Metropolis 1998
A downloadable game for Windows
This is an alpha build of the game (05/22/2026) meant for receiving player feedback. There is now a game loop and challenge of satisfying your citizens' needs.
This is the full game, limited by the map size. Everything you see in the game is unlockable (depending on your city's population).
Metropolis 1998 is a city builder and management game currently in mid development. Watch your citizens live their lives inside their homes, and outside. Features real time traffic, granular business demand, and more!
Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/b5sPWvq2Eq
Payment is not expected nor required! This is not a real game yet. Payment does not guarantee a completed game in the future (though that is 100% my goal. Im working full time on this game). If you understand the risks and want to support the project, then please add whatever amount you feel comfortable paying for.
Note: Patches do not update on your computer. You will have to redownload the updated version here.
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2287430/Metropolis_1998/
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Metropolis 1998 is now in Alpha!59 days ago
- Alpha is coming to itch soon! And a YouTube Lets Play81 days ago
- Crash -> Corrupted Zip FileJun 14, 2025
- Patch Crash Fix(06/12/2025)Jun 12, 2025
- Major QOL Update - v0.8.5 [BIG MAPS]May 25, 2025
- Minor Update v0.8.4Mar 07, 2025
- Minor Update - 2025-03-06Mar 07, 2025
- Patch update (3/3/2025)Mar 03, 2025
Comments
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Will there be a version for Linux?
I got this to run via Steam. Add the game as a non-steam game and then in the game properties, go to Compatibility and force it to use Proton version 10. I also had to force it to display the titlebar, and disable fullscreen using my window manager. I haven't tested play yet but I was able to start a new game using this method.
Game looks awesome! Any plans for a Mac version?
As a Transport Tycoon fan, I loved the level of detail in the graphics; it was exactly what we've always expected from Transport Tycoon and Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
It's incredible to see people walking and vehicles with real-time destinations. The idea of seeing people inside their homes and where they're going is amazing. I've explored the house menus, and there are multiple options for housing and all kinds of buildings—that's fantastic.
Another thing I really liked was seeing the city at night, that will be excellent.
I hope Chris Sawyer from TTD sees this project. He would be proud when you finish this masterpiece. It involves a huge amount of code, and it depends on what you want to add to the game's economy: banks, trains, buses, buying and selling, replacements, loans, etc. I wish you all the best. It's a great project to follow. Greetings from Argentina.
My kids absolutely adore this game and love fussing over every little detail of their houses. Thank you so much, it's wonderful — we'll definitely be buying the full version!
A few things that would make it perfect for us:
Thanks again for such a lovely game!
when i build the mayor's house, why does no one live there?
Heh, the moment I log in I see your comment! Fast reply.
Right now there is no mayor sprite. I plan on adding one in the future though.
aight
Hi, sorry but I have another glitch where any new buildings i make, the roof won't show? It just shows the highest walls twice
Hmm, my guess is you added one of the manually-placed roofs, then deleted it? Try opening the object menu and placing the first roof option. It should fill out the entire roof
is the demo on steam the same as the itch.io download? really excited to try this on the weekend
Yes!
deleted comment below was mine, could not connect to the driveway but i found the solution. REALLY good game!
Hi, I made a building but I’m getting the “not all rooms path to road connection” error whenever I try to put it on the market, but I’ve checked all my floors, and nothing is highlighted. Can that also happen when furniture is too close together or something?
Hmm, did you add an entrance and connect the driveway to the road (this happens automatically when you place a driveway on the edge of the zone that touches a road). The entrance needs to reach the driveway connection point too
Uploading a screenshot of the building will help too
Looks cool, reminds me of the early Sim City, Sim Town, Sim Tower games.
So, outside of featured technology, what's so 1998 about it?
fun game
haha funny road network example... 13 worker substation...
Lol... this should not be possible and I am very curious how you made it work. That should not be stable for the game !
Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-9100T CPU @ 3.10GHz (3.10 GHz) ... ok so at the start placing roads adjacent do not work... but if I place one way roads it becomes... somewhere around there possible to place like i think it is after... connecting them to pavement roads... (Really smooth though)
Ok so like at the start I usually keep it paused for like 30, 50 minutes... ok so it might be I placed road from road lead it like left... but then the mouse position matters a lot... like if I just get the mouse position right the road is placed from when placing pavement 2 wide roads... for that really odd... yeah okay I see it... maybe idk I have made the game crash sometimes when i do adjacent and adjacent tries to connect to road behind it... but somehow it only happened just as i started playing does not happen now..,
Given all the performance stuff with OpenGL versions and whatnot (completely understandable by the way), it'd be nice if this game had an on-screen FPS counter (unless there is one already that I'm missing?)
Nevermind, it's in the F3 menu
This game is incredible and I'm super excited for its development! I was blown away when the tutorial asked me to actually design the building! That's such a cool way to have a hand in every little detail of your city.
I think of city initiatives after having played this although it was really slow such as... beaver flooding prevention or dove pooping acts or even friday silence acts national custody after 9 pm.
i really like it although i wish you could drive you're own car similar to sim city 4
alright. i liked it the FPS were really really bad. But every second i lost bc my low framerate was worth it. Please just make the game less heavy and you got your gold mine
Solution will be (unfortunately) implemented after launch! Im stuck using a very old version of OpenGL which does not have modern, efficient functionality
ILL WAIT
looks like Theotown
Looks like Transport Tycoon, near graphics
This looks incredible. I almost wish I had a Windows machine to play it.
use wine! i think that helps
Those are called 'PCs.' Their's macs, PC's, and PC's that somebody put ubuntu based stuff on. (ubuntu is a word they stole from africa that means computer)
Amazing game
Checked the backlog of comments and didn't see anything mentioning connecting the substation and utility pole. Maybe it's obvious, but thankfully I'm oblivious. I filled the substation with utility poles and the tutorial never registered. I build a second one, tried connecting that one by building poles next to it and down the road. They all have the disconnected icon. No menu option to connect. No further information in the tutorial on what should be done.
Hello, there is a utility pole at the edge of the map you have to connect to. All poles must be networked together this way. Just place a utility pole next to the substation to power it.
Found it. Only zoomed out does it become obvious. Since there's already a tutorial prompt, clicking the prompt to then zoom out or move the camera and focus on the connections would be helpful. Have not played city builders before and I don't know the common tropes that might make sense to others.
This is a great idea, thank you!
I’m having the same problem right now. All the utility poles and the station have ‘disconnected’ icons. Same with pipes
Amazing game 10000/10
Really looking forward to this one! Amazing work so far
The game isn't working for me.
I have Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2010
Hello, you need the 2015-2022 version.
Versions newer than 2010 don't work for me.
What's your hardware specs?
This looks great. Reminds me of Sim City 2000 from back in the old Win95 days. I used to enjoy playing these games a lot as a kid. Ill have to give it a try out. Graphics look great too. Nice work!
Amazing
I like what I see at first, but I can't progress through the tutorial. I'm at "Place a driveway up to the zone edge to connect to the road" and I do not understand what I'm expected to do. I have a short street coming in from the highway and a house next to that. The end of the street highlights in red during this phase, and I've zoned and placed driveway all around the end of the street, beside the street, and that's it. I can't seem to satisfy this condition, no matter how much driveway I place or where I place it.
Hello, you need to expand the road. Driveways cannot connect to dead ends, intersections, or curves. Sorry for the confusion!
Demo runs perfectly under Linux/Wine64. Glad to hear that it is written in C++ without too much dependencies. Using a modified SFML was a great choice. Good work. Thanks!
beatiful game reminds of openttd and theotown but needs better performance for old weak pcs
Vai ter legendas em português do Brasil?
Cool. This looks like RollerCoaster Tycoon, but a City Builder, so my agingass is in.
This game looks sick! I'm looking forward to playing it and see how to develops. What engine is used to make it?
Custom C++ engine
is there a way to save blueprints?
Yes, open any blueprint menu and click the second icon in the GUI with the building types. Then click on the building
WHAT?! A city builder that let’s you customize the interior of each building like in the sims? LESGOOOOOOOOOOO >:D
:)
Always working on the game to improve it :). Im using my own engine
So amazing!!! You match the style so well to aesthetics of the games made by Chriss Sawyer.
no public transit?
Public transit is coming after early access launch
Hello,
Sorry to bother you, but would you mind if I also download the descriptions and reference images&videos of the game to my personal archive? It helps me manage my files.