AdvertCity
A cyberpunk business sim about selling ads in a dystopian city.
VoxelStorm both developed and published AdvertCity, a business simulation game set in a dystopian cyberpunk city. Released on April 17, 2015, it is available for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and OS X. Players become an advertising magnate in this futuristic environment.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- VoxelStorm
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Linux
- OS X
- Released
- 17 April 2015
- Genre
- Tycoon game
- Modes
- Single-player
- Programmer
- Eugene Hopkinson, John Turner
- Composer
- Alexandre Caelles, Dorian Pilato
Facts from the source article.
Development
Development began when an early version was built in 7 days for the 2014 Cyberpunk Game Jam. After positive feedback, the developers continued work for a full-scale release. The game sought crowdfunding via Kickstarter on 25 March 2014, was fully funded on the second day, and was overfunded by 373% at its conclusion. AdvertCity was submitted to Steam Greenlight during its Kickstarter in 2014 and was greenlit after an unusually long delay in April 2015.
It entered closed beta testing after the Kickstarter, with the final release announced on 17 April 2015; by June it had appeared on Steam and other stores. Every city is procedurally generated, positioned on a procedurally generated landscape that the city conforms to and evolves around. The developers rejected the SIGGRAPH 2001 paper by Parish and Muller and L-systems, finding them unsuited to cities. Instead, the system uses maps calculated on a mix of realtime procedural projection and cached data about population layouts and terrain features, generating larger cities faster than L-systems.
The generator is an object-oriented system of roads, junctions, and buildings that adjust on the fly, allowing roads to meet, cross, branch, fork, and degenerate from paved roads to footpaths as appropriate for terrain or other features.
Reception
AdvertCity received mixed reviews from critics. From its initial alpha launch, it drew comment for its stark, hyper-stylized aesthetic. Critics frequently praised the dark neo-noir cyberpunk aesthetic and tone, describing the vision of cyberspace as Gibson-inspired. Reviewers appreciated the dystopian bleakness, noting that adverts are the only splashes of colour on the cold, uniform city, and praised the surreal building-linked conception of cyberspace.
The dark, cynical sense of humour was also praised. Interest was expressed in the Oculus Rift support included from the alpha stage. Common complaints included the high difficulty and steep learning curve at the start, as well as the disorientating interface and immutable fast pace. The developers cited Dwarf Fortress as an inspiration.
The game drew praise for its high-performing engine, with minimum CPU requirements stated as 'Anything made since 2004' and support for Windows XP. Critics praised the 'cyber-jazz' soundtrack for its postrock, jazz, and glitch qualities and how it backs the player's every move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for AdvertCity?
The music for AdvertCity was composed by Alexandre Caelles and Dorian Pilato.
Is AdvertCity single-player or multiplayer?
AdvertCity offers single-player play.
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