Some of my favorite games deprive me of what I think I want most. Elden Ring refuses to offer manageable save files (and I paid for them). Balatro withholds the final calculation for each hand played (and the developer suggests avoiding calculators). And the modern X-COM games force me to realize how much a 98% chance to hit is not the same as 100%.
Dystopika (Steam, Windows) is a city builder in perhaps the strictest definition of that two-word description, as it steadfastly refuses to distract you with non-construction details. The game is described by its sole developer, Matt Marshall, as “No goals, no management, just creativity and dark, cozy atmosphere.” Dystopika does very little to explain how to play it, as there is no optimal path to doing so. Your only job is to enjoy, poke and prod at a dark cyberpunk cityscape, and make things that look interesting, beautiful, grim, or whatever you want. It may seem restrictive, but it feels very liberating.
The game's interface is a small rail on the left side of the screen. Select “Building” and a random shape will be attached to your cursor. You can right-click to change this, but you can't choose one. Place it and, if necessary, place the cursor at the top to change the height. By making one building bigger, smaller buildings in the area become bigger. Reaching certain heights, or densities, or something (it's not explained) will “unlock” certain new buildings, landmarks, and decorations.
Hurrah! I've unlocked the headquarters of a megacorp with a very ominous name! (Please appreciate my efforts on public transportation.)
Credit: Kevin Purdy
You can choose 'props', such as roads and trams and gigantic billboards, hologram objects and flying carports, but the game is also non-binding about what to do with them, or anything else. You put things down, or take them down, expand them, connect them, and try things out until you like how it looks.
