D-Topia [REVIEW] – Laid-Back Sci-Fi Puzzling

Gaming is full of bleak futures where mankind is on the brink of complete collapse, so it’s quite refreshing when a game decides to show us a future where things actually went right. Well… mostly right. D-Topia drops you into an experimental, AI-governed city designed by a mysterious figure named Dr Chloro, where the overarching goal of society is straightforward: provide the maximum amount of happiness for the maximum number of people. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

D-Topia sees players stepping into the shoes of Shiro (also known by his citizen designation, No. 46), a newly arrived human whose job is to be a ‘Facilitator’. Basically, you’re the human touch in a world heavily automated by robot helpers known as Troids, with your job seeing you check in on the locals, ensure they’re content, and keep the machinery running smoothly through empathy and understanding. 

Beneath the shiny, utopian surface, the story does actually dabble in some genuinely dark territory. Residents are fitted with emotion-regulating chips, genetic modification is the norm, and you’ll casually meet characters dealing with the harsh realities of being human clones, which raises some ethical questions that do show there is more than just sunshine and rainbows in this mostly positive future. Don’t worry if you’re looking for something chill, though – the narrative rarely leans too heavily into the bleakness, but instead maintains a surprisingly laid-back atmosphere, focusing more on the personal, everyday struggles of the ten main residents rather than any behind-the-scenes conspiracies. 

The core of D-Topia revolves around a strict seven-day calendar, with every in-game day following a set routine: you wake up, do a quick line-matching puzzle to prove you are healthy, eat a synthetic breakfast, and head to the factory for your shift. It’s a straightforward loop, but one that the game constantly manages to keep engaging. 

“D-Topia is a charming, low-stress adventure that brings an endearing cast of characters, some clever world-building mechanics, and a lovely presentation together to make for a thoroughly enjoyable week in a cozy future.” 

Work consists of a series of maths and logic puzzles… think block-pushing, grid-shifting, and path-drawing challenges that require basic arithmetic, that sort of thing. It might sound overwhelming, but each puzzle is pretty easy-going, and whilst there is a timer that dictates your daily wage, it ticks down so slowly that you’ll easily earn enough cash to buy all the apartment decorations and snacks you could ever want. If you are a hardcore puzzle veteran looking to have your brain melted, you might find the difficulty a bit lacking.  

Thankfully, there’s more to D-Topia than just these puzzles, and once your shift ends, the real fun begins. Your afternoon is spent roaming the permitted districts, chatting with the quirky locals to build your friendships, and fixing their problems, which is where the ‘Block Side’ mechanic comes into play. The world you normally see is actually an augmented reality overlay called the ‘Optimization System’, and by interacting with specific computer terminals, you can strip away the illusion to reveal the mechanical reality beneath… very, very sci-fi, right? Here, you’ll repair broken systems, find hidden secrets, and speak to the unmasked Troids, adding a somewhat dystopian edge to the experience but one that fits the theming of the game perfectly. It’s a genuinely clever concept that really hooked me in. 

When a resident faces a dilemma, you enter a ‘Brain Meeting’. This is a flowchart mini-game where you map out the facts of each situation and determine what should happen, which can make for some really cool moments. However, it is worth noting that some of these choices give the illusion of consequence rather than actual branching paths, often leading to the exact same result regardless of what you pick. It’s not the end of the world – especially since a lot of the entertainment comes with the quirky situations that you find yourself a part of – but I think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity for D-Topia to really immerse the player in its world. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

From a presentation standpoint, the game really looks lovely. It uses a soft, cel-shaded art style that perfectly captures the futuristic tone of the city, whilst the character designs are cute and endearing, making it a joy to spend time getting to know the locals. The soundtrack is great too, with the music shifting seamlessly from relaxing ambient tunes to melancholic melodies when the narrative calls for it. 

And, on a side note, it plays great on the Steam Deck. I’ve been playing the game pretty much exclusively on the platform, and it looks and runs perfectly. It’s one of those games that feels ideal to dive into on the go, though I’ll admit that I’ve spent a few nights staying up a little longer than I planned to just because I‘ve cozied up in bed with it… oops. 

Developer: Marumittu Games 
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive 
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch 
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1895460/Dtopia/