Hacker News front pageAlex Lingris3 min readintro
City building games have a Soul Problem pt.2
Summary
The author argues that modern city-building games, specifically Cities: Skylines 2, lack "soul" due to overly sterile and uniform aesthetics. They propose adding organic shapes, subtle imperfections, and visual cues for urban decay to enhance realism and immersion.
- Game aesthetics often feature unnatural, perfectly square surfaces lacking organic blending.
- Cities appear "neurotically clean," missing realistic wear, dirt, and atmospheric grit.
- Games often omit common urban elements like stairs, potholes, trash, and graffiti.
- Procedural generation results in uniform, manicured organic shapes instead of natural variation.
Game developers and players of city-building simulations should care about these aesthetic critiques, as they highlight opportunities to create more immersive and visually communicative virtual cities.
6/10
