As a fan of city-builders, I’ve come to find that there are different kinds out there. While a good majority of them seem to throw in challenges and build their game around unique ways to throw the player through some calamity, there are some that take the calm sandbox approach. In the case of OverSeer Games and Digital Reef Games latest underwater city-builder title, Aquatico, they seem to have taken the latter.

Given that this game takes place entirely underwater, I was expecting to face a variety of different issues, but that isn’t the case. So, before I get into the game itself, keep in mind that if you like your city-builders with random challenge events and hindrances to overcome, this might not be the game for you. Now, if you like city-building for the tycoon management elements, this is definitely an interesting game. Let’s divulge deeper.

Gameplay

Now that humanity is forced to live below the surface of the waves, the first thing we need to set up are tube-like pathways for various purposes. From there, you can set up more domes that can hold your different purposes. As you set up new domes and structures, you will need to make sure they are connected to your pipe network, so plan accordingly.

To expand on the different dome features, you can basically set up structure zones for people to be in. Whether you want to build mix-and-match domes that have different structures in them or be more focused with each dome having their own purpose is up to you. Structure options are a various as any other city-builder - you have restaurants, shops, storage facilities, electricity centers, and so on. Seeing how you need amenities to thrive, I do suggest keeping some mix-and-match options even in the more focused domes.

Along with building your structures, you can look around the land mass you are taking up for supplies. You’ll have plenty of time to do this seeing how when you set a building to be built, the building crew get on it and you, as the player, can do nothing but wait and watch. So, take your exploration crew out and find goods like underwater caverns, fish, sea cucumbers, and the various other wonders that can be found under the sea.

The core of the game is the management aspect, so once you start getting things where you like them, you can start getting a feel for the flow of the cities functionality. At the top of the screen, you can find the numbers that show your supply counts and when you highlight buildings you can check on their individual statuses. This means you can see what needs to be fixed, how your fuel levels are, if your electricity is functioning properly, and all the aspects that go into how well your people are living in this submerged city.

Audio and Visual

They did a good job with both aspects of this game giving it a nice, blue overview to really push the underwater aesthetic while the music did a good job keeping the player both relaxed and immersed in the environment. There are a lot of interesting things to look at through the game and if you enjoy the sights of underwater life, then you’ll be able to enjoy the scenery from the moment you load up the game. Neither aspect here is outstanding mind you, but they are nicely built to work together, providing a serene atmosphere with the view of the underwater environment.

Replayability

As long as you are enjoying the city-building management gameplay, then there is plenty of replayability to the game. You can build the city in different ways, you can see if you can make a better city with various changes, and the longer you play the more you can grow as a city. It isn’t all function and reason after all, they provide plenty of options for aesthetic and “because I wanted to” objects in the game to play with as well.

What It Could Have Done Better

There should always at least be the option for calamity in a city-builder game. Working with an underwater city, I expected something, but it seems they took the serene route of a management tycoon. This may not be the take that everybody would have, but sandbox building can only be fun for so long for many.

Some of the controls should be able to be switched a bit. While the game is fairly easy to control, some players’ common sense control options don’t line up with what they have here. For me, my main complaint is the camera control. The right click on the mouse is the obvious choice for me, but I couldn’t find a way to make the RMB turn the camera which would have made life easier for me under the sea.

Verdict

Aquatico is a solid, entertaining city-builder for those that prefer the sandbox tycoon management style! While there were some letdowns in what I was expecting from this game, it was fun to build my own little underwater city and explore the area around it. As far as a management tycoon game goes, this game does offer just about everything you’d want to see from an underwater-based city-builder, and so I would say that I recommend this title to anyone that wants to dive in with that concept in mind.

Aquatico is available now on PC via Steam.