A game that I’ve loved for more than four years is Jiangnan Baijingtu, a Chinese-style historical decoration and management game. The core mechanics are collecting resources through exploration, constructing buildings (for production, recreation, and administration), and managing city growth by expanding land and attracting more civilians. A well-balanced city leads to more wealth, talented individuals, and beautiful buildings—even the possibility of building a grand new city.
The game dynamics are very attractive. On one hand, the game fosters interaction between players: you can visit each other’s cities, leave comments, and the game will give prizes to highly rated designs. This creates a dynamic where players are motivated to improve the visual and functional design of their cities. On the other hand, the developers introduce seasonal tasks or challenges with unique building collections or attractive game characters as rewards. These limited-time challenges keep players engaged and inspire creativity and consistent participation.
The aesthetic this game delivers for me is the joy of expression. I often share my city layouts and design ideas with both local and remote friends. Sometimes, we even collaborate to plan new city designs together. The freedom to create a city that reflects my taste—and the ability to appreciate others’ designs—makes the experience deeply satisfying and fun.
