Aquatico: An underwater city-builder and colony sim
Aquatico is an underwater city-builder game developed by Overseer Games. In this game, players are tasked with building a thriving colony underwater. The main focus of the game is to ensure the survival of the inhabitants, who have limited resources due to their underwater environment. Unlike other city-building games, Aquatico does not feature any underwater threats or monsters.
The gameplay of Aquatico is reminiscent of popular games like Subnautica, where players can build structures in an underwater environment. However, as players delve deeper into the game, they will find similarities with strategy games like Cities Skylines and earlier Tropico games.
One of the key features of Aquatico is the ability to build within underwater domes. Players start with basic technology and gradually progress towards advanced buildings and technology. However, the early game can be challenging as balancing colony growth and inhabitant survival is difficult. The game also follows a similar worker model to the Tropico games, where most inhabitants are initially useless and need to be trained or conscripted.
While Aquatico offers a unique underwater theme, it lacks focus at times. The game transitions from a colony survival game to a Tropico-like game, and eventually becomes more akin to Cities Skylines. Some players may find this lack of focus frustrating. Additionally, the game does not fully utilize its underwater theme, missing opportunities for awe-inspiring visuals and unique gameplay elements.
In summary, Aquatico is a challenging city-builder and colony sim that will appeal to fans of strategy games. It offers enjoyable survival-sim elements and provides a decent gameplay experience. However, it falls short in fully utilizing its underwater theme and lacks a clear focus in its gameplay.
