Seize The Means Of (Card) Production!
HIGH Narrowly dodging a budgetary issue that could sink a run.
LOW Why do I need to build more buildings just to talk to people?
WTF Nuanced critiques of morality in civic management… in a videogame?!
When I agreed to look at Technotopia, I’ll admit it had the odds stacked against it. I’m just not huge on card-based games, and it feels like we’re drowning in a sea of roguelites lately. Yet despite those trepidations it just looked so gorgeous and unique, I couldn’t pass up the chance. And you know what? I’m glad I said yes! It’s a legitimately outstanding title, even as it dances with the cliches-of-the-day in today’s indie dev scene.
The central conceit is rather simple — it’s a city management sim handled through random card draws.
Players inhabit the role of Iris, the city’s AI in a near-future society. She works alongside her father, The Architect, to please four corrupt faction leaders currently running the city. Together, Iris and her father strive to make the world a better place while uncovering the corruption that surrounds them. It’s not a story that will shock anyone with its twists, but the fact the writing in a card-based management sim is good enough to be enthralled by is one hell of a trick.
Honestly, it would’ve been easy to simply not have a story at all, or it could have been something super bland, but instead I was foiling terrorists, trying to un-rig elections, deleting internet reviews for a terrible cabaret singer (yes, really) and meeting up with a hacktivist to screw over her corporate overlords. Every character boasts a distinct voice, and I appreciated how biting the script’s social commentary is. I genuinely wanted to see what happened next, even if, again, it’s nothing too surprising.
Now, the gameplay. Rather than only being able to build based on the current card hand available, Technotopia takes some notes from Tetris — or more accurately, it borrows a few shapes.
In order to get the most out of the city, a player has to arrange buildings into various shapes, which add massive bonuses — the fastest way to build up resources needed for each faction to stay functional, and racing against the clock is key here. While Technotopia can be played at a leisurely pace, every building placed moves an overall countdown one notch forward.
In addition to this clever formula, Technotopia will also throw moral quandaries at the player that can tip the scales between factions. Are the workers demanding riots? Call in the digital Pinkertons, hear them out, or automate the jobs with machines. There’s an athlete struggling in the ring? Maybe give him some dope, or stay out of it. What’s brilliant is that there’s no indication of what the outcome for each choice will be — players have to learn the hard way what the best course of action is, and sometimes there may be more than one worth contemplating.
All of this is bolstered with a wealth of new buildings to place as the campaign progresses and progress with the factions carries over between runs. I’m also grateful that story objectives don’t reset, so it’s feasible for everyone, not just min-maxing civic leaders, to actually see the story’s conclusion. Plus, as I progressed, I’d get access to key structures that made the overhead costs of resources much easier to manage for each faction. The persistent progress in Technotopia is well-done.
Truly, I’m stunned at how little I have to criticize. Probably my biggest issue would be that once I finished the campaign, there weren’t many achievements or bonus objectives to tackle. Some sort of random challenge modifiers or even a sandbox mode where players can tinker with things or design their ideal cities would be a welcome bit of variety, but this is such a minor point that it’s hardly worth mentioning.
As someone who predominantly plays games antithetical to this experience, the fact it blew me away should speak volumes on how confidently it presents itself. It’s by far one of the best things I’ve played this year, and it just works in a way that is almost magical when considering how many bigger titles have fumbled the fundamentals Technotopia handles with ease. Whether one loves or hates card-based games, this is one worth playing, hands down.
Final Score: 10 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed by Yustas and published by Alawar. It is currently available on PC. This copy of Technotopia was provided via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 3 hours were dedicated to the single-player campaign, as well an additional 2 hours in the post-campaign and it was completed.
Parents: This game is not rated by the ESRB, but contains Mild Violence and Suggestive References. This one is pretty safe when it comes to what’s depicted on-screen. There are references to terrorists, the mob, and at least two instances of murder, but it’s all purely through text, static images that obscure the actual violence, and vague references. It’s an otherwise relaxed, minimalist experience.
Colorblind modes: There are no colorblind modes available. This is accounted for with distinct silhouettes for each building type, varying substantially in height and design.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All in-game dialogue is delivered purely through text. It’s a reasonable experience to play without sound, and I would say that it’s fully accessible.
Remappable controls: No, the controls are not remappable controls. There are, however, both keyboard and mouse options, allowing it to be played one-handed with minimal movement.
- Star Wars: Episode One: Jedi Power Battles Review - April 10, 2025
- Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Review - April 1, 2025
- Metro Awakening Review - January 5, 2025
On one hand, I read this review and still really have no idea of how this game works or plays.
On the other hand, the starting (full) price is $5, so that’s a fair asking price to find out exactly what this is.