Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2024
New Cycle
Developer Core Engage
New Cycle is a city building game with focus on survival. After an apocalyptic series of solar flares, human society has been thrown into disarray. Establish a settlement and develop it all the way from humble beginnings to industrial metropolis. From the Steam store page
194 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
70
Fresh
125 positive · 53 negative
95% range 63–76%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 125 | 53 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
16 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
2,287 of 2,885 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 194 · most liked firstGame is dead. Do not buy it. Its a good 2hrs of play and your done. Its a sandbox game they pushed out for a cash grab. No updates for a year. Its sad but the truth.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish to give good review because the game looks promising but its still unplayable mess. So many bugs so many restarts so far and still new bugs in first few minutes. My record before the new patch that made previous save files unusable was day 83 and now on fresh start i stuck with broken tutorial that works randomly...for example build lumberjack...i did but the quest stays 0/1 ...another one people getting gravely thirsty but i cannot build well cuz it say unresearched...i reopen the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →20 SEPT 26 - Still don't buy it, Weird balancing, weird pacing, plenty of bugs. I'd also encourage you to read the dev comment below. I'm not saying I want a release date for 1.0 but the dev seems to think it's okay to go radio silent, I say ongoing communication is important. As before I hope I can delete this review in the future. 16 AUG 26 - Don't buy it. I'm not saying it's abandoneware but after two years in early access I'd expect more communication or a better road map. I hope I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is probably my favorite builder ever. Very well done. Unfortunately it stops working early on. Resources just stop working & the whole thing starts to collapse. Hopefully they fix it soon.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even as early access, this is head and shoulders above most games in the genre. It has many inspirations from Frostpunk, the villager conflicts, the world map exploration/outposts, the oncoming doomsday feel (though this aspect is not as integral to the experience as it was with Frostpunk). But it has the freedom of expansion and organization of more traditional games like Banished or Manor Lords. It gamifies the laborers and doesn't require the literal pathfinding of the models which by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →just wait for the game to fully release, it should be playable then. unless you wanna restart game when you are halfway through there
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wait for sale for sure. Full price there are too many issues to pay that, unless you want to support the company. 38 hours on record, here are the issues ive noticed in this short time, 1 disappearing roads, roads are horrible nothing connects it all just over laps each other. When people die from whatever cause, the places that lost workers are not marked in anyway, you have to manually look at every building and replace the lost workers. Counters on products are slow to update, storage…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very rough at the moment. A ton of bugs like random noises, clipping, crashing, MASSIVE frame stuttering and more. In my humble opinion I think Bug fixing & HUGE optimization efforts are needed before adding anything further to the game. I started my game with solid 60fps on high settings, I'm only on cycle 3 and my frames have dropped to 21 and the stuttering has made me hang up the game for now. It's crazy because the graphics don't actually look great at all so I'm not sure why this game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In its current state, it is too buggy and bare to recommend.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game if you took Frost Punk, and Banished and smooshed them together. Or, this is Banished 40k. Yes, it's still in development, but it's a solid game so far with a few annoying bugs but nothing that stops you having a blast. Developers are really on it with ideas and changes, and I don't agree with a few of the reviews.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Abandoned as far as is known. No updates whatsoever talked about been said in the discord that discord is banned in turkey but that doesn't stop posts on steam about updates for the game even if not weekly atleast something monthly. Game had/has potential was pretty enjoyable but unfortunately nothing being said will kill the game due to the devs lack of communication. Would recommend if you enjoy frostpunk and don't mind a game lacking in updates/any information.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I see potential if they continue to update but at the moment its just frustrating. The breaking point for me was when the game forced me to make a ton of enhanced work shops in order to advance, only to immediatly find out they dont work properly without a whole new frieght system in place. So I have to be able to make the frieght system right? The game wouldnt force you to make tons of buildings you cant use yet right? Wrong! The frieght system is in the next section of the skill…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too many homosexual characters for my liking,
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lovely, but oh my god, the UI is absolutely entirely too small... Most of the text is simply unreadable on my screen, and that's with maxed UI size. Please sort this out with real accessibility features, or look at other games that convey lots of info, and how they manage legibility and clarity. Everything here is tiny, brown on brown. It made me stop playing, unfortunately.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great concept but game is incomplete and effectively abandonware. Unless it's deep discount, avoid.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Normally I wait until I finish a game before posting a review but in this case it seemed necessary to counter some of the negative reviews spreading misinformation that have been posted lately. Firstly, this game is obviously NOT a cash-grab. No Developer puts this many years into creating a new IP of this scope and quality with all the accompanying social media channels if they are just trying to make a quick buck. Also, if the negative reviewers bothered to check the discord discussions,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't in good conscious recommend this at this point. The game has potential, but there are too many "small things" that pile up and make it absurdly annoying. First off, the road system, the logistics itself is 'fine', when it works. There were times I completely circled a building with roads that were connected to the main road, and it still marked this building as 'disconnected. Then there was the upgrade system, there is no centralized interface for upgrading things, no automation for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The situation with New Cycle is a perfect storm: an ambitious but under-resourced team in a geopolitically difficult region, operating within a platform ecosystem that encourages premature releases. My refund in September 2024 was a vote of no confidence in a system that asks players to subsidize development without guaranteeing a product. Until platforms like Steam enforce stricter "playable state" requirements for Early Access entry, this New Cycle of disappointment is likely to continue.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While I do love what I see so far, it does have some flaws, namely the tutorial, which I'm sure is where a lot of the negative reviews come from. So far, I haven't fully completed the game, and I'll update the review if anything changes. As of now, if you are a new player playing the tutorial, expect to restart in a fresh world as soon as you complete the tutorial. This is because the 'construct a well' quest is too far into the tutorial, so by the time you get to it, your colony has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Everything from GUI to the setting to ingame goals is frustratingly unclear. Why cant I assign anybody to gather stone if I have 30+ jobless population? Who knows. Why are there electric poles if I haven't even reached "iron age"? I am sure it's explained somewhere. What are the most basic needs of citizens? It's probably also explained somewhere. Game looks like it has potential but I do not like wrestling with GUI so I just gave up for now.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It looks like it is abandoned game. Will NOT purchase another game from this developer and publisher.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →an abandoned game but unless they remove it from the store it's actually not too bad the gridless AND gridded option for places buildings down is peak
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me start by saying, if you DON'T like Frostpunk then you are in a rough ride. And to be honest, this is New Cycle's downfall. It simply is not really doing anything new. It is just doing what we already know, like frostpunk but in a different shape. Frostpunk in a standard free building place things anywhere sandbox. But there are some other issues too, so get yourselves comfortable. Right ok. Let me start by saying I do like the game but as it stands I cant play it got long periods.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Had a decent launch w/ a strong foundation and some promising gameplay. Then the devs went dark for a long time to the point it seemed abandoned. However, it just had its 2nd update in 2 months and looks to be back on track. A nice combination of city builder/automation/logistics strategy. Definitely worth a look if you like the genre at all.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Feels like this game has been abandoned at this point. I purchased it over a year and a half ago and very little has changed since I reinstalled it. No real development is happening. Buy Frostpunk 1 or 2 instead. Edit: They released a new update after a 1.5 year delay, but it is still not worth it. Maybe try the game in 4 years.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is AWESOME! It's almost an EXACT replica of FrostPunk. When I say "almost," I mean I can't believe they won't soon be facing litigation from 11 Bit Studios. New Cycle's saving grace is that it's so slow and unengaging; no one could truly compare it to FP. I was going to try to play through it more, but I just can't. FrostPunk is awesome. This game may be one day; but, right now, it's just a Temu knock-off of a good game. I just can't.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game shouldn't be released in such an early state. The UI is terrible, the performance is a disaster, and the constant stuttering makes it completely unplayable. It’s in Early Access, but it feels like an Alpha at best.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kind of material management with no challenge? Idk, it seems cool but there's a lot left to be desired. Seems like they're on the right path though.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Biggest issue I have with the game is that it is not challenging, and also not really fun. Everything is ok, kind of like Frostpunk, with the exception that the later is fun and addicting, and New Cycle is not.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great city builder. The innovation in the genre keeps getting better and better and New Cycle is at the tip of the spear. You will be kicking yourself if you don't buy at half off, I promise you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is NOT abandoned.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried this for the first time, and my early experience was pretty good. The atmosphere is strong and the world feels harsh in a way that fits the game's setting. Building up a settlement, assigning workers, and trying to keep everything stable kept me engaged. The Ul takes a bit of time to get used to. Some panels feel bulky, and the resource area can get crowded once you start unlocking more production buildings. The conveyor system also feels a little unclear at the moment - I wasn't always…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An interesting city-builder with great potential. Took me 19h to play through the campaign in its current state and enjoyed every minute of it. There's a great many resources to manage and you have to take great care in balancing them all. It really could improve the micro-managment by some serous QOL. It can be hard to keep track of all your buildings and people. So, with the proper improvements until full release, this can become an absolute great game. Still needs some work though…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game looks really promising, but it is riddled with bugs for now. I started a new save after the last update and there were just so many weird little bugs regarding the tutorial which made the whole thing unenjoyable and I quit after half an hour. Which is really sad because the setting is really intriguing and I like city builders.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros 1- Nice graphic with a good graphic card 2- Good music ( Like frost punk ) 3- Unique Resource Managements gameplay 4- There's a story. ( somewhat ) 5- Huge map CONS 1- No voice acting ( Corsair Cove game are full voice recorded for the same price at 40$ ) 2- SFX sounds limited ( no mining sound, no crowd sound, no nothing... @@ ) 3- Progression of the game feels regular. You simply have to manage the same resources all spread nearby. When resources is depleted, you build another facility…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too much for too little. Micromanagement galore. Just no fun.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Im only into cycle IV right now but I find the game not too challenging to learn, has a good built in tutorial system and has good playability. Most city builders tend to stagnate and leave you staring at your town for hours just waiting for something to happen, but this one keeps you busy and doesn't make you wait too long, even for builds, which is good. There still seems to be lots more content to explore yet so I'm giving this one a thumbs up for city builders.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Abandonware. Never trust this studio.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve only played a few hours, but so far i'm really happy with the game. The atmosphere is great, the building mechanics are fun and approachable, and the freedom in how you manage the game is amazing. I haven't played many builder games so i wasn't sure what exactly to expect but i can see myself play more of these types of games. The negative reviews kinda threw me off but to be honest I ran into very few bugs, and the ones I did were minor and easy to fix. The grapics are beautiful and i ran…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun for about 2 days...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its great but there still isn't a game that will scratch my Banished itch. This game is a very easy and casual city builder. If that's what you enjoy you will love this game. If you're looking for a game like Banished or Frostpunk because for some reason you like punishment, this is about the total opposite.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is very good and will be even better if the developers don't disappear again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Dead Game!" was my comment on November 2th. November 23th came a big patch, January 23th came a big patch. Doesnt look dat dead. If you like this genre maybe its something for you. I havent played the patches. I probably will play it again after full release.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Abandoned? who know. Instead of posting an actual update, the Dev went into steam reviews and commented on negative reviews. What a great use of your time! I'm SURE everyone saw those comments.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In my experience, games fall into three groups: Group 1 — Not for me. You start it, and within a few hours you realize it isn't for you. Years of experience and self-awareness reduce how often this happens, but it still does from time to time. Group 2 — Finished and done. You play it for roughly 30 hours, finish it, and nothing new is likely to come from a second run. Most games fall into this group. Group 3 — Hundred-hour games. The games worth your money and your time. Two subgroups: 3a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In tutorial mode people need water, it tells me I have researched a well but when I go to build a well it says I have not researched it. Uninstalled
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its alright, but it feels like just another city builder that requires lots of buildings to juggle lots of different resources. The worlds coming to an end but nothings happening, I'll just keep amassing the never ending resources. Does the game end? I got the last of the achievements but it was still on going. There's no time limit, or issues that had any real impact. There's a couple of choices to make which try to play on the moral choice of things but they have no effect as far as I could…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent city builder, a lot of content and the developers keep updating it. Very well done so far. I waited 2 years to buy this game because I know it takes small companies a long time to develop games and publishers only care about large profit margins unfortunately. My only major critique is the residential building and services aspect could be easily overhauled, its very simple and way too many people can be packed into small buildings. This games focus is definitely production based but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nearly no Updates in one Year, just before the sale they put one out as the reviews went lower and lower. This is a EA scam, dont buy it, they will never finish.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Buggy. Panning around the map was jerky. Started a campaign, ran the tutorial, could not even gather the first resource (Logs).
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good potential, but the economy is terribly designed. It is completely unclear how the balance of expenses and income works. Sometimes you have 4,000 units of water and you’re in surplus, but then you do nothing and suddenly it drops to zero. And the trend is negative. What? Why? How? Nothing makes sense… so for now I’m giving it a minus.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This review is written during early access. If you love Frostpunk, you will hate this game. It feels like a cheap copy, lacking challenges that overcomplicates resource management. It also has some logical bugs with the tree structure of development. Although it has potential and looks beautyful but becomes very boring after a few hours.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Conveyor belts will piss you off, it shouldnt be this hard to place a conveyor belt in a city build simulator!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is really good, the developers are still working on it and bringing further updates constantly. They like to listen to the community and do work on their side to gather even more feedbacks by professionals. I strongly recommend it for any fan of the genre wanting to support a studio and get at a good price a very good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I thought it's going to be an overwhelming experience, but after playing a little, I realized that’s not the case with this game. New things are unlocked gradually, so you don’t need to understand everything at once. I enjoyed everything about this game - graphics, soundtrack, narrative, and, most importantly, the gameplay. It has a few minor bugs but nothing game-breaking. Overall, it’s a very deep city-building game with a lot of potential. Definitely worth a try! I can’t wait to see what…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You build a town with different classes of citizens kind of like ANNO and send out scouts and deal with dilemmas like frostpunk. The Anno-like concepts of the game feel a little more flushed out than the Frostpunk ones. I would like the ability for the scouts to collect things (survivors, items) so you have to think about whether you want the scout to come back or keep pressing on. As of right now there is no reason to not send both scouts out and bounce from place to place so you can explore…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is probably the most similar to frostpunk. It's just a lot easier :D. It's my second favorite city builder so far. Very nice graphics, although a bit demanding on the PC, I think it would help to not allow too much zoom, because even, if you zoom in too much, you will discover that the textures are not very good, the houses have transparent walls from the inside, the textures do not connect to each other, etc. Customizing buildings is an interesting concept, but later in the game, I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →city builder with good setting ,but need polished. I had this on Wishlist for long and try it out after the big update. First all the general stuff you expect from city builder is present. Iron wood stone water food fish etc. The problem,u cannot have a resource node tab on without droppping down your town hall ,(you got to select a gathering camp to see the sweet spot where things overlap ) so If I want food and stone overlap display it seem to not possible....maybe maybe I missed it. road…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After a long time away from strategy games, New Cycle reminded me why I love this genre. The dynamic weather is incredible—especially the snow, which makes the world feel alive and really affects how you plan your city. Progression feels rewarding, and it’s exciting to unlock new buildings and systems as you go. I didn’t encounter any technical issues, and the game ran smoothly during my play session. Balancing resources, expanding your settlement, and adapting to changing weather keeps the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Had the potential to be a decent game, but was abandoned. No Updates, Bugfixes of any posts by the devs in months (almost a year). Wouldn't buy at all, save the money for other games that are actually supported by their devs.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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