Technotopia
- October 23, 2024
- Yustas
Get on SteamTechnotopia is a single-player strategy game with stunning story and graphics. As the arbiter, build your ideal metropolis with a deck of cards and maintain a delicate balance between four factions while meeting public needs. With good game mechanics and a soundtrack to match, every decision you make will determine if your city remains a utopia or descends into chaos.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of city-building and puzzle mechanics, reminiscent of Tetris, which makes it engaging and addictive.
- Visually appealing with a charming art deco style and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- For its price, the game offers a decent amount of content and is enjoyable for casual play, making it a good value.
- The game is quite short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leading to a lack of replayability.
- Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, and the mechanics may feel shallow without deeper strategic elements or a sandbox mode.
- The story and character development are often criticized as clichéd and lacking depth, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story75 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as engaging yet short, typically taking around 2-3 hours to complete, with some players appreciating its style and thematic elements. However, many reviews note that the narrative lacks depth and replayability, often feeling linear and clichéd, with characters and plotlines that do not significantly evolve. While some players found the story enjoyable and well-written, others criticized it for being simplistic and not fully integrated with the gameplay mechanics.
“The story is interesting, the construction is nuanced and the events are challenging.”
“The art-deco futurism setting gives it a lot of character, and the story, though short, is a fun driver to keep you going run after run.”
“The climax of the story even made my heart wrench; genuinely very impressive for such a short game!”
“The story is quite short; hopefully, we will receive some additional lore in updates and/or expansions.”
“The story doesn't really make sense (someone asks to meet you so you... build buildings in their general direction? Jeez, just send an email. And the city gets demolished and you have to rebuild it every time the AI fails? That makes sense from a gameplay perspective but not a plot perspective).”
“There's not too much in the way of replayability and the core gameplay loop gets a bit stale, but for the asking price, it's not a bad story.”
- gameplay50 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simple yet addictive, offering a balance between challenge and relaxation, though it suffers from a lack of depth and replayability. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics, such as tile placement and deckbuilding, but many feel the core loop becomes repetitive and lacks meaningful progression. While the visuals and innovative scoring mechanics are praised, the overall experience is seen as enjoyable for casual play rather than for those seeking a deep or groundbreaking gaming experience.
“The gameplay is just the right balance between challenging and relaxing as you build new structures!”
“It's fun, has a little story to walk you through the mechanics, and some replayability to improve base stats and unlock new cards.”
“I was very satisfied with the gameplay, and I played through the game in one sitting since it was that addictive.”
“No matter what you do, nothing will change visually or gameplay-wise, making your every action completely meaningless.”
“Much of the gameplay feels repetitive, from how you'll generally layout a city, to the many events you'll receive over a single run, which have minimal effect on gameplay.”
“The story sets you up as a vibrant force for change, but the mechanics tell a different story.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a stylish art deco retrofuturism aesthetic, reminiscent of the film "Metropolis," which many players find memorable and visually appealing. While the visuals are praised for their coherence and charm, some users note that the graphics are not groundbreaking and can be challenging to navigate when zoomed out. Overall, the game's art style is a significant draw for players, enhancing the overall experience despite some gameplay and narrative concerns.
“I bought the game for the art style and stayed for the simple, but enjoyable, gameplay.”
“It has a very interesting art style: voxel-based art deco with heavy influences from futurism, featuring detailed portraits and events, along with funny cartoonish characters that fit surprisingly well.”
“The art style is an art deco retrofuturism that's clearly inspired by the movie Metropolis - perhaps it won't be for everyone, but I'd say the aesthetic is crisp and coherent enough to be memorable.”
“And the art deco design, downtempo grooves & voxel graphics?”
“I will admit I became interested in this game based on the art style alone.”
- music14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its cool, futuristic techno/synth jazz vibe, creating an amazing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While some users noted a few annoying tracks, the majority found the soundtrack to be mesmerizing and immersive, often leading them to pause other distractions to fully enjoy it. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, with many recommending the original soundtrack for repeated listening.
“The music and the atmosphere are just amazing!”
“There's a 'metropolis' style running throughout, and the music perfectly sets the tone for an engrossing yet relaxing experience.”
“I absolutely loved the soundtrack; usually I play games with videos in the background, but here I paused everything because I didn't want anything to distract me.”
“If there are any, there are a couple (like 4 or 5) extremely annoying music pieces, with only one being actually decent. Since you're listening to it over and over again, you are probably better off just disabling it.”
“Limited music.”
“Music: typical puzzle-based themes.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it addictive and enjoyable for a short experience, many criticize it for being too brief and lacking substantial replay value. The core gameplay loop can become stale, and the linear progression and limited narrative depth further diminish the incentive to replay. However, a few users note that there is potential for improvement and some elements that encourage revisiting the game.
“It's fun, has a little story to walk you through the mechanics, and some replayability to improve base stats and unlock new cards.”
“Might be one of the shortest rogue-lite/management sim games I've ever played, but still a fantastic one absolutely worth playing, with considerable replay value!”
“While this gives replayability, the player is set up to fail, which is discouraging.”
“Quite addictive for such a simple gameplay loop, but unfortunately a bit on the short side, and with no real replayability.”
“There's not too much in the way of replayability and the core gameplay loop gets a bit stale, but for the asking price, it's not a bad story.”
“It's an interesting game with a lot of potential, but it is too short (I completed it in about two hours) and not replayable, and at a certain level, it's technically impossible to get enough points to survive.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its amazing music and art style, creating a chill and enjoyable environment that complements its unique blend of puzzle, city-building, and reigns gameplay.
“The music and the atmosphere are just amazing!”
“A very fun mix of a puzzle game, a city builder, and reigns with a great art style and chill atmosphere.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted by its unique voxel-based art style, which combines art-deco and futurism, complemented by cartoonish characters that enhance the comedic elements. Players particularly enjoy the Baroness Krause storyline, noting it as a standout source of humor.
“My favorite part is Baroness Krause's storyline - it's very funny.”
“It has a very interesting art style: voxel-based art-deco with heavy influences from futurism, featuring funny cartoonish characters that fit surprisingly well.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report inconsistent frame rates and frequent shader glitches, leading to a frustrating gaming experience that undermines overall stability.
“Sometimes you get a normal FPS, and sometimes this game tells you to go f*** yourself, not to mention the shader glitches.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experience constant lag and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”
