1980
Released Aug 2020
Welcome to the 1980s! This is a city which just started to develop, and you're in charge of this small urban village. How will the city's future be tied to this place? Manage your land, construct new buildings, explore the stories, and find out the ultimate fate of this urban village!
88% positive · 685 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to get it
Free on Steam
Evaluation
1980 is a free-to-play indie city-builder released on August 31, 2020 by a solo developer. The only post-launch update on record is a small quality-of-life patch from October 3, 2020 that added a tutorial skip button. No major content updates, expansions, roadmaps, or announcements of future content have ever been made. The developer has not posted any communication since October 3, 2020. There are no unreleased DLC listings. The store description reads as a complete, self-contained experience centered on a single narrative premise — managing an urban village through gentrification — with no mention of planned updates or ongoing development. Given the absence of any update pattern, future content commitments, or developer communications in over five years, this game appears to have launched as a finished product and received one minor patch before development activity ceased.
Evidence
Store description presents the game as a self-contained narrative experience about managing an urban village, with no mention of planned updates, expansions, or ongoing development.
Solo developer released a small patch adding a tutorial skip button. This is the only post-launch update and the last known developer communication.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Merxon22
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows, macOS
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Single-player
About this game
In 1980, this is a city which just started to develop, and you’re in charge of a small urban village. Manage this place carefully! You will witness its connection with this city and the changes taking place as the city develops. Eventually, when it is surrounded by skyscrapers, what will happen to it under the fate of being gentrified?
In this urban village, you can:
This game is inspired by Gangxia Village, an urban village in Shenzhen, China. Such villages have a more unique history comparing to other residential areas. They have accompanied Shenzhen since the 1980s, the time when the city just started to develop. Immigrant workers who were seeking for better opportunities and lives arrived here and settled in urban villages, making Shenzhen one of the fastest-developing cities.
Despite some problems brought by the high population density, the rent prices in urban villages were more affordable. Therefore, it was the choice of numerous immigrant workers, since they didn't have enough money to purchase a house in the big city. They came to Shenzhen for different reasons. But eventually, their work allowed Shenzhen to develop from a small fishing village into a major city containing over 10 million people in just 40 years.
However, in such a fast-growing place, new things always replace the old ones. Due to the rapid city growth and several factors, many urban villages in Shenzhen are now facing the fate of being gentrified. The fact is: before Gangxia Village, Baishizhou, another urban village in Shenzhen, was already facing gentrification. Immigrant workers who settled themselves there will have to find another place or return home.
It is an undeniable fact that all urban villages will gradually disappear in our city and being replaced by modern buildings. However, we cannot forget how remarkable they are in Shenzhen's development: they made dreams possible. This is why I developed this game: to tell the stories behind this.
Enjoy the Game!
In this urban village, you can:
- Try to fit in as many population as you can within limited space!
- Attract immigrants by posting ads!
- Renovate your urban village and purchase new stuff to increase the attractiveness!
- Explore different characters' stories as the city develops!
Background
This game is inspired by Gangxia Village, an urban village in Shenzhen, China. Such villages have a more unique history comparing to other residential areas. They have accompanied Shenzhen since the 1980s, the time when the city just started to develop. Immigrant workers who were seeking for better opportunities and lives arrived here and settled in urban villages, making Shenzhen one of the fastest-developing cities.
Despite some problems brought by the high population density, the rent prices in urban villages were more affordable. Therefore, it was the choice of numerous immigrant workers, since they didn't have enough money to purchase a house in the big city. They came to Shenzhen for different reasons. But eventually, their work allowed Shenzhen to develop from a small fishing village into a major city containing over 10 million people in just 40 years.
However, in such a fast-growing place, new things always replace the old ones. Due to the rapid city growth and several factors, many urban villages in Shenzhen are now facing the fate of being gentrified. The fact is: before Gangxia Village, Baishizhou, another urban village in Shenzhen, was already facing gentrification. Immigrant workers who settled themselves there will have to find another place or return home.
It is an undeniable fact that all urban villages will gradually disappear in our city and being replaced by modern buildings. However, we cannot forget how remarkable they are in Shenzhen's development: they made dreams possible. This is why I developed this game: to tell the stories behind this.
Enjoy the Game!
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 24, 2026
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