Right before Christmas 2022, developer Bulwark Studios and publisher Kasedo Games released a Sci-Fi city-builder titled IXION on Steam. I admittedly knew little about the game, but as a fan of Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus, a tactical strategy game by the same duo, I decided to give it a shot. It ended up being one of my favorite games of 2022, and the city builder is now set to hit PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in early 2025.
In IXION, players take on the role of the Administrator of the Tiqqun, a prototype space station built by one of the most powerful and influential companies on Earth, DOLOS. An unexpected cataclysmic event occurs and the station suddenly becomes humanity’s last bastion of survival as it soars through space. It’s rare to see a quality story in a city-builder, but IXION‘s is top-notch especially for fans of science fiction.
As you progress through IXION you’ll not only unlock more building elements and features, but learn more about the stations creators, the cataclysmic event that occurred, and more while also making decisions that will affect the human race in its entirety. The only other game I can really think of to compare it to is Frostpunk in that you’ll often be tasked with making tough decisions that you think are the best in the moment.
I’ll admit, I’m not entirely convinced that a more intricate city builder like IXION will feel quite as intuitive on a controller as opposed to a keyboard and mouse. But with how much IXION continuously surprised me when I played through it, I’m confident that if anyone can pull it off it’s Bulwark Studios.
IXION is scheduled to release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in Q1 2025. It’s currently available on PC via Steam.
