ShantyTown

This is very much a "what you see is what you get" kind of situation. ShantyTown is a light Puzzle game where you make dioramas of cramped urban spaces. If you watched either of the trailers, and thought, "damn. That looks pretty cool", then you'll probably enjoy the game. For those who're curious: the Puzzle side of things stems from how buildings upgrade. Each has a set of needs, and they upgrade into a much nicer looking building when all of their needs are met by surrounding additions to the diorama. As a quick example, most apartments require 3 lighting sources so adding windows, street lamps, or a nearby power pole will count toward turning them into a proper little apartment. It's super fun addition that helped to keep me engaged since I'm not personally as big on sandbox style creativity modes. Though, the game does have a sandbox mode if that's more your speed. Plus, there's a demo and your progress caries over so you can try ShantyTown out for yourself if you're at all curious. More at: https://frostilyte.ca/2026/08/12/shantytown-review/

10/10 would replay a 2nd time, wait, already doing it... more maps please!

[h1] Why you should or should not play ShantyTown [/h1] [b] Before You Read [/b] [i] Every review on my profile is based on my own personal experience with a game. My opinions aren't facts, and you're not expected to agree with them-and that's perfectly okay. My goal isn't to tell you whether you should like a game. Instead, I try to explain what worked for me, what didn't, and who I think the game might appeal to. Constructive discussion is always welcome, but please remember there's a real person behind these reviews. Respectful disagreements are encouraged; insults, hostility, or personal attacks are not. [/i] [b] What is ShantyTown? [/b] In this game your job is to revamp different areas of this new interesting world that has some different forms of interesting advertisement. [b] Quick Pros [/b] ✔ Satisfying progression system ✔ Unique mechanics ✔ Easy to learn controls ✔ Beautiful environments ✔ Strong visual style ✔ Detailed world design ✔ Smooth animations ✔ Creative art direction [b] Quick Cons [/b] ✘ Limited content [b] Initial Thoughts: [/b] -"I like this whale sign. I want one irl." -"What is this thing, I like it, I would have it as a pet, a walking advertisement? Cuteee." -"I really like how much freedom I have and that I can make this as messy or as neat as I want." [b] Beginner Player Friendly? [/b] Yes, I would argue this game is beginner player friendly. The controls are simple and everything is explained in the beginning tutorial of the game. [b] Game Play: [/b] In this game your goal is to revamp different areas on the map that you are working on. Build apartment complexs, but make sure they have all their needs and requirements met while also improving the general areas through decorating or advertisements which will increase the homes 'value'. This game is almost like a puzzle game in the sense that you are given a limited number of pieces and have to figure out where something goes before you will be able to get more. Explore all the different areas this game has to offer and figure out where every piece fits in this shanty town. [b] Graphics: [/b] The graphics are very simple and nice, there isnt to much crazy going on it suites the game very well. The buildings and decorations themselves are adorable and have a cartoony but realistic vibe making decorating fun and somewhat complex at the same time. Different objects actually have different designs and if you find yourself having a hard time of finding one you want all you have to do is right click your mouse and a different design of the same item will pop up. I believe that this game could run on lower end stystems. [b] Community: [/b] This game is farely new and not much of a community has formed yet, however, everyone seems to be very friendly and approachable in the steam forums and a few youtubers have made videos regarding this game that you could potentially check out for a helping hand. [b] How long can you play? [/b] In this game I already have around 2 hours and almost have completed the first map. I am unsure if there is more then one area as of yet so if there is only one map I will have completed this game in less then 3 hours. However if there is another map I can see the potential of having a few more hours of game play. There is also a free sandbox mode included in this game which makes it easy to have a bit more fun and a bit more game play if that is what you are into. [b] My Opinion: [/b] In my opinion this game is super fun and I really enjoy decoration style games that have a bit of a twist. I hope they add more content to this game in the future, like more decorations, maybe even the ability to decorate with animals (like making farms and such), or even just more of a painting style tool. I think however if you enjoy creating your own towns, you may enjoy this game. [b] Overall Review [/b] ★ 8/10 - A fun game where a balancing act can become your entire life. ✘ [b] Active Online Multiplayer [/b] [i] (meaning people will interact with you in game) [/i] ✔ [b] Family Friendly [/b] [i] (meaning friendly to all ages) [/i] ✔ [b] Solo Playability [/b] [i] (meaning you can play by yourself if preferred) [/i] ✘ [b] Cross Compatibility [/b] [i] (meaning you can play with friends through other consoles.) [/i] ✘ [b] In-App Purchases [/b] [i] (meaning you can buy things after buying the game i.e DLC's) [/i] ✔ [b] Controller Compatible [/b] [i] (meaning you can play this game with a controller) [/i] Enjoyed this review? Follow [i] Basement Broadcast[/i] for more Reviews, Rants and Replays! https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46018670/ [i] Any major edits that are made with this review will be added here: [/i]

I really enjoyed this game! There were a few things I found annoying (like being unable to move windows after you place them), but overall it was a very charming campaign. I have not started playing the creative mode as of writing my review, but I look forward to playing around with the cute set pieces with even less restrictions! I would replay the campaign again, but will definitely be in creative mode for a while. There is a good amount of creative freedom and quirky decor to make each build unique. 10/10!

finally...affordable housing.

Hope this game gets more levels. Id buy it on sale cause its pretty short.

The art style and music of this game fit together perfectly, and the amount of detail in these models, whether it be from tables to warehouses adds another level of immersion. The amount of different building objects that exist in this game allow for endless creation and variety in creating stackable cities, or night life neon flats. Only complaint is that the camera gets slightly buggy when more and more objects are added to the map. Otherwise, 10/10 experience. Highly recommend, even if not on sale.

This one is an excellent alternative to city builders with intricate mechanics and, nightmare fueling stakes, and massive scale. ShantyTown is also able to pull of a less formal decorator that invites imperfections and layouts that can make a little or as much logical sense as I want. The level objectives aren't oppressive and I often find myself completing the mission on accident. Looking forward to more support and added content.

There's nothing about this game I don't love, except that it needs even more challenge maps. I would happily pay again for even more maps to play.