Sumerians on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
Sumerians is a city building game set in ancient Mesopotamia. Attract new citizens and grow by expanding your irrigation system, building walls, palaces, temples and ziggurats. Research new technologies, manage your production, hire workers, and trade.
Sumerians is a simulation, strategy and city builder game
developed by Decumanus Games
and published by Melqart Games.
Released on October 17th 2023 is available only on Windows
in 4 languages: English, Spanish - Spain, French and German.
It has received 303 reviews of which 265 were positive and 38 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.1 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 16.49€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Sumerians into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Sumerians through various videos and screenshots.
Load More
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 / AMD Radeon R9 270X
- Storage: 2 GB available space
- Additional Notes: Currently integrated graphics cards are not supported.
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Sumerians, developed and published by Decumanus Games, is a city-building simulation that transports players to the dawn of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia. It distinguishes itself from modern city builders by focusing on the earliest stages of organized society, where irrigation, agriculture, and communal development formed the backbone of progress. Rather than leaning on conflict or conquest, the game emphasizes growth, balance, and careful resource management. The player’s journey begins beside a river, with a small group of settlers and a patch of fertile land. From this humble start, a sprawling city can emerge—one shaped by deliberate planning and the fragile equilibrium between water, land, and human labor. Sumerians takes its name seriously; it is less about spectacle and more about the slow, deliberate evolution of human society, evoking the spirit of early urban life where every decision carried long-term consequences. At its heart, the game is a study of systems. The foundation lies in the management of agriculture and irrigation—concepts that defined real Mesopotamian life. Building canals, distributing farmland, and ensuring that fields receive adequate water are key early-game challenges. Food production and stability determine how fast your population grows, and with growth comes complexity. The player gradually unlocks more advanced buildings and crafts, from pottery and weaving to temples and schools. Each development builds upon the previous, transforming a cluster of huts into a thriving settlement. The pacing is intentionally slow, rewarding players who appreciate incremental progress and methodical design. There is no warfare, no natural disasters, and no political crises to derail your plans; instead, Sumerians presents a quiet, introspective experience that demands patience and strategic thinking. The absence of combat may deter players accustomed to the drama of rival factions, but for those drawn to the pure art of creation and management, it offers a refreshing sense of calm focus. What makes Sumerians compelling is its approach to economic and social systems. The game introduces a distinction between state-controlled and private property, reflecting the evolving relationship between rulers, workers, and common citizens in early civilization. Public works—such as temples, irrigation systems, and administrative buildings—require state resources and centralized labor. Meanwhile, individual citizens manage their own homes and trades, contributing to the city’s overall productivity. This creates a subtle balance between autonomy and governance that feels authentic to the game’s setting. Success depends on understanding how these systems intersect; pushing expansion too fast can lead to labor shortages or food crises, while neglecting spiritual or cultural institutions may stunt population morale. As your city matures, the management of logistics becomes increasingly important. Transporters, storage depots, and workshops must operate efficiently to keep goods moving through production chains. Sumerians thrives on this network-building process, where every improvement to infrastructure ripples through the entire economy. Visually, the game adopts a minimalist but effective art style. The environments are clean, uncluttered, and purposefully stylized to highlight clarity over grandeur. Buildings are simple geometric structures rendered in soft earth tones that evoke the deserts and plains of Mesopotamia. The color palette is restrained but warm, helping establish a sense of place without overwhelming the player. This simplicity extends to the interface, which, while occasionally sparse, makes the game approachable even for those new to city-building simulations. The sound design reinforces this tone of subtle immersion, with gentle ambient music and environmental effects that underscore the tranquility of city life. The result is a meditative atmosphere where growth feels organic rather than forced. Despite the game’s historical setting, Sumerians feels timeless, its systems rooted in human ingenuity rather than in spectacle or fantasy. Where Sumerians sometimes falters is in its opacity. The game does not always explain its mechanics clearly, leaving players to discover many of its systems through experimentation. Production rates, resource throughput, and labor assignments can be difficult to interpret, and the in-game encyclopedia lacks the depth to provide consistent guidance. For some, this ambiguity adds to the charm—it evokes the trial and error of early settlers discovering what works—but for others, it may lead to frustration, particularly when complex production chains stall without obvious cause. The user interface, while functional, can feel underdeveloped in later stages when cities grow large and management becomes intricate. Players must rely heavily on intuition and observation to keep their city functioning smoothly. Yet despite these shortcomings, the process of learning and adapting is deeply satisfying. Every mistake becomes a lesson, and each new discovery reinforces the sense that you are truly mastering the ancient art of civilization-building. The lack of combat or external threats also shapes the game’s pacing and tone. Sumerians is about internal tension—the quiet struggle to balance expansion and stability. You’re not defending borders or conquering enemies; instead, you’re defending against inefficiency and imbalance. The game’s challenge emerges from your own ambition: how far can you push your city before it collapses under its own weight? This introspective design choice makes the game feel personal, almost meditative. For players accustomed to crisis-driven city builders, the absence of overt danger might feel strange, but for others, it provides space to experiment, to plan without fear, and to appreciate the beauty of steady progress. It’s a game that rewards observation more than reaction, making each milestone—be it a new temple, a bustling market, or a thriving irrigation network—feel genuinely earned. Sumerians ultimately succeeds as a thoughtful and historically grounded simulation that prioritizes systems over spectacle. It captures the essence of what it must have felt like to guide humanity’s first steps toward organized society: the reliance on rivers, the construction of temples, the birth of trade and bureaucracy. Its simplicity hides surprising depth, and its deliberate pace invites reflection. Though the game still shows signs of its indie roots—occasional rough edges in design, limited documentation, and a restrained presentation—it stands out for its authenticity and elegance. It’s not about building empires or fighting wars; it’s about nurturing life from the soil and watching civilization take form piece by piece. For players seeking a slow, immersive, and intellectually satisfying city builder, Sumerians offers a rare and rewarding experience that reminds us that sometimes the greatest stories are not about conquest, but about creation. Rating: 8/10
Expand the review
This is a tough one, it's a nice little city builder with a very unique setting you can easily sink a lot of hours into, but wow is it sensitive. It's a constant balancing act where the slightest mistake can send you into a death spiral where you don't have enough citizens to stock your food production buildings and nothing is getting constructed. Once you have a decent base of grain production though, you can plan your city and just sit back and watch it take form. Sometimes things move faster than other city builders, sometimes progress grinds to a halt and stays there for hours. It's definitely worth a go for the setting alone
Expand the review
This is a game without great ambitions, but you can see that the developer had clear ideas and brought them to completion. A beautiful and flawless city planner. The campaign, nice and with a "tutorial" approach, ends in less than 15 hours of play. Things I liked: - the division between production and service buildings, in public (in the hands of the player) and private (self-managed) - The intelligent use of walls as a game element - the perception of a truly "Sumerian" setting - making mistakes is not punitive Things I didn't like: - the management of diseases, very little dangerous, through the intervention of the player (more dangerous diseases, with automatic management linked to the level of doctors in the city would be better) - Once you have exceeded 5000 inhabitants and have built the ziggurat, you have basically finished the game Proposals for improvement: - cataclysms, heavy epidemics or some serious danger among the difficulty options - Achievements! So we can have goals to keep playing
Expand the review
62 hours in, Sumerians remains my city builder of choice. Here are a few reasons why. I get to focus on buildings, because, Sumerians is not a roadway engineer simulator. Residents path find their way to jobs automatically, allowing a type of urban design I wish games with a more contemporary setting allowed for. Planing economic development and trade to expand state capacity. Unlike other city builders economic nodes are not simply abstracted into dollars, and government isn't relegated into skimming off taxes. Instead, you, the planner has the freedom to develop supply chains, and construct industries themselves. If you're bored of the monotony of City Skylines type games Sumerians is a refreshing alternative setting and structure that got me re-invested in the genera.
Expand the review
So far in my playtime this has been a wonderful and unique city builder! I haven't seen a economy system like it that endeavours to more accurately portray ancient societies and it is a interesting mechanic, balancing between state and private workers/industry. I've also been hankering for a city builder in this period and area too and this nicely scratches the itch. However, there are two catches to recommending this. One is isn't the most complex game, you're not gonna be peeling back layers of systems. Then secondly, and this is something most people won't face, I am mad enough to use Linux as my primary OS and running through Proton GE there are some serious performance issues that I have not seen in other games. The game barely hits above 30fps and I don't know why, but sometimes you'll be hit by a sudden slowdown which puts the game down to 7fps and you have to restart to fix this. This is also with a system well above the recommended specs so for anyone thinking about taking this on the go on your Steam Deck, bare this in mind. Otherwise, solid recommend! Native Linux support would be nice, but this is a small minority here.
Expand the review
Similar games
View all
Manor Lords
Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles, and complex economic and social simulations. Rule your lands as a medieval lord – the seasons pass, the weather changes, and cities rise and fall.
Children of the Nile: Enhanced Edition
Children of the Nileâ„¢ is a unique gem of a city-building game, unparalleled in both grandeur and attention to detail.As Pharaoh you will guide your people through thousands of years of history: from simple hunter-gatherers to the creation of an immortal civilization.
Rise of Industry
Put your entrepreneurial skills to the test in the first title in the ROI series as you create & optimise intricate production lines. As an early 20th-Century industrialist, grow your empire & adapt to an ever-changing business landscape with unexpected events that could lead to boom…or bust.
Blacksmith Master
Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master.
Oxygen: First Breath
This is a free version of Oxygen, featuring the first 50 game-days. Build your city around the Oxygen Center and ensure your people's survival in a post-apocalyptic future, threatened by crack explosions, deadly winds, droughts and frosts. Lead your people and keep the Oxygen Center running!
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic
Build a soviet republic from an impoverished country into a rich industrial superpower in a city builder with intricate production chains and a fully simulated global economy. Manage the lives of your citizens from education to work and party loyalty to criminal activity.
Builders of Greece
Immerse yourself in the beautifully recreated golden age of Hellenic city-states. Builders of Greece is a city management game that lets you display your strategic and economic mastery. Build your Polis from scratch, make meaningful decisions, trade, fight and expand to become the ultimate ruler.
Another Brick in The Mall
Design, build and manage a giant shopping center. Open shops, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys and more. Hire and manage the best staff for the job and milk your customers for all they're worth!
Project AURA
Project Aura is a micro management game where you lead a Colony of Climate Disaster Survivors. You have been assigned the mission to build an habitat capable of survival in this new unknown world.
Anno 117: Pax Romana
Shape the Roman Empire in this genre-defining strategic builder game. Build cities while expanding your influence through Roman provinces. Govern using your economic prowess, diplomatic skills, or military might.
Against the Storm
A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization's last survivors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sumerians is currently priced at 16.49€ on Steam.
Sumerians is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 16.49€ on Steam.
Sumerians received 265 positive votes out of a total of 303 achieving a rating of 8.08.
😎
Sumerians was developed by Decumanus Games and published by Melqart Games.
Sumerians is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Sumerians is not playable on MacOS.
Sumerians is not playable on Linux.
Sumerians is a single-player game.
There is a DLC available for Sumerians. Explore additional content available for Sumerians on Steam.
Sumerians does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Sumerians does not support Steam Remote Play.
Sumerians is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Sumerians.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 26 January 2026 10:30 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 28 January 2026 12:30 |
| Steam price | 30 January 2026 12:50 |
| Steam reviews | 28 January 2026 05:58 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Sumerians, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Sumerians
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Sumerians concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Sumerians compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
1
Developer
Decumanus Games
Publisher
Melqart Games
Release
17 Oct 2023
Platforms