Should you try out Citizen Sleeper in 2025?

Citizen Sleeper is a futuristic role-playing game set in a dystopian reality. Developed by Jump Over the Age and published by Fellow Traveller, the gaming community embraced this unique and ambitious tabletop adventure from indie developers. Life on the Erlin's Eye is harsh and not for the faint of heart, which makes it an interesting game to play in 2025.

The game was released in 2022 and is available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, macOS, and Nintendo Switch. While the initial reaction to this indie project was met with much confusion and skepticism, players immediately fell in love with the concept after learning the ropes and understanding the lore after a few hours.

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Citizen Sleeper is a great tabletop role-playing game

The gaming community should give Citizen Sleeper a fair shot (Image via Fellow Traveller)

Before being thrown onto the space station, the game allows the players to customize their Sleeper with unique classes and features. Players must be mindful of their stat levels, such as engineering skills, strong intuition, endurance, interface, and willingness to engage in a situation head-on. Citizen Sleeper is dynamic, and players have plenty of options for designing their characters.

After gaining consciousness and escaping the clutches of the evil corporation that put Sleepers in their place, players are sent to Erlin's Eye, an abandoned space station with a few other inhabitants and factions fighting to stay alive.

The gameplay and structure feel similar to other games, such as Disco Elysium, where player choice has more bearing on the outcome.

Sleepers were once human, but their consciousness was uploaded into a metal husk owned by a corporation that wants to force sleepers into labor until their metallic bodies give out. This game is about survival and sleepers making a path for themselves; however, they must play ball and do what they were meant to do.

• Machinist — This class can speak for itself. Sleepers in the machinist class work closely with machinery and must have a good sense of direction. If they get lucky, they can earn a little extra after an honest day's work on the Eye.
• Operators — This class is more inclined to work with computer software and is likely less useful in other tasks. However, if sleepers need a way to hack into heavy-duty security measures, operators are perfect for this scenario.
• Extractors — This class is more about the physical aspect of being a sleeper. After working their butts off on the eye extractors have a striking physique but have less intuition. This class is more about using their muscles instead of their heads to get through situations.

After selecting a class, players are sent on their merry way to fulfill their duties on Erlin's Eye. Early on, players can view the different parts of the space station by scrolling on their mouse wheel, converse with other NPCs, and make friends or enemies.

Players can forge friendships or burn bridges depending on their actions. The developers designed Citizen Sleeper to be an immersive experience with lasting consequences.

Taking inspiration from the tabletop genre, Citizen Sleeper utilized dice, drives, and clocks to determine your sleeper's daily job. Players will get paid after a job and use their earnings to survive the harsh and cruel conditions of the Eye.

Rolling the dice will determine how well players will perform at a certain job. Complete enough drives, and players will unlock unique rewards and outcomes.

It is worth noting that this game will not hold the player's hand. Citizen Sleeper is a customizable story that changes depending on what a sleeper does in-game. It wouldn't be a bad idea to stay civil towards other sleepers, remain neutral between different factions, and play by the rules to avoid painting a target on their backs.

The interface and UI may overwhelm some players with what to do. Not everyone is interested in reading hundreds of texts to get through a conversation.

Despite these creative decisions, the developers envisioned this game to be played with great care and attention. It is reminiscent of classic games when voice acting in video games was still uncommon.

There is no denying the developers have great taste in style and art direction (Image via Fellow Traveller)

This genre may not appeal to everyone, especially in an industry dominated by online multiplayer games and triple-A single-player experiences; however, players will feel a different sense of fulfillment for accomplishing tasks and progressing the story.

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Conclusion

Citizen Sleeper is a rare gaming experience that can't be found elsewhere nowadays (Image via Fellow Traveller)

Citizen Sleeper is a game worth a try in 2025, especially with its sequel releasing soon and countless endings that can be unlocked depending on the player's choice. The story is roughly 7 hours long, and players can blast through the linear narrative without overstaying its welcome. If you are still on the fence about this game, give it a shot before turning it down.