Cityconomy: Service for your City

In ‘Cityconomy: Service for your City’, players take on the role of a city maintenance company owner, managing and operating five types of service trucks—each specialized for tasks like street cleaning, grass cutting, towing, garbage disposal, and sewage disposal. Starting with one job and a choice between a large MAN truck or a smaller generic vehicle, players expand their business by unlocking new jobs, trucks, and city locations as they progress. The game blends managerial simulation with real-time vehicle operation, set in a European urban environment, offering a mix of direct control and strategic planning.

Cityconomy: Service for your City: A Flawed but Ambitious Foray into Municipal Simulation

Introduction

Cityconomy: Service for your City (2015) is a peculiar artifact in the simulation genre—a game that dared to explore the mundane yet essential world of municipal services, from garbage collection to sewage disposal. Developed by Nano Games and published by astragon Entertainment, it promised an open-world city economy simulator where players could build a service empire. However, its reception was lukewarm at best, with critics and players alike highlighting its repetitive gameplay, technical shortcomings, and lack of polish. Yet, beneath its flaws lies an ambitious, if flawed, attempt to carve a niche in the simulation landscape. This review dissects Cityconomy’s development, mechanics, and legacy, asking: Does it deserve its mixed reputation, or is there more to this municipal simulator than meets the eye?

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Development History & Context

The Studio and Vision

Nano Games, a Polish developer, partnered with astragon Entertainment—a publisher known for its simulation titles like Construction Simulator and Bus Simulator—to create Cityconomy. The game was conceived as a hybrid of vehicle simulation and business management, targeting fans of niche simulators. The vision was clear: Let players experience the unsung heroics of city maintenance, from towing cars to trimming hedges, all while managing a growing fleet of service vehicles.

Technological Constraints

Released in December 2015, Cityconomy arrived during a transitional period for simulation games. While titles like Euro Truck Simulator 2 (2012) had already set high standards for vehicle fidelity, Cityconomy struggled with optimization. Critics noted its “2003-level graphics” (GameStar) and poor performance, even on mid-range hardware. The game’s engine, while capable of rendering an open-world city, lacked the polish of contemporaries like Cities: Skylines (2015), which launched the same year.

The Gaming Landscape

2015 was a banner year for simulations, with Cities: Skylines redefining urban planning and Farming Simulator 15 dominating agricultural sims. Cityconomy entered this crowded space with a unique angle—municipal services—but failed to differentiate itself meaningfully. Its lack of depth in both simulation and management mechanics left it overshadowed by more refined competitors.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot and Characters

Cityconomy eschews traditional storytelling, opting instead for a procedural, open-ended experience. Players assume the role of a service company owner, tasked with keeping a European city clean and functional. There are no named characters or dialogue-driven narratives; the “story” emerges from the player’s progression—unlocking new vehicles, expanding services, and satisfying the city’s invisible residents.

Themes: The Unsung Heroes of Urban Life

The game’s thematic strength lies in its celebration of mundane labor. It asks players to engage with the often-overlooked infrastructure that keeps cities running. However, this theme is undermined by the game’s repetitive tasks and lack of narrative context. Without a compelling reason to care about the city or its inhabitants, the experience feels hollow.

Dialogue and Presentation

The absence of dialogue or environmental storytelling is a missed opportunity. While the game’s minimalist approach might appeal to some, it leaves little room for immersion. The city feels sterile, populated by faceless NPCs and devoid of personality.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Gameplay Loop

Cityconomy’s gameplay revolves around completing service contracts across five categories:
1. Garbage Disposal (trash and recycling)
2. Sewage Disposal (drain cleaning)
3. Towing Services (removing abandoned vehicles)
4. Street Cleaning (sweeping roads)
5. Grass Cutting (landscaping)

Players start with one vehicle type and gradually unlock others by earning experience and money. The loop is straightforward: Accept a job, drive to the location, perform the task, and repeat.

Vehicle Handling and Physics

The game’s vehicle simulation is its most criticized aspect. Trucks handle sluggishly, with poor turning radii and unresponsive controls. The lack of physics-based interactions (e.g., realistic garbage compaction) further detracts from immersion. As The Mad Welshman noted, “The vehicles sound… very canned,” and the driving mechanics feel more like a chore than a simulation.

Management and Progression

The management layer—hiring workers, upgrading vehicles, and expanding services—is underdeveloped. Players can “send” workers on automated jobs, but this system lacks depth. There’s no strategic decision-making; progression is linear and grind-heavy.

Multiplayer

The cooperative multiplayer mode for up to five players is a standout feature, allowing friends to tackle jobs together. However, its implementation is barebones, with no competitive elements or shared economy systems.

UI and Accessibility

The UI is functional but clunky, with poorly explained mechanics. The lack of a tutorial exacerbates this issue, leaving players to figure out controls and systems through trial and error.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting and Atmosphere

The game’s open-world city is divided into districts (old town, industrial park, residential areas), but these zones lack distinct character. The city feels generic, with repetitive architecture and minimal environmental detail.

Visual Design

The graphics, as critics noted, are dated even for 2015. Textures are low-resolution, animations are stiff, and the draw distance is limited. The game’s aesthetic is utilitarian, prioritizing function over form.

Sound Design

The sound design is equally lackluster. Vehicle noises are generic, and there’s no ambient music or radio system to liven up the experience. The absence of sound effects for tasks (e.g., the hum of a lawnmower) makes the world feel lifeless.

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Reception & Legacy

Critical Reception

Cityconomy received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with an average critic score of 31% (MobyGames) and a Metacritic score of 35. Critics lambasted its repetitive gameplay, technical issues, and lack of polish:
– GameStar (Germany): “Every single activity is unbelievably repetitive and boring.”
– Hooked Gamers: “Runs far worse than it should considering its looks.”
– The Mad Welshman: “The only thing recommending it is that not many have tried this specific kind of sim before.”

Player Reception

Steam reviews are similarly mixed, with only 47% positive ratings (as of 2026). Players cited performance issues, bugs, and a lack of depth as major drawbacks. However, a small contingent appreciated its niche appeal and multiplayer potential.

Influence and Legacy

Cityconomy’s legacy is minimal. It failed to inspire imitators or sequels, and its flaws overshadowed its innovative premise. However, it remains a curiosity—a rare attempt to simulate municipal services in an open-world format.

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Conclusion: A Niche Experiment with Flawed Execution

Cityconomy: Service for your City is a game of contradictions. Its premise is unique and ambitious, but its execution is marred by repetitive gameplay, technical shortcomings, and a lack of polish. While it offers a glimpse into the world of municipal services, it fails to make that world engaging or immersive.

Final Verdict: 5/10 – A flawed but fascinating niche experiment.
For simulation enthusiasts willing to overlook its rough edges, Cityconomy offers a novel experience. For everyone else, it’s a reminder that even the most mundane jobs can feel tedious without proper game design.

Place in History: A footnote in the simulation genre—a game that dared to explore uncharted territory but stumbled in its execution. Its legacy lies not in its success, but in its ambition.