Citizen Sleeper merges the RPG with the visible novel, wrapping it up in a brooding sci-fi blanket. Enjoying because the titular Sleeper — an android with the emulated thoughts of a human being — you discover Erlin’s Eye, an enormous house station run by corrupt firms and inhabited by individuals making the very best of it. As you progress, you will meet a fantastic solid of supporting characters, and it is right here the place the sport’s strengths lie.
Every day (or cycle), you get up and roll as much as 5 cube. You then navigate the Eye and spend your cube to carry out actions at every location. These differ from working within the shipyard to investigating a conspiracy, and it is as much as you what to prioritise. The upper the roll, the higher the prospect of end result, however low rolls aren’t ineffective, typically required for sure hacking-related duties. In the meantime, it’s good to carry on high of your situation — which step by step depletes over time, limiting what number of cube you should utilize — and your vitality.
It is slightly complicated at first, however the system is a gently balanced one. For a big share of the sport, you are stored nearly in management, however unfortunate rolls could intervene along with your capability to earn a living or progress sure goals.
Talking of which, the sport is basically a collection of tales which might be largely text-based. Luckily, save for some typos right here and there, it is well-written; a lot of the characters you meet are attention-grabbing people with diversified backgrounds and struggles. Every of them offers you Drives — narrative threads to comply with that, when full, reward you with an improve level. A few of the upgrades are extremely helpful, so it is value discovering and ending Drives, but it surely helps that the storylines are participating sufficient to drag you alongside.
Sadly the sport falters considerably on the finish, with a number of conclusions that do not really feel significantly fulfilling. Nevertheless, general the journey is a worthwhile one. Citizen Sleeper hooks you with its elegant presentation, considerate narrative, and memorable characters, and regardless of one or two small missteps, it is an engrossing, atmospheric expertise value a roll of the cube.