Urbek City Builder

About

Urbek City Builder is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Fridus and was released on July 13, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

In Urbek City Builder, create your own city by building various neighborhoods, such as bohemian or bourgeois, while managing over 30 different resources. This game uses a unique resource management system instead of money, Depleting resources must be managed carefully to ensure they can be replaced. The goal is to balance natural resource management with the quality of life for your city's population.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,408 reviews

gameplay80 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

Urbek City Builder offers a unique twist on the city-building genre by focusing on resource management instead of money, making it a refreshing experience.
The game features charming voxel graphics and a satisfying gameplay loop where buildings evolve based on their surroundings, creating organic city growth.
Players appreciate the balance of challenge and relaxation, with multiple paths to success and a variety of biomes that keep the gameplay engaging.

Some players find the game too restrictive, as it requires specific building placements and conditions that can feel like a puzzle rather than a true city-building experience.
The tutorial can be lengthy and may overwhelm new players, with unclear requirements for building upgrades and a lack of essential information in the UI.
There are reports of bugs and performance issues, particularly related to saving and loading games, which can detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
250 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The gameplay of Urbek City Builder is characterized by its innovative mechanics that blend city-building with puzzle elements, offering a unique experience that encourages strategic planning and resource management without the constraints of traditional monetary systems. While the game features a straightforward and engaging gameplay loop, some players find the mechanics initially confusing and the presentation lacking, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, many reviewers appreciate the depth and addictive nature of the gameplay, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.
- “The gameplay is very innovative and made me rethink what one could do with a city-builder, and the fact that the dev is releasing new free updates almost two years after release is really impressive!”
- “This game distills the mechanics of city builders and reforms them into a novel and exciting, nonetheless familiar experience.”
- “The gameplay loop is fantastic.”
- “That being said, the gameplay is boring in general.”
- “I did not find the game mechanics intuitive: build a certain number of lumberjack huts or farmhouses, etc., because the game says so in order to unlock the next thing, not because you are running out of wood or food.”
- “The process of figuring out what to do next is cumbersome and detracts from the overall gameplay experience.”
graphics
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The graphics of "Urbek City Builder" feature charming and detailed voxel art that many players find aesthetically pleasing, especially at night. While some reviewers appreciate the nostalgic and simplistic style, others note that the visuals can feel dated or reminiscent of early city-building games. Overall, the graphics contribute to a relaxing atmosphere, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some criticisms regarding polish and depth.
- “The visuals are gorgeous if you like voxel graphics - especially at night.”
- “The voxel graphic style is charming and there's enough attention to detail here in how they randomly plop up and combine to generate an interesting and diversified urban landscape; the building level-up mechanic is on point.”
- “Great voxel graphics make your cities look really nice.”
- “Do not be deceived by the graphics.”
- “Just wish the graphics didn't look like one is trying to build a city out of Lego blocks.”
- “Bottom line: perfect isometric sandbox with outdated graphics!”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The music in the game is generally praised for being catchy, relaxing, and well-suited to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive and may lead them to turn it off after a short period. Despite these criticisms, many find the music enjoyable and a highlight of the game, contributing to its charm.
- “The music is nice and relaxing; the voxel graphics are fun. I gotta say this is a pretty nice take on a city builder, with a fair price as far as I'm concerned.”
- “With the amazing soundtrack, this game is so relaxing and fun to play!”
- “I must say that I really enjoy Urbek; it is a very unique take on the city builder genre with its top-down, 8-bit voxel appearance and a chirpy soundtrack to keep you motivated.”
- “The music gets old quick, and there's one very annoying song, so after the first 20 minutes or so I turn the music off.”
- “I say surprisingly because between the nice looking but shoddily animated voxel graphics and the royalty-free music, the very start of this game will feel pretty cheap.”
- “Turn the music off, put the Sim City 4 soundtrack on.”
replayability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
10%
The game offers significant replayability through procedurally generated maps and multiple victory paths, allowing players to approach challenges in various ways. While some players find the replay value diminishes after achieving all goals, others appreciate the diverse biomes and the depth of challenges that keep the experience fresh. Overall, opinions are mixed, with many highlighting its potential for replayability, while a few feel it lacks long-term engagement.
- “I wholeheartedly recommend this game as a relaxing game to play in your off time, and the replayability is endless.”
- “What I found particularly exciting is that the different biomes present some striking different challenges in a way that makes the game much more replayable than other building management games.”
- “I can't wait to figure out the next right way to play this game 10 hours from now... but seriously, this game is a fresh, surprisingly deep take on the city-building genre, and with all of the different paths and biomes, the replayability is huge.”
- “Boring and non-replayable.”
- “However, the game does not offer much in replayability and I felt unmotivated to finish the later maps of the game after 100%-ing the first map challenges.”
- “Urbek is an interesting idea, but I don't think it works, at least from the standpoint of replayability or any sort of creativity.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to resource management and building the same structures multiple times. While some enjoy the rewarding feeling of city development, many express frustration with the time-consuming nature of tasks, especially on larger maps, and the lack of variety in critical industries. Overall, the grinding experience can detract from the enjoyment of the game, leading to boredom and a sense of monotony.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I would have to do it again and again, and it's just not fun after the first time; it's tedious at best.”
- “- despite there being so many resources in the game, food is the biggest bottleneck, and it gets really tedious building the same few food buildings and draping the map in farms/orchards.”
- “I got bored after 4 hours of the process as it was laughably easy and just tedious.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
Overall, the optimization in the game is well-received, with players noting smooth performance even on older systems and minimal bugs. The game encourages thoughtful building placement and offers a unique blend of city building and puzzle-solving, making it an engaging challenge for those who enjoy optimizing layouts. However, some areas could benefit from further polishing to enhance the overall experience.
- “Minmaxing through your building placement to unlock better houses, this optimization game provides instant feedback and guides your options through a reasonable amount of choices.”
- “The result was a lovely and difficult optimization challenge, requiring you to use every corner of the game mechanics to build an organic yet thriving city.”
- “Some areas need polishing and optimization.”
- “Urbek shines best when you're under the tightest restrictions, so you don't have space to use a boring, optimized design.”
- “Unique style combines city building with puzzle solving through efficiency optimization.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The game lacks a traditional narrative, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics and city-building elements. Players can engage in missions without time constraints, allowing for creative optimization and beautification of their cities, though some feel the game imposes limitations until advanced technologies are unlocked. Overall, the emphasis is on gameplay rather than story development.
- “(You are free to not end the mission when you reach the goal and instead keep beautifying and optimizing; it's just that the game constrains you too hard until you've unlocked advanced techs.)”
- “Going into your beautiful 5-story mixed-use green buildings is a wonderful tiny detail that makes this game better.”
- “There is no story.”
- “There are a lot of items you never really need to build to beat the preset missions, and there is no time limit either, so you're not really challenged.”
- “Depending on whether your housing meets certain criteria like food, schools, clinics, and banks, they develop into villages, suburbs, downtown multistory housing, or high-rise offices.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Urbek is praised for its charming and humorous approach to the city-building genre, featuring a funny concept and entertaining flavor text. While some aspects may feel rough around the edges, the overall experience is described as enjoyable and filled with endless comedic possibilities.
- “Urbek is a charming, funny, and simplified entry to the city building genre.”
- “The finish is a bit rough around the edges, some flavor text is a bit funny, but these are small things.”
- “Then this game is a game for you, with endless options and humor.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game exhibits a few minor glitches and crashes, particularly on the initial load screen, but is reported to run well on the Steam Deck. While there are some aesthetic issues, the overall experience remains enjoyable despite these stability concerns.
- “Says it runs great on Steam Deck, but it crashes on the initial load screen.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics and a nice aesthetic; however, there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- “A few little teething glitches, but nothing too serious.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive day-night cycle and clean graphics, which contribute to a visually engaging and relaxing experience. Reviewers highlight the overall aesthetic appeal, making it particularly enjoyable for fans of city-building games.
- “The day-night cycle was very atmospheric and nice.”
- “The result is amazing, as the game looks really good and atmospheric, especially at nighttime.”
- “This aspect of the game, paired with its clean graphics and relaxing visual atmosphere, creates an engaging yet satisfying experience that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys city-building games.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it raises thought-provoking questions about urban planning and politics, some players feel disconnected, with one reviewer stating they stopped playing during the tutorial because it failed to resonate emotionally. The limited building options lead to a sense of passive city development, which may not engage all players on an emotional level.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the game's monetization, highlighting that the advertising is misleading and does not accurately represent the game's content or features.
- “The advertising of the game is very misleading.”