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# Dystopika Is A Cyberpunk City-Builder*
- URL: https://aftermath.site/dystopika-cyberpunk-city-builder-pc/
- Published: 2024-06-28T13:57:09.000Z
- Updated: 2025-10-27T17:14:34.000Z
- Author: Luke Plunkett
- Tags: Impressions, Video Games, city-builder, cyberpunk, Dystopika, indie, pc, steam, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-10-27 13:00

I had big plans for last weekend. I was going to reinstall *Wolfenstein* and blast some Nazis. I was going to try out *F1 24*. I was going to maybe even dabble in some *Civilization*, because *VII*'s reveal has it on my mind. Instead, my free time ended up getting blindsided by something else entirely: a cyberpunk city-builder\* called *Dystopika*.

\* Note: it is not the kind of city-builder the existing genre would have you assume. You do build a city here, yes, but...that's all there is.[ *Dystopika*](https://dystopika.com/?ref=aftermath.site)is more like [*Tiny Glade*](https://aftermath.site/tiny-glade-is-a-lovely-stress-free-builder/), *Townscaper* or[ *Summerhouse*](https://aftermath.site/summerhouse-steam-game-architecture/)than *Cities: Skylines*. You're given a blank, very dark canvas and are left to "paint" yourself a city, dropping certain types of buildings here, and others there. Drop enough of them, or do enough with the ones you drop, and you can unlock some more stuff.

You can adjust the height of buildings, add decorative effects (like neon lights and huge billboards), adjust the weather and time of day, and take some very nice photos. And that's it! There are no budgets, no rules, no emergencies to deal with, no sewerage links or power lines to bother you.*Dystopika* is, despite its lack of challenge or variety, a wonderful timesink.

What few tools it *does* give you are enough to conjure a megalopolis out of nothing, but alongside those sweeping gestures it's also able to provide hours upon hours of meditative honing as you zoom in to see tiny flying cars buzzing around and delicately place holographic adverts and landing pads on rooftops, as though you were holding a tiny pair of tweezers.

While its ease of use and freedom of expression are hallmarks, another star of *Dystopika* might be its soothing *Lo-Fi Beats To Blade Runner To* soundtrack, which complements the "action" perfectly. Listen to the music in the vid above, it just hums along like this *forever*, it's lovely.

As superficial as it is, *Dystopika* is still a really good cyberpunk game, if only because--unlike, say, *Cyberpunk 2077*, which was burdened with having to reconcile the genre's aesthetics (mission accomplished) with its subject matter (eeehhh)--this is just zeroing in on the former without even bothering to deal with the latter.

Which is great! I absolutely do not want to play an actual cyberpunk city-builder. This is not a fictional space known for its strong central services and tax revenue! Focusing solely on the aesthetics and allowing us to do nothing else but swim in the vibes is just fine, thank you.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/30/f5/30f5b1bb-84ee-4c26-b446-fb9a5e512994/content/images/2025/10/20240622145552_1-1.jpg)