Building simulation is among the more common genres when it comes to mobile games. Whether you want to build your dream city or a paradise island in the middle of the Caribbean, the app stores have a wide variety of options to satisfy your demands.
However, that also means that if a city builder wants to set itself apart from the rest of the pack, it has to offer something the others don’t, something that makes players want to come back for more. Fortunately, Pixel People has just that.
Pixel People Trailer
A familiar name
If the name ‘Pixel People’ sounds familiar to you, that’s because it was an outstanding game that came out all the way back in 2013. While the game was later removed from the app stores, developer Lamb Damu has now decided to remake it from scratch, meaning what we have here is essentially a brand new game. Yes, that also means you won’t be able to use your old save file if you have one, but the important thing is, this excellent city builder has now returned.
The gameplay
The entirety of Pixel People revolves around building a utopia of your own in space. But of course, that’s easier said than done. There are plenty of issues that you must deal with, such as how to have more people and more jobs. The solution? Just simply clone them!
You can unlock more jobs by combining 2sets of genetic materials. For example, if you put a Deputy and a Mayor together, you get a Secretary.
The game features a whopping 150 different occupations, so discovering them all will involve a lot of experimenting with the gene pools. As you do so, you’ll also unlock some buildings and come across a couple of minigames. So, unlike many other games of this genre, building a prosperous city is not about how much real money you’re willing to spend, but how creative you are with all the genre-mixing.
How fun is it?
Quite often you’ll still have to sit around and wait for timers to tick up while building a new structure or creating a new clone, but then again, any city builder is like that, so if that isn’t your cup of tea, then maybe this entire genre isn’t for you.
On the other hand, if you have enough patience and a strong desire to create a magnificent space city, then Pixel People is the perfect game for you! The graphics alone are already captivating enough, and with a seemingly endless number of new jobs to unlock, you’ll find it incredibly hard to put down.
But that is actually not the most praiseworthy thing about Pixel People. I have played my fair share of building simulators and they all have some addictive mechanics similar to that. However, most of the time, the experience is ruined by the overuse of loot boxes. You want to get that nice building? Just pay $5 and there’s a SMALL chance that you just might.
Pixel People avoids this toxic practice and offers a fairer pay model. Yes, you can still buy premium currencies if you so choose, but if not, everything is still available to you, it’ll just take a bit longer. And of course, you can always watch some advertisements for some bonuses.
Anything to complain about?
Games like these often have some kind of drawbacks, such as the paywall mentioned above. Pixel People, however, is more about good old honest entertainment. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that was made back in 2013 when the predatory designs often seen in more recent games were not too popular. Or maybe the developers just want to pour their hearts into making a truly quality game that is not about money.
In any case, Pixel People delivers what many others fail to, and it is a game that I’ll definitely hold on to for quite a while.