Epic City Builder 4

While I picked it up on discount, I took a quick look and while there is an attempt at some depth over all it seems quite simplistic, so I have requested a refund. I would have been happy enough if it was at 80% discount but as the project stands it should still be in EA. Dev still seems active, So there is hope things will improve, but has been at it for years so I am not so sure it will ever be worth the price tag.

Epic City Builder 4 is an expansive indie city-building and nation-management simulator developed and published by Andrew Rowe that aims far beyond the traditional boundaries of the genre. Instead of asking players to perfect a single metropolis, the game challenges them to oversee an entire country made up of multiple cities, towns, and regions, all interconnected through economics, infrastructure, and policy. From the very beginning, it is clear that Epic City Builder 4 is driven by ambition, seeking to blend classic city construction with broader systems such as national governance, trade, and diplomacy. Gameplay begins on procedurally generated maps that encourage organic development rather than rigid layouts. You start with a small settlement and gradually expand outward, zoning residential, industrial, and commercial areas while providing essential services like power, water, healthcare, and education. These familiar city-building elements are layered with more complex systems that operate at a national level, including taxation policies, laws, and large-scale economic planning. Decisions made at the top can have far-reaching consequences, influencing everything from citizen happiness and population growth to industrial productivity and trade efficiency. One of the defining strengths of Epic City Builder 4 is its emphasis on interconnected systems. Cities are not isolated entities; instead, they function as parts of a larger economic machine. Resource-rich towns can supply raw materials to industrial centers, which in turn fuel commercial hubs and generate tax revenue. Transportation networks and logistics play an important role in keeping these systems efficient, and poorly planned connections can quickly lead to bottlenecks or economic stagnation. Watching these relationships evolve over time provides a strong sense of progression and rewards careful, long-term planning. Beyond city management, the game introduces elements of national governance that add strategic depth. You can enact laws that affect labor, taxation, and public services, shaping the identity of your nation and influencing how citizens and industries respond. Trade and diplomacy with other nations add an external dimension, creating opportunities for economic growth or conflict depending on how aggressively or cooperatively you choose to play. While these systems are not as deeply simulated as those in dedicated grand strategy games, their inclusion broadens the scope and reinforces the idea that you are managing more than just streets and buildings. Visually, Epic City Builder 4 adopts a functional, old-school presentation that prioritizes information over spectacle. The graphics are simple and utilitarian, which helps keep the focus on systems and data but can also make the experience feel dated. The user interface, while serviceable, often requires patience, as managing multiple cities and switching between different layers of information can feel cumbersome. For players accustomed to modern, streamlined city builders, this lack of polish may initially be jarring, though familiarity does improve usability over time. The pacing of the simulation can vary significantly depending on how large your nation becomes. Early stages feel manageable and engaging, but as populations grow and cities multiply, performance and micromanagement demands can increase. Late-game play often requires frequent adjustments to budgets, zoning, and infrastructure, which may appeal to players who enjoy detailed oversight but feel tedious to those who prefer more automated systems. The game’s ambition occasionally outpaces its refinement, resulting in moments where mechanics feel underexplained or inconsistently balanced. Despite these rough edges, Epic City Builder 4 offers a level of freedom that is rare in the genre. There are few hard constraints on how you develop your nation, allowing for experimentation with different economic models, urban layouts, and policy approaches. Whether you aim to build a sprawling industrial powerhouse, a service-oriented economic hub, or a balanced federation of specialized cities, the game provides the tools to pursue those goals. This sandbox nature is one of its greatest strengths, especially for players who enjoy shaping complex systems over long play sessions. In the end, Epic City Builder 4 is a game defined by scope and intent rather than polish. It is clearly the product of a singular vision, packed with ideas that sometimes stretch the limits of execution but nonetheless offer a compelling management experience. For players who appreciate deep simulation, nation-scale planning, and the charm of ambitious indie projects, it can be a rewarding and absorbing experience. Those seeking slick presentation or tightly focused mechanics may find it challenging, but for fans of sprawling, systems-driven city builders, Epic City Builder 4 stands as a bold and distinctive entry in the genre. Rating: 6/10

Not too shabby of a game. Graphics are weak, but it's not too bad otherwise

Nice game. but the tutorial doesn`t help much... sucks actually, Plus to make things worse, I can Trade certain items that i have little on... but the ones i have lots on i cant even sell.. the button wont work.. kind of a disappointment would have hoped that the mechanics big time for "trading" since that`s a key part of i don`t know a country. you would think the dev`s would have made sure it was either player friendly or work..

Très agréable city builder, original avec production, commerce et même diplomatie. Il est satisfaisant de voir sa ville et ses batiments se moderniser avec le temps.

Vorweg: Das Spiel ist derzeit im Early-Access Status und entsprechend noch nicht fertig/hat kleine Macken. Wer sowas nicht möchte, sollte sich (noch) nicht für das Spiel entscheiden. Positiv: - es gibt einen Forschungsbaum - das Spiel ist bereits sehr gut für Early-Access - es gibt schon eine gute Auswahl an Gebäuden Negativ: - kleine Fehler, z.B. die Terrainbearbeitung - Finanzen sind derzeit noch sehr undurchsichtig - es wäre hilfreich entweder im Tutorial oder im Tooltip zu sagen, warum man etwas nicht bauen kann Fazit: Ich finde das Spiel bereits spielenswert. Es gibt keine Spielzerstörenden Bugs. Ich schätze die Zeit, die ich das Spiel spielen werde, auf ca. 10-15 Stunden.

Looks bad, runs worse.

All of the other reviews are correct. Saying anything more would be a waste of my time. Would not recommend.

Epic City Builder 4 is an epic game about city building, the 4th one.

A really nice little building game with some quirks. You are in charge of a small state and can build multiple cities. Smaller ones to provide ressources and food and a huge capital with your main exporting industries. The game also features some nation and city wide edicts, taxes and stuf reminding a bit of Citystate even when the edicts and such are mostly of economical than social nature. The graphics are nice and the OST is good. All mechanics work pretty well even when everything is a bit unpolished. Only real downside for me is, that the cities are overall too small. You need to use pretty much every available space if you aim to build every possible industry.. even in the initally huge capital map you'll run out of space to build nice. Overall a solid 6,5/10 and everyone who likes games like Citystate, the older SimCity Games and the like should have a look!