Ratopia

Ratopia is a new city builder game that puts you in charge of a bustling rat civilization. As the mayor of this vibrant rodent metropolis, you must keep your ratizens happy by providing jobs, services, and policies to improve their lives. With charming visuals and addictive gameplay, Ratopia stands out in the crowded city builder genre.

An Economic Hub of Enterprise

One of Ratopia's strongest elements is its economic system. Each ratizen is an individual agent with their own wealth and characteristics. There's no free ride in this rat city - every citizen must work to earn their keep. As mayor, you'll need to provide a variety of jobs to keep your laborers employed and generating tax revenue. From gleaning cheese in the dairy farms to crafting gadgets in factories, your industrious rats will stay busy growing the city's coffers. Just don't work them too hard, or you may face strikes and unrest!

The economic complexity doesn't end there. You can also send ratizens on expeditions to uncover rare treasures and materials for crafting powerful relics. These relics provide boons like increased warehouse storage or higher happiness, giving you more tools to create a prosperous rat paradise.

Inventive Policies for Better or Worse

Crafting policies and laws is one of the most creative parts of Ratopia. Want all your ratizens to work tirelessly, maximizing productivity at the cost of happiness? Enact the "No Rest for the Weary" policy. Prefer a more relaxed, carefree society? Pass "Shorter Work Days" to give your rats more leisure time. There are many, many options to tinker with, letting you shape Ratopia however you see fit.

Some policies can backfire, however, leading to unpredictable chaos. If you're not careful, you may end up with rampant crime, disease outbreaks, or angry protests on your hands! It's up to you to enact the right policies at the right time to maintain order and satisfaction in your ratty metropolis.

Venture into the Rat Underworld

When you need a break from mayorly duties, you can embark on expeditions into the rat underworld. These Roguelike dungeon dives have you battling monsters, dodging traps, and uncovering treasures left behind by ancient rats. The loot you discover can then be used back in your city above ground.

The procedurally generated underworld provides excellent replay value, with new challenges to overcome each time you delve below. It also features a unique progression system - the deeper you go, the greater the rewards. But you must be cautious, as terrifying apex predators lurk in the darkest depths.

Overall, the underground expeditions add exciting variety to the gameplay loop. They provide a nice change of pace from the relaxing city building on the surface.

Review: 8/10

With fun economic gameplay, dynamic policymaking, and thrilling underground adventures, Ratopia brings together the best parts of the city builder genre into one charming package. The cute ratizens scurrying around recall classics like Critter Mound, but with greater depth and challenge. For fans of the genre, Ratopia is a must-buy.

Pros:

• Addictive economic gameplay with working ratizens
• Creative policymaking that shapes your city
• Roguelike underground expeditions provide replayability

Cons:

• Graphics and gameplay are simple, lacking complexity
• Disasters from policies can be frustrating
• Expedition dungeons become repetitive over time