Nivalis Nights

Berlin-based independent studio Ion Lands, the team behind Cloudpunk, announced this game in 2021 under the simple name Nivalis. Since then, the team has refined this cyberpunk slice-of-life simulation, combining narrative elements, life simulation and management gameplay. "As an independent studio, developing this game meant overcoming hurdles we've never faced before, and we are incredibly grateful to our community for their patience over the last five years," says Marko Dieckmann, Creative Director.

Nivalis Nights takes place in the eponymous city from Cloudpunk. Set in a district on the brink due to CorpSec crackdowns and a serial killer, players start with a humble noodle stall before working their way up to owning the city's best restaurants and most popular nightclubs. They can also buy or grow their own ingredients — or sabotage their rivals. However, it's not just about the business side of things. Players can also explore the city by boat, go fishing, customise homes, and take part in high-stakes cyberpunk chess tournaments.

The core gameplay loop of the game is described by the developers as follows: "This game is a unique combination of narrative, life simulation, and management gameplay, where the core experience revolves around discovering the interconnected stories of its inhabitants by interacting with them and building relationships. You'll spend a lot of your time following quests across the city, unraveling the mysteries of the plot and getting to know its main characters. On top of that, there are management elements. During your day, you can decide how much time to dedicate to the story and when to focus on growing your restaurant business. You’ll buy ingredients, upgrade your venue, hire and manage staff, expand into new districts, and more."

Players can discover the stories of the city's inhabitants and develop relationships with them. With over 130 characters to interact with, side quests play a significant role in the game. Each character has their own goals, background and personality. Players can therefore always decide how to spend their time in the neon-lit metropolis and explore its different districts, all of which feature a weather system. The day-and-night cycle is not just a visual gimmick — day and night offer different opportunities, and the curfew is there for a reason.

As players progress through the story, they will unlock new locations to explore and be able to travel between districts using automated systems such as HOVA taxis and trains. The city is divided into large districts, and players will be able to travel between them despite loading screens. Within each district, players can freely explore the area and the interiors of most businesses. They can purchase restaurants and other venues to expand their business, as well as apartments and standalone houses in various locations around the city. While it is not possible to drive cars, players can pilot their own boat to reach areas connected to the waters surrounding the city.

However, an additional round of optimisation would have been beneficial, as the game's performance isn't quite where it should be yet. An initial patch has already been released, and another patch containing performance improvements is in development. "For example, we’ve been working on a light culling system to improve rendering performance in larger scenes, and we’re also looking into ways to further improve character simulation performance – a deep and complex topic in its own right," the team writes on Steam.

The game is being developed by Ion Lands, a Berlin-based studio which operates entirely remotely. Founded in 2015 by Marko Dieckmann, the studio's first release was Phoning Home. Dieckmann then remained true to his passion for sci-fi by experimenting with voxel art. After creating several prototypes, Ion Lands developed Cloudpunk, a story-driven delivery simulation set in a cyberpunk city. This world is revisited in Nivalis Nights, Ion Lands' third game, which 505 Games had been observing for some time before coming on board as publisher. "We have been excited about this project for a long time, and watching it come to life has been an extraordinary and rewarding experience," said Neil Ralley, President of 505 Games.

505 Games, a subsidiary of Digital Bros, is a global publisher of video games across all major platforms. The Italian company is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Rami Galante, joint CEO of 505’s parent company Digital Bros and co-founder of 505 Games, said: "When we started, we weren’t thinking about milestones or imagining where 505 Games would be 20 years later. Our focus was on building storing partnerships, bringing great games to players, and earning our place in a highly competitive industry. Reaching this milestone is something we’re incredibly grateful for." Since 2006, 505 Games has published and distributed over 200 games on consoles, PCs and mobile platforms. The publisher's catalogue includes titles such as the Assetto Corsa franchise, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Terraria, Ghostrunner, Human Fall Flat, and Portal Knights, which was developed by Keen Games.

Nivalis Nights was released for PC on 29 September 2026, priced at €24.99.

Conclusion

Nivalis Nights is a cozy slice-of-life simulation game set in a spectacular cyberpunk city.

Features

• Cozy Cyberpunk Slice-of-Life Sim
• Management Gameplay Meets Narrative Experience
• Very Atmospheric Neon-lit Metropolis