Economia

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Overview

I built Economia to make economics something players can experience through decisions, rather than only learn from a textbook. It’s a calm city-building game for people who enjoy management games and for students who want to see how economic ideas work in practice. You begin as the mayor of a small town and shape its growth through roads, zoning, public services, taxes, and policies.

The city responds over time. New housing may ease rent pressure, but only after it is built and occupied. More businesses may create jobs, but they also need workers and customers. By working within a limited budget and watching these effects unfold, players explore scarcity, supply and demand, trade-offs, and the role of public investment.

Economia began as an idea for my Middle Years Programme personal project, for which I developed a platformer game. As I took development further, I realised that a platformer did not allow me to incorporate economic concepts well. That led me to create Economia as it is now: a city-builder.

What I built

I built Economia in Godot around a daily simulation of households, businesses, housing, jobs, goods, prices, and city finances. Players can build and zone a neighborhood, respond to shortages or budget pressure, and gradually expand into new districts. The game includes a guided First Steps mode and an Open City mode where players can keep developing the same city.

One of my biggest challenges was making the simulation understandable. Economic changes often take time, and several things can affect a result at once. I added previews that show an action’s cost and likely effects, city signals that point players toward emerging problems, and later reviews that compare expected and actual outcomes. My goal was for players to understand why their city changed and use that insight to make their next decision.