Lego Skylines developers aim for visible

The developers of the upcoming city-builder Lego Skylines want players to see their city's problems directly in the world, not only on statistics screens. Game director Lasse Liljedahl told Rock Paper Shotgun that the goal is for everything players need to manage to be visible while zooming around their plastic brick metropolis.

If crime rates are high, players will witness robberies and see Lego police officers chasing criminals. Fires will trigger responses from nearby fire stations, with trucks or helicopters arriving to douse the flames. Liljedahl explained this contrasts with the original Cities: Skylines, where many underlying systems have indirect consequences. In the Lego version, the team feels the results of city management should be evident.

Balancing systems with brand tone

However, portraying these urban challenges requires careful consideration of the Lego brand's family-friendly image. Producer Joanna Ronkanen stated that while real cities deal with crime, sickness, and fires, the team had to examine how to visualize these elements appropriately. The developers are drawing inspiration from the tone of recent Lego movies, aiming to incorporate a similar style of humour.

Ronkanen cited the example from a trailer where a firefighter is distracted, toasting a hotdog instead of focusing on the blaze. Liljedahl added that while the game's complexity makes it primarily for adults, it should be suitable for children to watch being played. Ensuring everything remains family friendly is their top priority.

The unsolved challenge of homelessness

Despite progress on visualizing many issues, the team acknowledges an ongoing challenge: depicting homelessness. Ronkanen admitted the solution is not finalised, but the developers are actively discussing how to visualise the problem without being dark or inappropriate for a family audience.

One proposed idea involves a minifigure walking down the street holding a cell phone, ostensibly looking for apartment listings. Another suggestion is for homeless minifigures to carry signs reading 'house wanted'. Ronkanen noted this approach would be similar to how disgruntled civilians are shown in games like Anno 1800. The team is committed to finding a way to make the issue visible to players within the game's established tone.

Gameplay shifts and new complexities

A hands-on session revealed that Lego Skylines is a proper city-builder with systems expected from titles like Cities: Skylines or Anno, but wrapped in a colourful Lego aesthetic. Some mechanics have been simplified while others have gained depth, shifting where player attention is required.

For instance, connecting buildings to the power grid no longer requires placing individual pylons. Players only need a road touching both the utility station and the building, regardless of distance. This simplification is balanced by a more involved set of tools for beautifying neighbourhoods and business districts.

Investing time in decoration, such as adding swings for children or park benches for bird watching, increases citizen happiness and output. The demands on the player are familiar, but the points of engagement have changed. The developers' dual goals of creating a fully-featured city-builder and one that better communicates city dynamics are driving these design choices, including the ongoing effort to visually represent complex societal issues.