Review: Town to City

Painting cities, drawing comfort.

Town to City is one of those rare city builders that doesn’t just try to simulate urban growth; it wants you to feel the city. The game embraces a charming voxel aesthetic, almost like observing a massive Minecraft-like structure from afar, blended with the artisanal touch of a hand-painted artwork. The premise is simple and at the same time enchanting: building the perfect city to live in, not in the utilitarian sense of real metropolitan centers, but as a kind of comfortable, welcoming and visually delightful utopia.

In the very first hours, the game makes it clear who its audience is: players who enjoy contemplating, planning calmly, and watching their city grow not as a technical blueprint, but as a living work of art.

GAMEPLAY

The great magic of Town to City lies in how you interact with the map. Unlike traditional city builders that force the player to follow grids and rigid streets, here you paint the paths. It is that simple: click, drag, and the game understands that this is where the road should appear.

This mechanic, which seems simple on paper, completely changes the feeling of creation. Instead of assembling a city, you paint one. This makes the process intimate, organic and almost therapeutic. It is as if each stroke were an artistic gesture, blending perfectly with the game’s blocky visual style.

Building structures is another absolute highlight. The animations, perhaps the most beautiful the genre has seen in years, fit so well into the voxel aesthetic that it becomes hard not to stop for a few seconds just to appreciate the appearance of a new house or monument. Every small construction detail seems designed to reinforce the feeling that the city is alive.

Management and progression

As you build houses, you need to assign families, each with its own decoration demands, population density and economic impact. The economy works through themed markets, such as a bird market, a cheese market and others unlocked through future research. It is a charming touch that replaces the generic supermarkets of other simulators.

There are elements reminiscent of classics like Caesar and SimCity. When clicking on warehouses, you can view the flow of goods, transportation and distribution between markets, a nostalgic yet modernized system.

Progression and mid game

Progression is entirely organic. The game introduces each mechanic slowly, letting the player gradually absorb themes such as population happiness, urban density, public services and territorial expansion.

There is one point worth noting: in the mid game, progression may slow down a bit. This does not harm the experience, but it does demand more patience during research advancement, construction of new areas and meeting the people’s needs.

Over time, the need to expand to other cities on the world map emerges. Each city fulfills a logistical role that supports the others, creating an interconnected system of production and requirements.

The only criticism here is the transition time between cities, which can be a bit slow even when using a fast SSD.

Increasing complexity

As your city levels up, new layers of difficulty arise: public services, more complex routes, population demands and advanced research systems. None of this is presented as punishment; it is a natural progression that makes the management deeper and more rewarding.

The game often gives that delicious feeling that you are capable of going further than you imagined.

VISUALS AND SOUND

The voxel art style is beautiful. There is something magical about watching your city grow as if it were a work of art built brick by brick. Many times the game seems hand-painted, and its cozy aesthetic creates an atmosphere that matches its relaxing proposal.

It is the kind of game where you can stop for a few minutes just to admire what you have built.

SOUND TRACK

Partly composed by Paul Albry, the soundtrack is one of the game's strongest points. It is calm, sweet, urban and gentle, delivering exactly the feeling of journey and discovery the game promises. The music never distracts; it embraces, sets the mood and carries the soul of the game.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The achievements in Town to City are integrated into the gameplay and scale as you progress. They reward actions like reaching new city levels, building specific monuments, completing missions, expanding into new cities and maintaining high happiness rates.

Nothing feels forced or grindy. The achievements celebrate your journey and your building style.

TRAILER OFFICIAL

FINAL THOUGHTS

Town to City is more than a beautiful city builder; it is a manifesto of creative freedom. The decision not to limit the player to rigid grids may influence the genre going forward. Building freely makes each city unique, personal and almost handcrafted.

The game draws inspiration from the right places, blending the historical magic of Caesar, the pleasant contemplation of SimCity, and the artistic touch of modern voxel games. Even with small areas to improve, such as mid game slowdowns and intercity transitions, none of it harms the overall experience.

Town to City is a must-play for city builder fans and highly recommended for anyone who wants to relax, create, imagine and simply admire their own work coming to life.

Review by Gamertag: Scoulz

SCORE: 89/100