Combining the neon-washed visuals of Cyberpunk 2077 with the slice-of-life gameplay of Stardew Valley, Nivalis is an upcoming indie title set in the city of the same name. Here, players can build their own business, meet all sorts of colorful characters, and more. It’s a refreshing take on the sim genre, owing to the unique art style and aesthetic.
The indie gameNivalis is currently being developed by game studio Ion Lands — the same developer that released Cloudpunk in 2020. Cloudpunk also features a stunning cyberpunk metropolis, so Nivalis’ visuals are sure to be a step up from this. That said, Ion Lands has yet to announce an official release date for the upcoming game.
Nivalis: A Cyberpunk-styled Management Sim
In the city of Nivalis, players can open their own business and expand it so that they can build their fortune, though that takes time and management skills. Players start off with a humble food stall and work their way up to a restaurant, a bar, or even a nightclub. As shown in the trailer, the food stalls are simple structures to one side of the street with a few tables and chairs all around. Meanwhile, the more established businesses are fully furnished buildings with bars, jukeboxes, and other such items. It’s up to the player to design these spaces as they please.
However, managing a business in a video game inevitably comes with its fair share of challenges. For one, players have to ensure that their food stall or nightclub is stocked up on the required resources. Thus, they can either grow their own ingredients in what looks to be a small greenhouse or simply buy them from another store. Players can also cook new dishes and mix unique drinks to attract more customers all for the sake of business growth,
Though just like in Stardew Valley, the player can choose to do other things instead. They could redecorate their apartment or go fishing at one of the city’s ports. Alternatively, they could meet other locals, make friends, and even fall in love. The characters of Nivalis have their own interesting stories to tell. In short, there’s plenty to do in the city, which adds to the already bright and gorgeous backdrop.
The visuals, in particular, are one aspect of the game that makes it unique. Nivalis makes use of voxel art to build its world. Voxel art is best described as 3D pixel art, similar to the visuals of Minecraft. This is why the items and environments appear somewhat blocky upon closer inspection, and though these graphical features aren’t immediately apparent, they easily set Nivalis apart from other sim management games — as if the cyberpunk aesthetic didn’t already.
That said, the somewhat grim environment isn’t without reason. The game’s description hints that there are more sinister things happening in Nivalis. There are gangs on the prowl that want to harvest the player’s organs. There’s also a group known as “the Corps,” likely the police force of Nivalis, and they’ve a penchant for fining people simply for breathing. So, it seems the aesthetic isn’t the only thing Nivalis has in common with Cyberpunk 2077. The dangerous setting is pretty similar too.
Overall, Nivalis is a very promising sim management game. It’s great for players who enjoy the gameplay loop of Stardew Valley as well as those who appreciate the look and feel of Cyberpunk 2077. As such, anyone intrigued by the inner workings of Nivalis should be on the lookout for its tentative release date. It’s sure to be one of the more unique entries to the already brimming sim genre.
Nivalis is currently in development.