Citadelum is one of the loveliest city builders in years

I love city builders. When done well, they're some of the best fun I can think of on a PC. I grew up in their golden age, when titles like Age of Empires and Pharaoh were the norm. For years since, the genre has had its ups and downs. However, only a rare few have captured the original mix of management and fantasy, where the needs of your people balance with your desire to make the prettiest megalopolis imaginable.

That is, until now, as Citadelum arrives on Steam. Developed by Abylight Barcelona, the creators behind Exographer, it is one of the finest city builders in recent memory.

A dream of Rome

Citadelum begins with the forum, the bustling heart of your city. From there, it's up to you how to approach the task of building a future. At least, for the most part. Some mechanics get in the way, and we'll get to those in a bit.

Before that, people need shelter, food, and resources. They also want to pray, party, and feel safe in a new world.

The basics come naturally. Mines harvest stone, lumber camps wood, and farms provide food. Granaries hold goods while bakeries do exactly what you'd think. There's a natural, smart progression to every resource, and navigating the needs of your city never feels overbearing.

Another aspect of resource management is money. Eventually, it all comes down to the mighty Sestertius. For that, you have to entice wealthy occupants to settle in your city. Their opulence brings tax money, and tax money ensures the city can thrive. But the wealthy won't settle for just any neighborhood. To keep them happy, you must build attractions and consider how the city looks, rather than just how it operates.

For those of us who are in it to build the pretties cities imaginable, that won't be an issue. It's a tremendous treat that Citadelum emphasizes this aspect. Often, city builders struggle to allow players the freedom to explore their creative impulses. Citadelum goes the opposite route for the most part.

Building things is intuitive and carefree, which makes the full experience rich and rewarding. I particularly love how you can move buildings after they're built. A quality of life addition that makes it easier to manage a bustling metropolis.

The main elements of the genre are equally well implemented. Houses need water, shelter, and access to roads. An initial bundle of apartments soon transforms into a lovely district as you gain renown, which opens new building options. One of the great joys of Citadelum is witnessing the transformation of your city in real time.

The fault, dear Brutus

One element that doesn't work as well is the inclusion of deities, all of whom are fickle bastards on a good day. On top of the regular plights that cities face – starvation, crime, disease – Citadelum requires constant vigilance to prayer and sacrifice.

To do that, players must build temples of worship for each deity, and then balance out their resources for sacrifices and celebration. Failure to keep up with the required groveling is met with an angry god stomping on your city to devastating effect. The idea is a good one, but its implementation becomes fiddly and frustrating. Eventually, I turned the setting off entirely in my sandbox playthroughs. Afterward, I didn't miss it at all.

There's also a world map to explore, which is a fun idea in theory, yet the full use of it feels light and superficial. You can send out troops to explore nearby cities and use your newfound connections to trade goods and resources. Naturally, not all the cities you meet are friendly, which necessitates the existence of an army. On top of managing a city, you will have to take care that your protective forces are at hand at any given time for a scuffle.

It's an ambitious idea to mix a city builder with Civilization-style tactics, and for the most part, Citadelum is successful in the marriage between the two. Luckily, it's easy to minimize this aspect in the settings, and just focus on your city. But those who want diversity in their management simulators will find lots to love here.

Build a better world

Finally, Citadelum comes with robust editor tools, which allow players to create challenges, maps, and scenarios for themselves. I only toyed with these briefly, as I couldn't break away from the addictive main game, but what I saw left me deeply impressed. This is a rich system that at one point in time would have warranted a release as an expansion pack. Instead, Citadelum packs them in free of charge, and for the devoted, I can't think of a better addition.

But it's extra flavor on an already impressive meal. During the past week and a half, I've spent endless hours with Citadelum, crafting away to perfect my cities and finding new ways to express my dreams.

It captures the additive nature of classic city builders of the past and iterates upon them successfully. It's almost a comfort in how familiar it is, yet it never feels stale or repetitive. Instead, Citadelum builds on tradition through innovation and emerges as one of the most satisfying games of the year. One that everyone with a passion for this genre should try.