- Publisher: Fellow Traveller
- Release Date: Mar 31, 2023
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
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Mar 29, 2023It's not often that a game grabs me in quite the way Citizen Sleeper has. By stripping a video game adventure to its barest components and then manipulating those components to create just the right balance of hope and despair it successfully conveys the drama and danger of its small slice of sci-fi storytelling. Top-notch writing, impeccable narrative design and inviting tabletop mechanics accompanied by gorgeous art and music serve only to elevate it even more. Play this bloody game.
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Mar 31, 2023Citizen Sleeper is a great mix of a narrative adventure and a tabletop game.
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Mar 30, 2023Absolutely overflowing with evocative characters, situations and stunning world building, Citizen Sleeper effortlessly punches its ticket as one of the best narrative adventures on PS5. Sure enough, the lo-fi presentation and plodding tabletop mechanics won't be for everyone, but for everyone else Citizen Sleeper is a beautifully written, often emotional cyberpunk adventure that will linger long in the mind long after completion.
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Mar 30, 2023Half literature, half RPG, Citizen Sleeper successfully unites its many facets to create inventive and thoughtful science fiction. Deep human issues are addressed in several sweet and melancholy subplots that weave together to form a life that is up to you to manage however you can. The paths do not lead to opposite roads, but it is up to whoever holds the controller to decide which trails to follow and which stories will have their attention and their dice rolls to build their uncertain daily life. Keep in mind that reading English well is essential for everything Citizen Sleeper has to offer.
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PLAYSep 16, 2023It’s a compelling loop for most of your playtime, as you always feel like you’re trying to unspool a dense tangle of genuinely great character threads with not quite enough resources to do so. You’re forced to make difficult choices about your priorities, thinking tactically about which events could benefit the most from high rolls and which you can make do on with lower ones. This unravels in the back half as the friction gives way and you can comfortably coast forever, taking out some of the bite for late-game events. [Issue#27, p.75]
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Mar 30, 2023Unfortunately the game falters somewhat at the end, with multiple conclusions that don't feel particularly fulfilling. However, overall the journey is a worthwhile one. Citizen Sleeper hooks you with its elegant presentation, thoughtful narrative, and memorable characters, and despite one or two small missteps, it's an engrossing, atmospheric experience worth a roll of the dice.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 5
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Mixed: 2 out of 5
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Negative: 0 out of 5
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Apr 9, 2023
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May 2, 2023