Hometopia Test

Hometopia is a simulation game in which you are an interior decorator, landscaper, builder, planner and more. Indeed, your goal is to create unique living environments specific to the needs of their virtual customers. 

One of the interesting aspects of the game is the variety of roles that the player can acquire over the course of the game. This helps to vary the game's actions and prevents it from becoming repetitive too quickly. NationHive had the opportunity to gain exclusive access and try out the game before its official release on Steam on September 27, 2023. In this test article, we'll dive into the world of Hometopia to find out what it has to offer.

A thousand and one possibilities

As soon as you open the game, you'll be greeted by a multitude of decorating and matching options. Not only can you decorate every corner of a room, it's also possible for you to customize several elements of your creations, including the wall color, for example. The in-game design tool interface makes it easy even for novice players, while experienced players can let their creativity run wild.

As mentioned, you're not just an interior decorator or landscaper, your role is much broader as you aim to create unique living environments specific to the needs of your virtual clients. The game relies on a procedural generation system to create a variety of challenges, meaning that each game will be unique. As the game progresses, you'll discover new types of jobs.

Not only will you discover a multitude of tasks in various fields, you'll also have the chance to decorate your own home, and not only that, you'll be able to own properties! Indeed, at a certain point in the game, you'll be able to buy new land and build houses from scratch.

Simplistic, minimalist, materialistic and demanding customers await you

Some Hometopia customers can be a little more demanding, and that's what makes the game challenging. Each of them has specific interior design preferences, and it's up to you to satisfy them in order to earn positive reviews and build your reputation. With the dynamic work system implemented in the game, you'll have the opportunity to test your renovation and design skills while being strategic at the same time!

Too many construction contracts for you? Do you need help?

Thanks to the game's cooperative function (not available for the demo, but will be on release), you can get your friends together to collaborate on an entire neighborhood! That's right, you can create your dream renovation team and even build your dream home together. You'll be able to work with 4 other players (or fewer) for construction sessions.

How Hometopia stands out from other games in the same genre

Hometopia stands out not only for its graphics, palette of options and attention to detail, but every element, from the texture of materials to lighting effects, contributes to creating a realistic virtual world. The fact that you can perform various types of tasks and even buy properties to manage them rendered at a certain point in the game is quite interesting. What's more, the ability to play multiplayer adds a little bonus.

However, there are a few drawbacks and possible improvements to mention. The interface when installing furniture may seem unintuitive to some, as it is not yet possible to activate a function that allows you to see the symmetry of walls or buildings. The ability to place an artificial grid on walls or floors can be very useful for making things a little more symmetrical when decorating or building. When placing multiple windows, counters, ceiling lights or cabinets, for example. We also encountered a few bugs, though it's important to bear in mind that we were testing a trial version of the game, which may well explain this.

Conclusion

The combination of a unique concept, deep customization, graphics with attention to detail and an active social component (co-op possibilities) makes this a very promising game.

Hometopia is scheduled for release on Steam on September 27, 2023. It's a date not to be missed. Get ready to create out-of-the-ordinary living spaces, or simply the home of your dreams. You can also embark on the mission of fulfilling the requests of demanding customers to build your reputation and explore a universe of infinite possibilities.