TheoTown

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TheoTown is a single-player strategy game with stunning game mechanics and fantastic visuals. As a city builder, manage and customize your own city, from a small town to a thriving metropolis, with complex transportation networks and user-made plugins. This premium version offers all additional contents without ads or in-app purchases, featuring emergency events, world wonders, and complete control over your transportation systems.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,604 reviews

graphics66 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

TheoTown is a charming city-building game that combines elements from classic titles like SimCity 2000 and 3000, offering a nostalgic experience with modern gameplay mechanics.
The game features extensive mod support through plugins, allowing for a high degree of customization and creativity in city design.
It's accessible for players with lower-end PCs, making it a great alternative for those who can't run more demanding city-building games like Cities: Skylines.

The user interface can be clunky and is not fully optimized for PC, often feeling like a port from mobile, which can lead to frustration during gameplay.
The game suffers from stability issues, with frequent crashes reported, particularly when trying to create new regions or manage larger cities.
Some players have noted a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness and a lack of challenge as cities grow.

graphics
184 mentions
36 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that evokes nostalgia for classic city-building titles, reminiscent of the 1990s. While some players appreciate the simplicity and aesthetic appeal of the 2D visuals, others find them too flat or blocky, suggesting a desire for more depth or modern enhancements. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received for their retro charm and performance efficiency on lower-end devices, though opinions vary on their complexity and detail.
- “Theotown features a pixel-art style that gives the game a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic city-building titles.”
- “It's rare that I find a game legitimately relaxing, but the visuals and music are actually really calming, and if you enable the day/night cycle it's downright cozy to see your town all lit up at night.”
- “The graphics are great, in that early isometric kind of way, and the gameplay is fun.”
- “Some may find the game's graphics too simple or too blocky.”
- “The graphics are very poor and the game does not look as good as the screenshots.”
- “This game is literally SimCity but with low graphics.”
gameplay
118 mentions
31 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Theotown is a blend of nostalgic city-building mechanics reminiscent of SimCity, combined with modern features that enhance accessibility and depth for both newcomers and veterans. While it offers a satisfying core loop of managing resources and citizen needs, some mechanics, particularly related to terrain and transportation, can be clunky and frustrating. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging gameplay, modding community, and performance, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre despite some limitations.
- “The heart of Theotown lies in its gameplay, which is both accessible for newcomers and deep enough to engage seasoned city-building enthusiasts.”
- “Fun addictive gameplay, doesn't take up much space and has a lot of cool features such as a plugin store, where you can download other users' creations to make life easier or make your own plugins and show them on the store.”
- “The gameplay is nice and easy to get into, and the modding community provides a nice array of extras for it; practically like they do for SimCity 4 and Cities: Skylines.”
- “The terrain height mechanic is awful; roads can't be rotated properly while on a slope, bridges have to be built everywhere there is even a 1-tile height difference. It's a complete nightmare to build anything in non-flat terrain, and it drains your budget extremely fast because of all the deleting and rebuilding that has to be done to not make your city an eyesore.”
- “The game, whilst visually and mechanically reminiscent of SimCity 2000 (with elements of 3000 & 4), is mostly shallow, unexciting, and really rather dull.”
- “The only major downsides to the game are tedious terraforming mechanics and no diagonal roads or rails of any kind.”
music
82 mentions
39 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as calming and relaxing, enhancing the overall atmosphere and providing a soothing backdrop for gameplay. However, opinions are mixed, with some players finding the soundtrack repetitive or reminiscent of generic royalty-free music, while others appreciate its nostalgic qualities and ability to create a cozy environment. Overall, while the music is a highlight for many, there are criticisms regarding its quality and originality, leading some to prefer using their own music.
- “It's rare that I find a game legitimately relaxing, but the visuals and music are actually really calming, and if you enable the day/night cycle, it's downright cozy to see your town all lit up at night.”
- “You should play this game because it brings you peace, and because the soundtrack is phenomenal.”
- “The music is so calming and the atmosphere is so comfy you'll definitely feel lost in it while building your city.”
- “I'm only giving a negative review because the music is so bad. Jesus, they really looked up 'relaxing music yoga' on YouTube and used YouTube to MP3 to put it in the game.”
- “The free royalty music choice was terrible and I don't like it.”
- “The developer once decided to replace the music with royalty-free garbage, but it is possible to change it if you know how.”
story
34 mentions
9 % positive mentions
79 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, with many users noting that there is no predefined story, allowing players to create their own lore. While it features an open-ended sandbox mode and some missions for goals, the overall experience is more focused on gameplay mechanics than on storytelling, leaving players without any significant plot or character development.
- “While Theotown offers an open-ended sandbox mode, it also includes a series of missions and scenarios that provide players with goals and challenges.”
- “The basic gameplay loop is pretty much the standard 'keep track of RCI, build zones based on demand, keep an eye on citizen needs' and it's not too hard to do well. There is a lot to do, and I think the pacing is what sucked me in the most.”
- “And has a story of a sad and angry pickle :(”
- “I hate to disappoint you, but if you await any kind of action, drama, plot, or campaign in this game, you'll never see it in Theotown.”
- “Story: it's camouflaged; I can't see it nor feel it.”
- “☒ no story (you can invent your own lore)”
monetization
26 mentions
15 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game varies significantly between platforms; the mobile version is criticized for being pay-to-win with numerous ads and mandatory in-app purchases, while the PC version is praised for its one-time purchase price of $8 and absence of microtransactions. Players recommend the PC version for its better overall experience and access to all features without additional costs. Overall, the mobile version offers a free-to-play experience but comes with significant monetization drawbacks.
- “If you're still on the fence, try out the game on mobile devices, it's free-to-play with fairly good monetization, but for $8 (USD), the PC version of the game is a steal.”
- “Most importantly, there are no microtransactions!”
- “There are no microtransactions or paywalls in this game.”
- “Advertising this as a full game is a joke.”
- “On phone you can access your cities with the same account but you will have to download the mods again, and in mobile you have to watch lots of ads to do so. Features like 3x speed are behind a paywall no matter if you bought the game on Steam.”
- “Also don't buy the Android version; it forces you to buy random in-app purchases just to get some basic buildings.”
optimization
22 mentions
27 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it performs well on various systems and is less demanding than competitors like SimCity, many users report significant optimization issues, particularly with the UI, which feels poorly adapted from its mobile origins. Despite high-end hardware, some players experience stuttering, indicating that optimization could be improved further. Overall, opinions on optimization range from excellent to very poor.
- “Has much more gameplay than Cities: Skylines 2 and no problem with the performance!”
- “Lastly, it's less performance demanding compared to SimCity while still looking nice.”
- “The game runs great on varying systems on the performance spectrum as the graphics are pixel-based—very much reminiscent of SimCity 2000.”
- “There are some serious optimization issues going on here since this is the case.”
- “Very poorly optimized.”
- “I've a completely new system (RTX 4080, Ryzen 7600X, 32GB DDR5 5200MHz), yet it's still stuttering.”
stability
18 mentions
11 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and no crashes after extensive playtime, others experience frequent freezing and significant bugs that render it unplayable. Despite the presence of glitches, the developers are actively working on improvements, which offers some hope for future stability. Overall, the game's stability issues may deter potential players, especially those sensitive to technical problems.
- “The game runs great on varying systems across the performance spectrum, as the graphics are pixel-based—very much reminiscent of SimCity 2000.”
- “I want to recommend it, but with how buggy it is (literally unplayable due to crashing), I can't.”
- “I don't know what the cause is, but the game just freezes sometimes.”
- “However, the game's debug console does allow you to create regions, but even when I try to create the larger regions that I once played on, the game freezes up and won't let you.”
replayability
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability due to its endless building possibilities with each seed and extensive support for community-created mods and plugins. Players appreciate the combination of a nostalgic aesthetic and competitive gameplay, making it a compelling choice for city builder enthusiasts, especially at its affordable price point.
- “Each seed opens endless possibilities for building and thus - awesome replayability.”
- “With the addition of user-created building mods, this game's replay value is through the roof, and at the $8.99 price point, it's hard to pass up if you're a city builder fan.”
- “The game also supports a variety of plugins and mods created by the community, adding a wealth of content and replayability.”
- “I liked the simple SimCity 2000-esque aesthetic and the competitive gameplay; it seems like a solid game and, with mods, has a ton of replayability.”
- “With the addition of user-created building mods, this game's replay value is through the roof, and at the $8.99 price point, it's hard pressed not to buy it if you're a city builder fan.”
humor
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often highlighted as a notable feature, with many users appreciating its comedic elements reminiscent of the classic SC3000. Players find the game to be entertaining and funny, particularly in its city-building mechanics and overall gameplay experience.
- “Funny city building game.”
- “Funny epic game like a city.”
- “Funny city game.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Players consistently express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often likening it to needing a "second life" to manage the required tasks. This sentiment is compounded by frustrations with tedious mechanics, such as terraforming and the lack of diagonal roads or rails.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The only major downsides to the game are tedious terraforming mechanics and no diagonal roads or rails of any kind.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
50 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a calming and pleasant soundtrack that enhances the experience, although it may become repetitive over time. The simple graphics contribute to a cozy and immersive environment, making it easy for players to lose themselves in the sandbox city-building experience reminiscent of 2000-era simulations. Overall, the atmosphere is well-received, creating a comfortable and engaging setting for gameplay.
- “It's an atmospheric sandbox 2000-era city sim de jour.”
- “Simple graphics, but the atmosphere is great.”
- “The game's soundtrack is pleasant and fits the atmosphere, but it may become repetitive over extended play sessions.”
- “The music is so calming and the atmosphere is so comfy you'll definitely feel lost in it while building your city.”