Bengaluru-based Tentworks Interactive will be unveiling their debut game City Block Builder at prestigious global gaming congress PAX West in Seattle. Tentworks Interactive said it will launch the PC game for early access on September 22.
The competition in City Block Builder is derived from the core theme of the game — the user is expected to take over a block or a part of the city of LA and launch businesses with real-life scenarios. City Block Builder is a combination of tycoon, simulation, and business strategy that aims to recreate the subculture that games like Sims, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and other leading tycoon games built in the early 2000s.
Tentworks said that while City Block Builder is classified as a tycoon game, it is a departure from the genre itself in terms of the way it progresses. "The game with its innovative "organic AI" understands the user’s behaviour, presenting a multitude of scenarios. This feature is revolutionary in the tycoon realm, which has a history of linear gameplay," it said. Users can choose from a variety of businesses and scenarios, rather than the usual method followed by earlier tycoon games.
In development for over a year and now launching for early access, Tentworks Interactive said it will continue to crowdsource feedback through their communication channels like Discord and Twitter, and will further develop and grow the game.
Tentworks Interactive CEO Jayaditt Basani said, “It gives me great pride to launch this game at PAX West for pre-orders and represent the emerging Indian gaming industry. We are the only indie gaming studio in the country that is bringing back the highly popular tycoon genre. City Block Builder is a unique presentation of 1950's Los Angeles, animated and inspired by comic books, and offers a well-curated storyline that builds entrepreneurial skills of users.”
Basani further added, "Gaming is an exciting space in the country at the moment. While real-money gaming has brought in the urge to compete in the gaming space, PC games that embody such competitiveness will experience growth in India driven by innovation. While India is a mobile-first market, 30% of mobile gamers eventually graduate to PC games for a better experience and that's the space that we want to be in."
Tentworks said City Block Builder is Tentworks Interactives debut game, and is looking to launch more in the 18-24 months.