Citizen Sleeper 2 Hands-On Preview

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The eagerly awaited follow-up to the highly praised tabletop-style sci-fi RPG by independent studio Jump Over The Age goes by the name Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector. What piqued the interest of indie game enthusiasts in the original Citizen Sleeper was its dice-based RPG mechanics, which replicated the experience of playing a tabletop game with a dungeon master, leveraging the distinctive elements that tabletop gaming offers but are not always found in video games.

Citizen Sleeper gained praise for its exceptional world-building and narrative style. The game’s story and dialogues are skillfully conveyed through vivid prose, demonstrating Damien Martin Gareth’s imaginative flair as he manages to engage players without the use of voice acting or high-octane action sequences. The cyberpunk universe that Gareth has conceived is grim; it presents a society where people burdened with heavy debt are placed in cryo-sleep while clones of their consciousness work off the debt within an artificial, customized body—a world populated by these individuals known as Sleepers.

We at Game Rant got an early playthrough of Citizen Sleeper 2, but our review will focus only on the initial stages of the game. What we played showed us the intricate balance of the gameplay mechanics and interconnected systems that encourage players to make bold decisions. Despite being in the early part of the game, we encountered some heart-wrenching narrative moments that suggest the game’s emotional intensity will be powerful when events reach their critical point.

Citizen Sleeper 2’s Core Gameplay Loop Is Surprisingly Tense

In the sequel of Citizen Sleeper, as in its original version, the gameplay is centered around dice. This might seem commonplace given the popularity of games modeled after tabletop games such as Baldur’s Gate 3. However, the way CItizen Sleeper 2 utilizes dice is distinct. Dice are rolled at the start of each Cycle, which is equivalent to a day in Citizen Sleeper 2. Once used, these dice are spent for that Cycle. This means players begin each new day with five pre-determined rolls to strategically allocate on actions. The fact that the dice are rolled at the start creates an intriguing problem-solving scenario: should a player take the risk of failing a lower-numbered roll, or ensure success with a valuable six that might be needed later?

In Citizen Sleeper 2, the dice have a health system that diminishes when rolls fail repeatedly during high-stress situations. Since stress levels rise with failed rolls, risky decisions could lead to escalating disasters. A malfunctioning dice slot is a severe yet resolvable issue that demands immediate attention. Dice can be mended using scrap, which can either be bought or occasionally obtained as loot. Unfortunately, we encountered a situation where three of our dice were damaged, making the task more challenging because we could only use two actions per Cycle to manage them. However, we still had to secure supplies and fuel while dealing with this predicament. Fortunately, crewmates can naturally accumulate a specific resource once per Cycle without any action needed.

Citizen Sleeper 2 Is A Game of Cycles

In Citizen Sleeper 2, the player is constantly faced with advancing cycles, a time-sensitive aspect that influences every choice made throughout the game. The protagonist is in hiding from a relentless adversary, and this chase is reflected in the Hunt timer. Spending cycles within one of the game’s main areas advances the Hunt timer, and if it reaches full capacity, the villain will track you down. Traveling reduces the timer significantly, so it’s crucial to maintain fuel supplies and limit prolonged stays. Managing risk is essential because recovering from a disastrous mission can squander precious cycles. Despite being a turn-based text game, Citizen Sleeper 2 introduces an element of urgency typically associated with fast-paced action games like Helldivers.

In the early stages of play, players often find themselves in a fresh, unknown setting known as a hub. To discover its spots and facilities, players will have to invest dice in the process of exploration. Each location has an individual progress meter that fills up when a successful roll is made, usually leading to a narrative event, revealing a mission (or Drive in Citizen Sleeper terms), offering new resource possibilities, or granting access to certain areas. For instance, we managed to enter a gambling den multiple times by hanging out at the bar, and another time, we gained a valuable new team member. Objectives from contracts can be completed in much the same way; filling the meter through repeated successful rolls will finish the task at that location. During missions, team members can chip in their dice, with their skills adding to the player’s total, adding another level of strategic thinking when choosing the right crew for each job.

Citizen Sleeper 2’s Emergent Storytelling Makes It Highly Replayable

After we’re powered, fed, and assigned a contract, we take off from the base in our old spaceship, bound for the destination. In Citizen Sleeper 2, the game world is much larger than in Citizen Sleeper, featuring multiple hub stations and other locations to explore. Some of these places are located in hazardous regions that necessitate ship modifications for entry, making the spaceship a crucial aspect of progression. The contracts can range from straightforward asteroid mining to complex heists, with the game’s writing making both possibilities equally intriguing.

In Citizen Sleeper 2, each character class offers unique traits and special abilities known as Push skills. As the name suggests, these Push skills provide an advantage, though often at a price. For our gameplay session, we opted for the Operator class, which excels in technology and hacking but lacks in physical strength. Our Push skill lets us re-roll one die at the expense of stress, and points earned from completing missions helped us manage costs and customize benefits. Over time, a roll of six would decrease our stress, and we were guaranteed not to re-roll a one. The selected class plays a significant role in problem-solving and is a key contributor to the game’s evolving narrative. A player focused on strength could have effortlessly opened a stubborn door, whereas our Operator accumulated stress points and damaged dice by choosing a more difficult path.

In a new and improved version, Citizen Sleeper 2 surpasses its original in every aspect. It’s expansive, the stakes are high, the mechanics are refined, and mastering the core loop offers a tranquil state once grasped. For enthusiasts of tabletop games, compelling sci-fi narratives, and strategic risk vs reward gameplay, Citizen Sleeper 2 is an essential indie game to play in 2025. It’s astounding how single developers like Damien Martin Gareth, with their skill and dedication, can create games that rival big-budget franchises.

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2025-01-10 10:03