Ballads of Hongye

“Gorgeous” doesn’t even begin to describe the breathtaking take on city-building games that is Ballads of Hongye. This unique tycoon game will have you building a prosperous Chinese-themed village with a roguelite twist, as most of the starting features of your settlement are completely randomized.

Perhaps one of the most impressive features of the game – other than its impressive visuals – is just how innovative most of the city-building elements can be. Ballads of Hongye takes a familiar genre and turns it into a sublime version of itself – a feat that will surprise even the most seasoned veterans of the city-building genre.

Save Hongye

Instead of being a game like Cities Skylines – where the narrative is minimal, to say the least – Ballads of Hongye features a fully-fledged story mode that will guide you through some of the decisions you make in the game.

You begin the game as a governor appointed by the Emperor of China to save the town of Hongye. This village has long fallen in disrepair due to some incompetent rulers and some other natural factors. It’s no easy task, but luckily for you, you’ll have some help by your side.

Following a similar path to the Tropico series, Ballads of Hongye introduces an advisor system to keep you company as you rule over Hongye. As long as you keep your advisors happy, they’ll prove to be an invaluable help in governing the many aspects of your town.

It wouldn’t be a proper city-building game without some random disasters that hinder your progress every time you think you’re doing well. Ballads of Hongye have some impressive natural disasters that range from forestal fires to droughts, and even famines. Keep your town happy, but also keep a watchful eye for disasters if you wish your town to prosper.

Gorgeous Scenery

At first glance, Ballads of Hongye is one of the prettiest city-building games out there by a long mile. The Chinese aesthetic, coupled with some clever design decisions, makes the game look pretty while only using a negligible amount of resources on your PC.

Still, don’t expect this game to look gorgeous at no cost. You’ll still need a somewhat beefy rig if you wish to run this game with all of its graphical complexity. That said, the visual experience is definitely worth it.

Even outside of the 3D landscapes, Ballads of Hongye still features some great 2D art that blends perfectly with the rest of the game. Your advisors, for example, a rendered in 2D in a pseudo-anime art style that looks great and adds a comical relief to the rest of the game.

For an indie title, the amount of content in Ballads of Hongye is simply astounding. Even veterans of the genre might find some elements that might surprise them in this solid title, not to mention that the visuals alone are enough to draw some players into the mystical world of Ballads of Hongye.

Pros

• Jaw-dropping visuals that go amazingly well with the Chinese aesthetic
• Solid mechanics that are easy to understand for players of any skill level
• Entertaining plot and characters

Cons

• The UI might look a bit complex for some players
• Some optimization issues, especially on low and mid-end PCs