One developer.
This is what happens with one developer?
The rest of the world take notice.
This is what happens with one developer.
For one person working (and learning) the incredibly difficult job of game development, this is an absolute gem.
Pax Augusta is a city-builder, plain and simple. No armies to command, no enemies to show up and wreck your beautiful city. No stress. Just you, your imagination, and an entire library of historically authentic Roman architecture to scratch even the deepest city-builder itch.
Don't just buy it. Experience it.
Experience what one dedicated person with a dream can deliver.
And stay tuned...

The journey is far from over.

My fav things about PaxA: nerdiness, pacing, modularization, solo dev's passion.

This game does a lot of things better than Caesar 3. You can go harder with micromanaging here, but *chefs kiss* you don't have to do more than the basics if you don't want to. Dozens of stats/benefits are perfectly communicated IMO: it trusts your agency as a player without overly babying you.

The pacing of this game is genius. I feel like I can just chill and enjoy my city, yet still can add things at my own pace which inject difficult challenges. So I go hard. And then I can enjoy the fruits of my hard work. **People watching in this game is my favorite thing to do. **

Building every square inch of your city is just so fun. Because it's an optimizer's dream, but you aren't screwed for not being "meta", it encourages organic approaches and immersive building. I can add an extra little garden to some dude's house that they'll actually manage & bring to market. I can build a forum in the shape of a heart, then put a taberna in that awkward alleyway it made, or delete 2 squares to add a rostrum to the center.

There are a handful of kinks at time of writing (release day), but I think they are very minor things (eg. some menus close when you pan) & most negative reviews I feel are making mountains out of molehills. I do have a wishlist of things to optimize the UX, but I'm not disgusted by lack of professionalism if that makes sense.

In comparison to other new Roman City builders, Citadelum's leg up is that you can see interiors of buildings. That said, I think the sheer *quantity* of buildings PaxA has, which the solo dev nerdily made historically accurate as possible, more than makes up for that. (but would be a great wishlist item :D)

I think it exceeds expectations at release day, and would recommend this gem today, especially if you felt something missing from other city builders you've played. It's a complete, deep experience.

It's hard to imagine that this great game was developed by one person over these many years. Unlike some other games, this game gives me the feeling that I'm actually building a historical Roman city.

ps: I'm definitely not alluding to Anno