Pile Up! Wants You to Ruin Everything: Chill City Builder Goes Full Machiavelli
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
*Pile Up!*, the chill city builder, just got a very un-chill update that encourages players to cause panic and destruction among their tiny citizens – because apparently even relaxing games need a bit of mayhem. Rock Paper Shotgun brought this oddity to our attention, and now we can't wait to see how players will architect their dystopian wonderlands.
Right, so the perpetually zen micro-city builder *Pile Up!* just strolled out of early access, all sunshine and rainbows, and then the developers, Remoob, dropped this bombshell: "Try fearmongering." Fair dinkum? After two years of serene city-stacking, they want us to unleash our inner tyrant? Colour me intrigued.
Katharine over at Rock Paper Shotgun (cheers to them for spotting this gem!) reckons *Pile Up!* is more her cup of tea than *Townscaper*, and I can see why. It's all about strategically cramming buildings onto tiny islands, playing God with a soundtrack that probably involves whale song and the gentle rustling of yoga pants. Now, it seems, you can also be a *terrible* God.
The devs, bless their cotton socks, are pretty chuffed with how the early access period went. And they're not wrong – the game's been steadily improving. But this latest update? It's a doozy. They've added a mechanic where cramming houses between different buildings boosts the population. (Remoob claims inspiration from a secret title, but I’m drawing a blank – maybe it's got something to do with tarot cards. Who knows?)
But let’s get back to the juicy bit: fearmongering. Three new building types have landed: Utopia buildings (for keeping everyone happy), Fundamentals (for baby booms), and… well, ways to "destroy your buildings to panic people and win." I'm not entirely sure *how* you panic people in a chill city builder, but I'm already brainstorming. Do you just… demolish their houses while they're inside? Unleash a swarm of digital pigeons? The possibilities are delightfully grim.
The update also throws in new islands, including unstable ruins and locations atop constantly traveling whales (because why not?). Plus, there are passive upgrades, missions with lore (because even chill games need lore, apparently), and a reworked chill mode that… well, it's still chill, just a bit less demanding. But seriously, Remoob is practically begging you to embrace your inner Machiavelli. "Try fearmongering," they implore. "Do it!"
Remoob promises more updates down the line, but in the meantime, I reckon it's time to fire up *Pile Up!* and see just how much chaos we can sow. Who knew building tiny cities could be so… deliciously evil?
Tags: city builder, indie games, simulation, strategy, humor
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun