game has a great base but does need a lot of work.. as of right now there is not much of a story feel to the game that makes me want to keep playing.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
65%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet enjoyable mechanics that allow for hours of building and exploration, but it suffers from limited replayability and a lack of immersive depth. Players find the survival mechanics clunky and the tutorial inadequate, leading to a steep learning curve and excessive micromanagement. While there are interesting elements and a solid tech tree, many mechanics feel underdeveloped or pointless, suggesting that significant improvements are needed for a more engaging experience.
- “You can easily spend hours building, exploring, or relaxing, all within the framework of the game's simple but enjoyable mechanics.”
- “The tech tree is already quite large, motivating extended play and working well with the exploration mechanic.”
- “I enjoyed the story element and the gameplay mechanics.”
- “Finished the campaign and started playing some sandbox on harder settings, but replayability is limited as content is narrow and the game is more 'mechanical' (unlock this, do this, do that...) than immersive, where one would actually care about the city.”
- “It requires far too much in-depth knowledge of the game's mechanics, which the tutorial does not prepare you for, and far too much micro-management.”
- “Most of the loyalty boosting buildings are unlocked by default, so it presents no engaging hook to the long-term gameplay.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the sci-fi aesthetic and find the visuals of the city and surrounding elements appealing, others criticize the poor optimization and instability, particularly during high-speed gameplay. Many users report issues with frame rates and the inability to adjust graphical settings in-game, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the graphics are deemed acceptable but not exceptional, with significant room for improvement in performance and customization options.
- “The graphics overall look great and the flying platform looks fantastic.”
- “+ pretty cool sci-fi graphics and theme.”
- “First of all, I really liked the graphics of the city and surrounding clouds.”
- “But the biggest issue is that the majority of the game is spent moving the city around the planet on fetch quests, but it moves so damn slow. On top of that, the optimization is very poorly done, so you are forced to keep the game on speed 3, which is not enough, and the graphical simulation of the effects (asteroid belts, ice storms, etc.) continues even at high speed, placing severe strain on the computer.”
- “You will waste hours going from point to point, with FPS limitations, no means to disable all the graphical candy that serves no purpose, and not being able to speed things up even more as all your storage is full and you can't do anything until you arrive at each of the destinations, 10 minutes away each time.”
- “It's buggy, it freezes, the graphics are slow (I can play much heavier games without needing to set the settings to low), the sensitivity is abominable, and it looks overall bleak and poor.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to significant performance issues, including high CPU usage and low frame rates even on powerful hardware. Players report frequent bugs and slow movement mechanics that hinder gameplay, making it difficult to enjoy the intriguing concepts presented. Overall, the game may appeal to dedicated fans of the genre, but it requires substantial polish and optimization before it can be recommended more broadly.
- “Interesting concepts, worth waiting for further polish in GUI, balance, and performance.”
- “Framerate on ultra settings is low (40-60) (I have a 3080 Ti and Intel i9-11900K), so it's just optimization problems.”
- “Somehow is so horridly optimized that it uses 100% of a 2080 Super.”
- “But the biggest issue is that the majority of the game is spent moving the city around the planet on fetch quests, but it moves so damn slow. On top of that, the optimization is very badly done, so you are forced to keep the game on speed 3, which is not enough, and the graphical simulation of the effects (asteroid belts, ice storms, etc.) continues even at high speed, placing severe strain on the computer.”
- “- Huge performance issues while weather effects are on.”
- “- Framerate on ultra settings is low (40-60) (I have a 3080 Ti and Intel i9-11900K), so it's just optimization problems.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the engaging story and unique elements, many criticize the gameplay for being overly tedious and difficult. The repetitive tasks, such as farming and repairing, contribute to a sense of monotony, leading to frustration among users who feel the game lacks depth and variety. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant drawback, overshadowing the game's potential.
- “It seems like the devs have made a cash grab and abandoned it; this game is too difficult and tedious to all hell.”
- “The final unique thing I’ve noticed from the game is the element system; probably the most tedious and annoying aspect of the game.”
- “This causes the game to get very tedious as most of your time is spent clicking and dragging the repair tool.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has been criticized for being flat, poorly composed, and reminiscent of elevator music, leading to a forgettable audio experience. Many players find it unremarkable and repetitive, often opting to play their own music instead. Overall, the soundtrack fails to leave a lasting impression.
- “The music and sound create an immersive atmosphere.”
- “I'd like to see a larger selection for the soundtrack; it does get old fast.”
- “The audio is completely forgettable, and you'll probably turn on some music within the first few minutes.”
- “The music is nothing noteworthy.”
- “Kind of like elevator music honestly.”
- “The graphics are serviceable but the audio is completely forgettable and you’ll probably turn some music on within the first few minutes.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches, freezing, and poor graphics performance, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players acknowledge that it is in early access and may improve, many report that it feels unfinished and buggy.
- “It's buggy, it freezes, the graphics are slow (I can play much heavier games without needing to set the settings to low), the sensitivity is abominable, and it looks overall bleak and poor.”
- “In some places it seems unfinished, immature, and a bit buggy.”
- “Keep in mind the game is in early access and there are still some bugs and glitches [only found one so far as my game froze for a few seconds].”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's atmosphere is polarizing; while some players appreciate the engaging environment and diverse tasks, others find the absurdity of its premise—such as asteroids and moon chunks floating like clouds—detracts from their enjoyment. Overall, the atmosphere can enhance the experience for some, but it may also hinder immersion for others.
- “I just started my own map and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the varied tasks.”
- “The game has an interesting concept, but the absurdity of the premise and having asteroids and moon chunks floating in the air like clouds in the Earth's atmosphere is so ridiculous that it makes enjoyment of the game difficult.”
- “In this game, you do not travel beyond the Earth's atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that while the game includes voice acting, it fails to create a strong emotional connection with the characters. The exploration mechanics, such as using a probe to scan areas, do not enhance the emotional engagement with the narrative.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and often arises from minor situations, providing a lighthearted touch without being a central focus.
- “Not really an issue, but kind of funny.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players feel that the game's monetization strategy is exploitative, labeling it a cash grab, and express frustration over its difficulty and tediousness, suggesting a lack of ongoing support from the developers.
- “It seems like the developers have made a cash grab and abandoned the game. It's too difficult and tedious to enjoy.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- “I feel like I'm being pushed to spend money just to have a fair chance at enjoying the game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that the presence of advanced buildings that are less effective than earlier options contributes to low replayability, as it diminishes the incentive to explore different strategies or playthroughs.
- “Advanced buildings that are worse than the early ones, resulting in low replayability.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
- “Once you've experienced the main story, there's little incentive to replay.”