City-builders have been a consistent part of the gaming space for decades, with franchises like SimCity and Civilization showcasing all sorts of approaches to the underlying mechanics of community construction. For certain players, the required strategy and mentality behind these kinds of games can provide a greater sense of accomplishment than any gunfight or sword duel. Given the scope of the citybuilder genre, some of the best modern examples are the ones that find unique ways to play with tone and style.
Dotemu and Triskell Interactive’s upcoming Theos: City of Myths is joining the field with some fun little touches, using approachable gameplay and charming visuals to deliver a deceptively easy (and surprisingly complex) take on the formula. The demo for the game, which was made available to members of the media, showcases a cute approach that might not be perfected but has a lot of great potential. With a godly upgrade that adds some additional layers to the city construction gameplay, Theos: City of Myths might become a new favorite for strategy game fans.
Functionally similar to other city-building games like Anno 117: Pax Romana, Theos: Cities of Myth separates itself by leaning more into the culture of the Greek Gods and how the supernatural forces can impact how players approach the development of their cities. Gameplay will be largely familiar to players who have experience with the genre, albeit with the added element of paying homage and tribute to specific members of the Pantheon and receiving specific advantages in return. Players expand their settlements, procure resources, and develop upgrades that are befitting their underlying assignments. Building on 2023’s Pharaoh: A New Era, Theos shifts the player’s focus from ancient Egypt to classical Greece and has a lot of fun with the change in focus.
The game is very much designed as a successor to city builders like Civilization or The Settlers, with gameplay following players as they expand their small communities into larger cities. Players will begin by constructing a small community that, with craft, care, and a bit of luck, can grow to become a major City-State within the ancient Greek world. The challenge comes with different scenarios that increase the challenge for players, tasking them with specific requirements and goals while expanding their new city. Gameplay is simplified enough to make it easy to learn, with the growth of properties and the prosperity of the community depending on the player’s design of the city.
While the automatic walking paths can be somewhat buggy and some of the later missions still feel a little glitchy, there’s a certain undeniable charm to the game’s presentation that goes a long way towards making the entire experience feel fun. The citizens of your city are just cartoonish enough to stand out against the rest of the world, living their lives in little snapshots that the player can watch as the city grows. While the actual moment-to-moment gameplay may become more complex, it remains rewarding to see your hard work transform a small community into a bustling city.
The thing that helps separate Theos from other city-building games is the focus on the Greek pantheon. Selecting one of the gods will unlock certain advantages, making it important for players to pick the deity that most aligns with their preferred gameplay style. In the demo given to members of the media, Theos showcased this mechanic by making players a patron of Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom and War provides certain buffs and advantages that reflect specific playstyles, leaning heavily into the importance of philosophers and culture.
The trailer and other promotional material for the game highlight how other deities may come into play — Poseidon can look out for cultures that make seafaring a key part of their identity, while Hermes will be a favorite for merchants who prefer trading for resources over cultivating them all on their own. Players will be able to choose between seven different deities as their benefactors, with their choice offering up new avenues for gameplay and giving players plenty of reason to revisit the game for a new perspective. There are even potential conflicts that could evolve between the player’s city and other communities that follow other gods.
Like the rest of the game, the cartoonish art design lends itself well to the Pantheon and the various Greek characters that appear in the gameplay, lending the entire experience a charming exterior. While the game is still in the early stages, and Triskell Interactive still has plenty of work to do to get the game complete, there’s a lot of charm baked into the city-builder to help it stand out from the competition. For newbies and veterans of the genre alike, Theos: Cities of Myth could be a great addition to the long legacy of city-builders.
