14 DAY TRIAL // The meat and fish and mushrooms are flowing into my kitchens and my warehouses, to the point where I’m reducing the number of workers working on them. I have a slight water deficit, after giving everyone double rations, but there’s nothing a couple of extra pumps will not fix.
I’m also investing in extra windmills for power, acknowledging that the development of an extractive and processing industry will require it. I might have already trained specialists, which my buildings actually do not yet need in significant numbers. But I’m not yet attracting enough outsiders to push my population high enough to unlock a new cycle and more research options, which is a little annoying. Let’s push morale even higher and see what happens.
New Cycle is developed by Core Engage and published by Daedalic Entertainment. I played the Early Access version using Steam on the PC. The title offers a pretty classic take on city building with added survival elements. The premise is that a solar flare burned out all the electronics that sustained our modern civilization, which in turn led to the collapse of institutions. Survivors of the ensuing chaotic period are now trying to rebuild, starting off in small camps, reduced to cutting down trees and eating mushrooms.
The mechanics will be easy to understand for gamers who have played Frostpunk or similar titles. Put down buildings to acquire raw materials, then create others that can transform them into usable resources. Mushrooms are gathered in a camp, people move them to the town, and a field kitchen turns them and water into soup.
Rinse and repeat for other things, ranging from stone to clay and more. The people of New Cycle have retained knowledge of electricity, and they can create specialists to work in the various buildings. Players have to satisfy the population's needs to keep it growing, with a focus on the amount of rations each individual gets for the day.
Researching techs will open up new options. The idea is to progress through cycles, which are gated by population numbers, and basically rebuild civilization but with less emphasis on conflict. Along the way, gamers will also make decisions about the government and ethics their people will adopt. There are other regions to explore and other human settlements to trade with.
New Cycle’s challenge is linked to the seasons, which feature harsh events. Players have to tweak their approach and attempt to keep their workforce productive despite certain restrictions. Lightning often hits production buildings and kills people (despite the many taller windmills in the vicinity).
The game’s narrative and gameplay mesh well together, although none are filled with innovation. The game needs more interesting events and choices, especially when it comes to people management. New Cycle is a good-looking experience, with some nice effects for the various special events and clear identities for its various buildings.
Players can zoom right in to see how their workforce toils to produce and refine resources. But I suspect players will spend most of their time looking at the detailed info and making decisions while looking at their entire settlements. The soundtrack is surprisingly emotional.
Conclusion
The core mechanics are already pretty good, even if they do not deviate much from the genre’s standard. The various events and natural phenomena need to have more of an effect on settlements. New Cycle has a decent foundation, but the 1.0 version needs something extra to stand out in the crowded city building survival space.
Preview key provided by the publisher.
