Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic

Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic is a Soviet-themed city builder in which you manage every part of a planned economy, from resource extraction and manufacturing to transport and public services. You decide what your republic builds and produces, how goods and services reach people, and how these choices affect citizens’ daily lives, happiness and loyalty.

Build your republic

Develop cities around fertile land, ore deposits and other viable building sites. You can pay market rates for raw materials and use foreign labor for quick construction, or establish construction offices where local workers build roads, bridges, homes and factories with resources gathered in the republic. Projects may require prefab panels, steel beams, gravel, concrete and other materials, which you can produce locally or import.

Trade with both the Western Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, using rubles and dollars to obtain currency, resources and technology. You can favor one side, but flooding a market with goods can bring diminishing returns, while avoiding the other bloc can limit access to technological advances.

Manage production

The simulation covers more than 30 commodities, including raw materials, processed goods and waste. Each has appropriate storage and transport requirements: liquids use tanks, pipes and pumps; ores use aggregate storage, conveyor belts and flatbed vehicles; and processed goods move in covered trucks and train cars and can be stored in warehouses. You can use forklifts for short hauls, build conveyor networks, or move goods between cities by road, rail, sea or air, with vehicles ranging from cargo helicopters to freight trains.

Organize production chains for goods your people need. Fields produce grain for bread and alcohol; clothes factories need fabric, which is made from crops, chemicals and water. You can import necessities and luxuries or manufacture them locally, including food, clothes, radios and TVs, then deliver them from factories through warehouses to local stores.

Look after citizens

Citizens go through life from childhood to old age. Provide food, clothes and alcohol, along with education and jobs. Happiness and loyalty affect whether people leave; citizens with low loyalty are more prone to crime and work less efficiently. You can improve their lives or use propaganda to get more out of them, and restrict access to opportunities where disloyal citizens could cause harm.

Electricity, water and heat are essential services, each with its own supply chain. Demand changes with the seasons, so you need to prepare for harsh winters. Schools and universities provide education, which opens higher-level jobs and access to technologies and production capabilities. Parks, theaters, radio and TV stations provide entertainment, while pools and sports fields support physical fitness. Services must be within citizens’ reach through an efficient transit system.

Connect the nation

As cities and resource hubs spread across large maps, expand your networks to move people and goods. Buses, trams, trains, subways, ships and planes carry passengers to shops and workplaces; cable cars and dirt roads can connect more remote areas. Trucks, trains, cargo planes and cargo ships move resources over long distances, with vehicle subcategories suited to different goods. Customs offices along your borders can connect your republic to foreign trade.

Customize transport infrastructure by building airports, placing train signals and designing interchanges. Road signs set speed limits and vehicle access; runway length affects which planes can use an airport. Passenger and cargo train stations can include connections for pumps, conveyor belts and forklifts. Citizens can also buy cars, and you can limit access based on education or party loyalty to manage traffic and freedom of movement.

Shape the simulation

Multiple simulations govern factors such as global market prices, electricity and water distribution, and seasonal heat demand. You can adjust settings to choose the level of complexity in different areas. The game also includes dedicated modding tools and player-created Steam Workshop mods that add buildings and vehicles.