Citizen Sleeper 2: Success, Pressure, and Expanding RPGs

Citizen Sleeper 2: Success, Pressure, and Expanding RPGs

Citizen Sleeper, released in 2022, achieved unexpected success, reaching over a million players via Game Pass. Its creator, Gareth Damian Martin (Jump Over the Age), reflects on the challenges and opportunities this success brought.

Navigating Success and Pressure

Martin discusses the initial disorientation of sudden fame, emphasizing the importance of setting limits and focusing on players’ experiences rather than personal pressures. Success, however, also carries the responsibility to influence the industry’s direction.

Martin expresses a desire to expand the definition of RPGs, drawing inspiration from the rich variety of tabletop games. Citizen Sleeper 2 is a response to this, a sequel born from both fan expectations and a desire for positive change in the genre.

Citizen Sleeper 2: A Different Approach

Citizen Sleeper 2 was deliberately designed to be different from its predecessor. Inspired by shows like Firefly and Cowboy Bebop, and even drawing from and diverging from Mass Effect 2, the sequel introduces a ship, allowing for exploration of different hubs and encounters with diverse characters.

The game enhances its RPG elements with systems like Stress and multi-stage Contract missions. Character classes are more specialized, encouraging strategic choices. Martin’s personal health struggles also influenced the game’s development, shaping its themes of entropy and resilience.

A Human Story

Citizen Sleeper 2 maintains the human-centric focus of the original, exploring themes of war, identity, and personal struggles. Martin plans for Citizen Sleeper 2 to be the final game in the video game series, intending to eventually create a Citizen Sleeper tabletop RPG.