The maker of this retro city builder wants to include events like bank robberies, police chases, and zombie outbreaks

GamesCity BuilderThe maker of this retro city builder wants to include events like bank robberies, police chases, and zombie outbreaksWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Yesbox Studios)

A retro pixelated city builder in isometric view

When I first saw isometric city builderMetropolis 1998back in January, it shot to the top of my wishlist because it lets youdesign and decorate every single building in your town. That’s awesome. It’s also oozing with pixelated charm thanks to the chunky retro graphics, making it feel like a nostalgic throwback but with modern features.

In exciting news for city builder fans, the demo for Metropolis 1998 was just updated to include five whole months of new features, so there’s lots more to play with. What’s got me especially interested is the development roadmap packed with features that are planned for the 1.0 launch, and some really interesting “aspirations” developer Yesbox Games hopes to include post-1.0.

Like, you know, bank robberies, police chases, and zombie outbreaks where tiny little cops will try to hold back itty bitty undead hordes.

Crime in the urban city builders I’ve played in the past usually happens offscreen. In Cities: Skylines, for example, I remember getting angry little crime icons over buildings or neighborhoods, with maybe a police car driving to the area with lights flashing until the icon goes away. But you never get to see anything go down. The “Post-1.0 Aspirations” of the Metropolis 1998 roadmap lists “visible crime” as a bullet point, letting you “watch a bank robbery” take place and see “police chases” where the coppers try to catch the crooks. That’s a lot more interesting than just seeing an icon come and go.

The 1.0 launch of Metropolis 1998 will also feature traditional disasters along the lines of other urban city builders, like earthquakes, tornados, and floods. But there are a few disasters that sound a bit extra on theroadmap, like a pandemic (not a zombie pandemic, a 2020 pandemic), recessions and depressions, and monopolies “squashing competition in specific industries.”

And one more aspirational feature I noticed: a “Sims-like mode” that will let you live in your own city. With bank robberies and zombie attacks, living in Metropolis 1998 sounds a bit dangerous. But it’s such a gorgeous looking game, I definitely want to build and decorate a house for myself and move right in.

As for the updated demo, it includes new animations, more variation in vehicle color, basic terrain modification, “potato” graphics mode, new activities for your simulated little citizens (like taking lunch breaks at work), and more. Hereare the patch notesfor the new demo, which I really recommend you download and try.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about city builderI played a whopping 23 city builders in 2024, and here are my 5 favoritesBest City Builder 2024: Manor LordsLatestCruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you deadSee more latest►

More about city builderI played a whopping 23 city builders in 2024, and here are my 5 favoritesBest City Builder 2024: Manor Lords

More about city builder

I played a whopping 23 city builders in 2024, and here are my 5 favoritesBest City Builder 2024: Manor Lords

A city near a waterfall

I played a whopping 23 city builders in 2024, and here are my 5 favorites

Best City Builder 2024: Manor Lords

LatestCruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you deadSee more latest►

Latest

Cruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you dead

Cruel

Cruel is a frantic run-and-gun shooter where you boot cultists out of windows in a cursed apartment block that wants you dead

See more latest►

Most Popular

My Summer Car, the absurdly detailed Finnish life sim about vehicle maintenance and drinking in your underpants, smashes into 1.0 after nearly a decade in Steam early access

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

Lords of the Fallen publisher embraces fear of the DEI boogeyman, says it will not include ‘any social or political agendas’ in its games

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video

Square Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fans

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals