Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Dystopicon to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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Table of Contents
What is Dystopicon?
Dystopicon is a dark, political satire time management game where you watch TV to earn money to live. The game is out now on Steam, and there is a demo available to get you hooked.
Hook
You have been promoted to a second class citizen, and benefit from the perks that come with it. You get assigned a small apartment with a few luxuries you’ll need to pay for throughout your life here. Earn money by watching the different government approved programs, and use that money to make sure you are comfortable, fed, and an outstanding citizen. The more you prove yourself for to the nation, the more luxuries you get to enjoy. But there is something darker lurking in the shadows. This life is not as perfect as it may seem.
Will you do your part and be a good citizen, or will you let your curiosity take the better of you? You can always end it all early when you’ve had enough. This is your content warning.
Gameplay
Dystopicon is a unique take on the time management sim genre that has become popular in recent years. You sit in a room and try to manage the different meters. What makes the game unique is the narrative that builds around it, and how it forces players to make different choices to unlock the whole thing.
Watching TV
Players watch TV to earn money that they spend to use different amnesties, like buying food or turning on the heat. There are different channels a players can watch, and each channel earns money at a different rate. The TV can only be on for certain activities, and it becomes a game of flipping between the channels while you juggle the rest of your vitals. Each channel also has its drawback. The religion channel may earn you the most money, but it will bore you to death. The porn channel may keep you the most entertained, but you won’t be making any money. The way your prioritize each channel depends on the type of ending you want to get.
Vitals
There are four vitals you need to manage (five if you count money): health, hunger, comfort, and fun. Each meter slowly drains as you sit in your room, and certain activities manipulate their level. If you’re hungry, you eat. When you’re uncomfortable you turn on the heat. If you’re heath deteriorates take a shower. When you’re bored, watch porn. The more you play the game, the more you have to manage your vitals. How you go about it depends on the ending you want to get.
Your Apartment
Everything in this apartment costs money, from the shower to the sink and everything in between. As you play through the game, the game will distract you with different events. The police will come to ask you questions. There will be the occasional uprising outside your window. Your floor will become cluttered with your discarded food packages. You also have rats. Not only are you expected to watch TV to earn money, you have to be a good citizen and keep your apartment in working order. If you like management games, Dystopicon has a lot for you to manage.
Story
The story is what sets this game apart from other games in the genre. While other games have you build the best type of shop or some sort of village, this game asks you to optimize different activities to complete a story. The story is a solid piece of satire with some valid political commentary about a very scary yet possible future. It does not get preachy with its message, but it does get a little dark and one of the routes is suicide. There is a bit of drug use, so this is your second content warning.
Review
I didn’t know what to expect when I first received Dystopicon. I’ve a few management games before, and they are usually fun until the novelty wears off. I had to force myself away from Dystopicon because it was just too good. This game will make you forget time as you try click away at pixels trying to unlock more of the mystery. There is just so much going on, it is going to be hard to stick to only one playthrough. Check out the demo and see for yourself.
Aesthetic
The aesthetic isn’t anything too crazy. It looks like every other sim game that seems to be in vogue at the moment. However, the more you sit with this title, the more the art choice fits the tone of the game. The game is able to capture enough of the dark, dystopian tone without it becoming distracting. The cartoonish style makes some of the darker aspects of the game feel even more so.
Gameplay
The gameplay loop is addicting. The game starts slow, slowly adding new mechanics for the players to explore. There is a well paced ramp that slowly adds the chaos that makes a game like this as addicting as it is. What makes the game unique is how it doesn’t want you to optimize your actions to be the best at watching TV and falling in line, unless that is the type of ending you are working towards. Dystopicon is a game that lets players explore all choices in order to unlock the whole narrative. It is a unique take on the genre that I welcome, and a choice I really think pays off.
Narrative
I really like the dystopian satire that exists around this management sim. The more I got to explore, the more of the world I got to enjoy. I wouldn’t call it an award winning story, but it is a story that is relevant. Dystopicon is a story about choices, and how those choices affect how you fall in line within this society at the verge of something big. You will need to discover what that big thing is.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a management game and don’t feel like opening another store (not that there is anything wrong with those types of games), Dystopicon is exactly what you need. The game is simple with a neat story. The game does get a little dark, so you’ve been warned. All in all, I enjoyed it and I will be trying to collect a few more endings. You can pick up Dystopicon on Steam.