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.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 802 reviews

graphics33 positive mentions

monetization5 negative mentions

TheoTown is a fun and addictive city-building game that offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic SimCity titles.
The game features a robust plugin system that allows for extensive customization and user-generated content, enhancing replayability.
It runs well on low-end devices, making it accessible to a wider audience without the need for expensive hardware.

The user interface can be clunky and is not fully optimized for PC, often feeling like a port from mobile.
There are reports of frequent crashes and bugs, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
Some players have noted a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, making it feel less challenging compared to other city builders.

graphics
92 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 retro graphics, others find them too flat or blocky, suggesting a desire for more depth or modern enhancements. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received for their lightness and compatibility with lower-end devices, contributing positively to the game's relaxing atmosphere.
- “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.”
- “Theotown features a pixel-art style that gives the game a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic city-building titles.”
- “The graphics are great, in that early isometric kind of way, and the gameplay is fun.”
- “Of course, graphics are limited in a 2D world.”
- “[*] [b]Some may find the game's graphics too simple or too blocky[/b].”
- “The graphics are very poor and the game does not look as good as the screenshots.”
gameplay
59 mentions
31 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the city-building game is generally praised for its accessibility and depth, appealing to both newcomers and seasoned players. While it retains familiar mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like SimCity, it also introduces modern elements and modding support that enhance replayability. However, some players note issues with certain mechanics, such as terraforming and transportation, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “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
41 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 nostalgic feel for some players. However, opinions are mixed, with some users criticizing the soundtrack as repetitive or generic, likening it to royalty-free music. Despite these criticisms, many players appreciate the soothing background music, which complements the gameplay experience, especially for those seeking a low-stress environment.
- “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
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, offering players the freedom to create their own stories or lore. While it features an open-ended sandbox mode and some missions, many reviewers note the absence of a compelling plot or character-driven content, leading to a gameplay experience focused more on mechanics than storytelling.
- “While Theotown offers an open-ended sandbox mode, it also includes a series of missions and scenarios that provide players with goals and challenges.”
- “Phone version: wait guys.... remember the teachers teaching us to be patient.....? let me tell you a story..... a long time ago.....”
- “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
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
38 % 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 in-app purchases, while the PC version is praised for its one-time purchase price and absence of microtransactions. Players recommend the PC version as a better value, highlighting its lack of paywalls and a more enjoyable gameplay experience. Overall, the mobile experience is seen as less favorable due to its aggressive monetization tactics.
- “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.”
- “No in-app purchases unlike the mobile app.”
- “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
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it performs well on lower-end systems and offers a visually appealing experience reminiscent of classic titles, some players report significant stuttering and poor UI adaptation for PC. Despite these issues, many users find the gameplay more extensive and less demanding than competitors like Cities: Skylines 2 and SimCity.
- “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 got a completely new system (RTX 4080, Ryzen 7600X, 32GB DDR5 5200MHz), yet it's still stuttering.”
stability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
-22 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and minimal issues, others experience significant bugs, crashes, and freezing that can render it unplayable. Despite these problems, the developers are actively working on improvements, which gives some hope for future stability. Overall, the experience varies widely among users, with some enjoying a stable gameplay while others struggle with frequent interruptions.
- “The game runs great on varying systems across the performance spectrum, as the graphics are pixel-based, very much reminiscent of SimCity 2000.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs, which is impressive for a game of this scale.”
- “The stability of the game allows for long play sessions without any interruptions, making it a reliable choice for gamers.”
- “I don't know what the cause is, but the game just freezes sometimes.”
- “I want to recommend it, but with how buggy it is (literally unplayable due to crashing), I can't.”
- “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
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability due to its endless building possibilities with each seed, as well as extensive community-created mods and plugins that enhance content variety. Players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and competitive gameplay, making it a worthwhile investment for city-building enthusiasts.
- “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.”
- “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 it up if you're a city builder fan.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently noted as a standout feature, with players appreciating its comedic elements reminiscent of previous titles like SC3000. The game's funny scenarios and lighthearted approach contribute to an enjoyable experience, making it a delightful city-building game. Overall, the humor adds a charming layer to the gameplay, enhancing its appeal.
- “Funny city building game.”
- “Funny epic game like a city.”
- “Funny city game.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively time-consuming, often likening it to needing a "second life" to manage the required tasks. Additionally, some criticize the tedious mechanics involved, such as terraforming, which can further contribute to the grind.
- “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
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a pleasant and calming soundtrack that enhances the experience, though it may become repetitive over time. The simple graphics contribute to a nostalgic, immersive environment reminiscent of 2000-era city simulators, making it easy for players to feel absorbed while building their cities.
- “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 that you'll definitely feel lost in it while building your city.”