There is a lot to be said about how indie game developers create unique approaches to gameplay concepts and genres we as players are already familiar with. After sitting down to play D-topia by developer Marumittu Games, I knew I’d be hooked. Just thinking about a puzzle game that meshes role-playing elements in a gorgeous, cel-shaded world sounds like an unreal concept.
As the story of D-topia goes, you’re Number 46, a Facilitator tasked with repairing things in the utopian city of D-topia, where everything is convenient and nothing goes wrong (which is a little strange considering they need to hire a person whose sole job is to repair things). As you venture through D-topia, you’ll befriend some of its residents and resolve their problems by using your Facilitator know-how.
Repairs are in the form of puzzle-based minigames that actually force you to sit down and battle with your brain to convince yourself you’ve got this. The puzzles take place in what the game calls the Block Side, which is like a parallel dimension void of color that lets Facilitators see where problems are. It also lets them see mice, for some reason. The preview challenged me with a few simple puzzles, but they were enough to make me worry about what they’ll look like in the later game.
Concerning the role-playing aspect, the preview didn’t dive too deep into it, but it looks like you can form deep friendships throughout D-topia! You can earn friendship levels with the colorful characters you come across, which help you learn more about their stories and unlock different cutscenes. As I played through the game, I couldn’t help but feel like I was playing an alternative dimension version of the Nintendo Switch mainline Pokemon games, except without the little critters and a bigger focus on relationships.
In the background of the cute and creative gameplay is a curious story that questions the world of D-topia and Number 46’s role in it. The bright and inviting world might have a white and clean exterior, but the artificial intelligence that runs the city has something else in store. Fortunately, you do have a little bit of say, which can help determine if D-topia is really a utopia or if there are more problems that people don’t talk about. If I think about it too hard, D-topia really mirrors the way the world is spinning right now.
All in all, the preview for D-topia was an exciting introduction to the game’s world and fave me a flavor of what to expect when it launches in 2026. It seems like a title that fans of more complex puzzle games like The Talos Principle and the gentle pacing and gameplay of titles like Harold Halibut would enjoy. I feel that there really aren’t many games that fit this particular niche, and I’m glad that we’ll get to experience the entire game in all its glory soon!
