NecroCity is a hybrid strategy game developed by Shift Games and published by Gameparic, Games Incubator, and PlayWay S.A., combining city-building mechanics with real-time strategy and tower defense elements. Set in a dark fantasy world populated by skeletons, necromancers, and undead creatures, the game places players in the unusual role of defending an evil empire rather than fighting against it. Instead of heroic knights and noble kingdoms, the player commands the forces of darkness, constructing fortified settlements and repelling waves of invading “good” heroes determined to purge the undead from the land. This inversion of the usual fantasy narrative gives the game a playful sense of humor and helps establish its distinctive identity.
The story follows a young undead prince who happens to be the younger brother of the powerful Lich King. Eager to prove himself worthy of his family’s legacy, the prince is assigned the task of expanding and defending territories on the edge of the undead kingdom. While the prince possesses ambition and enthusiasm, he lacks experience, and much of the campaign revolves around his attempts to learn the art of leadership while facing increasingly dangerous attacks from human crusaders and adventurers. The narrative is delivered through light dialogue and mission briefings that emphasize a slightly comedic tone, presenting the undead not as terrifying monsters but as quirky characters trying to maintain their homeland.
Gameplay centers on constructing and maintaining an undead settlement while preparing defenses against repeated waves of enemies. At the heart of every mission lies the Ziggurat, a central structure that acts as the main base and the most important building in the settlement. If this structure is destroyed, the player loses the mission, making its protection a constant priority. Around this core structure, players expand their settlement by constructing various buildings that produce resources, house skeletal workers, or provide military and defensive capabilities.
Resource management plays a crucial role in maintaining the undead economy. Instead of conventional materials like wood or stone, the game introduces resources such as bones, ore, and souls, which are harvested by skeletal laborers scattered throughout the map. These materials are required to construct buildings, create defenses, and recruit units to defend the settlement. Because resource nodes are often limited and scattered across the map, players must carefully plan their expansion in order to secure enough materials to sustain their growing base.
The building system offers a variety of structures designed to support both economic growth and military defense. Residential buildings provide housing for the undead workforce, while specialized facilities generate energy needed to power more advanced structures. Obelisks can be constructed to expand the area where new buildings can be placed, allowing players to extend their territory outward and access new resource locations. This layered system encourages thoughtful planning, as inefficient layouts or poorly protected resource areas can leave the base vulnerable during enemy assaults.
Combat combines tower defense mechanics with real-time strategy elements. Players can construct defensive towers, magical traps, and fortified walls that slow down or damage approaching enemies. These defenses can be positioned strategically to funnel attackers into narrow paths where they become easier targets. In addition to static defenses, skeletal workers can be converted into soldiers who fight directly against enemy forces. These units wield various weapons and help reinforce defensive lines when waves of enemies begin to overwhelm the base.
Enemy attacks occur periodically throughout each mission, arriving in waves from different directions across the map. This structure creates constant pressure, forcing players to divide their attention between expanding their economy and strengthening their defenses. The unpredictability of attack routes often requires players to adapt quickly by repositioning units or constructing additional defenses in vulnerable areas.
Another interesting element of the game is the system that allows players to modify and enhance their defensive structures. Towers and magical abilities can be upgraded with various modifications that change how they function during combat. Some upgrades allow projectiles to bounce between enemies, while others introduce effects such as poison damage or life-stealing magic. These customization options encourage players to experiment with different defensive setups and discover strategies that work best against specific enemy types.
Throughout the campaign, players also encounter special undead heroes who possess unique abilities that can influence battles dramatically. These characters bring additional personality to the game and can be deployed during difficult moments to turn the tide of battle. Their abilities range from powerful attacks to support spells that strengthen nearby units or weaken enemy forces. Using these heroes effectively becomes an important part of surviving later missions where enemy waves grow larger and more dangerous.
Visually, NecroCity embraces a stylized and colorful art direction that balances dark fantasy themes with a playful presentation. Although the setting revolves around necromancy and undead armies, the overall aesthetic avoids excessive grimness. Skeleton workers shuffle around the base performing their duties, ghostly characters float across the battlefield, and magical effects flash brightly during combat. The environments themselves feature varied landscapes such as eerie forests, rocky terrain, and cursed plains that reinforce the fantasy atmosphere.
The game’s soundtrack complements this setting with atmospheric music that mixes mysterious tones with energetic battle themes. During quieter moments of base construction, the music maintains a calm and eerie ambiance, while combat sequences introduce more dramatic compositions that emphasize the urgency of defending the settlement. Sound effects for magical attacks, skeletal movements, and enemy assaults help bring the battlefield to life.
Despite its creative concept and genre-blending mechanics, the game has a few shortcomings. One of the most common criticisms involves the repetitive structure of the missions. Because many levels revolve around the same loop of building defenses and surviving waves of enemies, the gameplay can begin to feel predictable after extended play sessions. While new upgrades and heroes add some variety, the overall mission structure changes very little as the campaign progresses.
Another limitation is the relatively confined scale of the maps. Because each mission takes place in a fairly small environment with limited resources, players may find it difficult to experiment with large or elaborate base designs. The strategic possibilities are somewhat restricted compared to more expansive city-building or real-time strategy titles.
Even with these issues, NecroCity offers an enjoyable experience for players who appreciate defensive strategy and base management. Its unusual perspective of playing as the “villain” faction adds charm and humor to the campaign, and the combination of city-building and tower defense mechanics creates a gameplay loop that can be satisfying when everything works together.
Overall, NecroCity is an interesting attempt to merge several strategy subgenres into a single experience. While its mission design and limited scale may prevent it from achieving the depth of larger strategy games, its creative premise and accessible gameplay make it an entertaining option for fans of tower defense and management hybrids. Players looking for a strategy game with a dark fantasy twist and a focus on defensive planning will likely find it a worthwhile addition to their library.
Rating: 6/10
