The city-building genre has enjoyed a quiet renaissance in recent years, as developers revisit the design philosophies that once defined classic management games of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Few series captured that era better than Caesar and Pharaoh, two Roman-themed strategy titles that balanced urban planning with economic management and historical flavour.
Citadelum, developed by Abylight Barcelona, positions itself as a spiritual successor to those beloved city-builders. Originally released on PC in October 2024 before arriving on Nintendo Switch 2 in January 2026 and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on 5 March 2026, the game aims to modernise the formula while remaining faithful to its roots.
Instead of merely copying the classic formula, Citadelum introduces a unique twist. Alongside city management and economic development, the game features tactical auto-battles and direct interaction with Roman gods, creating a layered strategy experience that combines historical simulation with mythological spectacle.
The result is a city-builder that feels familiar yet experimental, even if not every new idea perfectly meshes with the traditional foundations.
Building the Roman Dream
At its core, Citadelum remains a classic city-building game and successfully captures the satisfying rhythm that fans of the genre expect.
Players start with a small settlement and gradually develop it into a flourishing Roman city. Resources must be gathered from forests, quarries, farms, and fisheries, while infrastructure expands to support an increasingly complex populace.
Citizens take on roles such as farmers, artisans, carpenters, soldiers, and traders, forming the backbone of the city’s economy. As the population grows, players need to carefully balance housing, employment, and food supplies.
Water management also plays a vital role, with aqueducts and fountains ensuring districts stay functional and prosper. Watching a humble village evolve into a bustling Roman city filled with temples, markets, and villas offers a deeply satisfying sense of progression.
Citadelum excels at recreating the layered economic chains that defined classic city-builders. Raw resources must be refined into usable goods, trade routes maintained, and infrastructure kept in step with a growing population.
The core building mechanics are intuitive, yet complex enough to reward careful planning.
Expansion and World Map Strategy
Where Citadelum begins to differ from its inspirations is in its world map layer.
Beyond the city itself lies a wider map filled with barbarian camps, trading opportunities, and settlements under threat. Players can send explorers and legions into these regions, gradually expanding their influence over the surrounding territory.
This system makes Citadelum resemble a hybrid city-builder and strategy game.
Training and managing legions becomes a key part of long-term development. Once deployed, these forces participate in auto-battle encounters against enemies guarding trade routes or valuable resources.
While the combat is not directly controlled by the player, preparation is essential. Different unit compositions and upgrades influence battle outcomes, encouraging players to build and train a capable army.
The auto-battle system works well as a supplementary mechanic, though it never quite attains the depth of dedicated strategy games. Nevertheless, it provides a welcome sense of scale and adventure that traditional city-builders often lack.
The Wrath and Blessing of the Gods
The most distinctive feature of Citadelum is its interaction with the Roman pantheon.
Players can construct temples and make sacrifices to gods such as Jupiter, Mars, and others. By honouring the gods through offerings and religious structures, players gain access to powerful blessings.
These divine blessings can offer substantial advantages, from enhanced resource production to military benefits.
However, the system involves some risk. Roman gods in Citadelum are notoriously temperamental. Favouring one deity too much might provoke jealousy from another.
When angered, the gods may directly punish your city, unleashing disasters that disrupt production and endanger your population.
This mechanic introduces an element of unpredictability to city management. Prosperous cities can suddenly face divine wrath if religious duties are neglected.
While occasionally frustrating, these interventions also lead to memorable moments. Watching a god descend from the heavens to either bless or punish your settlement adds a dramatic touch rarely seen in city-building games.
Presentation and Atmosphere
Visually, Citadelum offers a clean and colourful interpretation of Roman architecture.
The isometric perspective allows players to appreciate the gradual transformation of their settlements, from modest villages into sprawling cities filled with monuments, villas, and defensive walls.
Buildings are clearly distinguished, and the game’s layout tools make it relatively easy to organise districts and infrastructure.
The atmosphere is further enhanced by ambient sound design and a fitting orchestral soundtrack. Gentle musical themes accompany city development, while environmental sounds reinforce the sense of a living settlement.
While the graphics are not cutting-edge, the presentation prioritises clarity and readability—two essential qualities for any successful city-building game.
Performance on current-generation consoles and modern PCs is generally stable, though larger cities can occasionally cause minor slowdowns.
Replayability and Sandbox Potential
Citadelum emphasises replayability through procedural elements and branching mission structures.
Each playthrough offers different missions, artefacts, and mythological encounters. The combination of city management, exploration, and divine interaction guarantees that no two campaigns unfold exactly the same way.
The game also promotes experimentation with various strategies. Players can prioritise trade, military expansion, or religious influence based on their preferred playstyle.
However, the integration of three major gameplay layers—city building, world exploration, and divine interaction—can sometimes feel slightly uneven. The city-building systems remain the strongest aspect of the experience, while the combat and pantheon mechanics occasionally seem secondary.
Nevertheless, the combined systems offer enough variety to keep players engaged across multiple sessions.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Deep and satisfying city-building mechanics
- Strong economic systems and infrastructure planning
- Unique pantheon system with blessings and divine punishment
- World map exploration adds strategic variety
- Strong replayability through varied missions and events
Cons
- Combat system lacks depth compared to dedicated strategy games
- Some mechanics feel unevenly balanced
- Occasional performance dips with large cities
- Divine punishments can feel frustrating at times
Final Verdict
Citadelum successfully captures the spirit of classic Roman city-builders while introducing several ambitious new systems. The core gameplay—designing and managing a thriving Roman settlement—is consistently enjoyable and offers the satisfying progression that fans of the genre expect.
Where the game truly stands out is through its three-tiered design. By combining city-building, world exploration, and divine interaction, Citadelum provides a broader strategic experience than many traditional management games.
Not every system reaches its full potential. The auto-battle combat is functional rather than intricate, and the pantheon mechanics occasionally cause frustrating interruptions.
Nevertheless, these elements still contribute to a game that feels refreshingly different within the genre.
For players who grew up with classics like Caesar and Pharaoh, Citadelum feels like a modern reinterpretation of that formula rather than a mere imitation. It respects the foundations of the genre while experimenting with new ideas.
The result is a city-builder that may not be perfect but remains engaging, ambitious, and filled with moments of strategic satisfaction.
