eterans of the SimCity franchise know the satisfaction that comes from successfully juggling pollution, traffic, and commercial concerns while keeping a watchful eye on financial reports. For other gamers, the complexities of a growing city can be daunting. In a surprising move for the series, SimCity Societies has ditched long-standing conventions like zoning and budgets. Even more surprising, however, is the fact that the game still holds up as an addictive and engaging simulation.

The biggest change is the shift in emphasis from traditional money to cultural currency. Cold, hard cash is still used for erecting structures, but the focus is on the ideals of the community you want to create. This approach does an excellent job of allowing players to craft a unique identity for their cities. Whether you want a religious podunk farm town or a vast authoritarian dystopia, all you need to do is build the appropriate structures to build cultural capital, then spend it on things that cater to those values. It’s especially cool to see how your decisions feed off of each other; placing items that encourage the Prosperity trait will eventually unlock better structures in that style, kind of like a societal tech tree.

You’ll never find yourself in a downward spiral in terms of finance; careless planning only results in a town full of loafabouts, criminals, and malcontents. This safety net makes it easy to experiment with what Societies can offer, but it also puts a limitation on how deep you can dig. That’s the key issue that keeps Societies from living up to the hallowed SimCity name: It doesn’t give you as much incentive to keep playing. New buildings are the main rewards, but without the more complicated diversions of city management, there isn’t much challenge in obtaining them.

SimCity Societies is ultimately a step down from its predecessors, but it doesn’t fall so far to be considered a blunder. You may not sink as much time into this installment, but the reinvention of the gameplay mechanics results in an inventive array of new problems to solve.