Spomenik is a recursive city-builder game in which you build a city on multiple levels – in reality, and in its inhabitants’ dreams.

The inspiration for the game came mainly from growing up surrounded by 60s and 70s brutalist architecture in Belgrade, and from reading A Pattern Language by Alexander et al.

The Blok 23 neighbourhood in Belgrade. The Blok 23 neighbourhood in Belgrade.

Unfortunately, the majority of my generation views these buildings as simply “ugly”, while ignoring the symbolism of how, why, and for whom they were built. As is the case with many “brutalist” housing projects across the world in recent years, Novi Beograd’s housing projects are generally not in high regard among the population.

The Tjentište monument. (credit) The Tjentište monument. (credit)

On the flip side of the aesthetic coin there are these absolutely beautiful monuments which the Yugoslav architects built in the 60s and 70s to commemorate the victims of World War II. And yet, they are now mostly abandoned.

I wanted to somehow merge these concepts together. The huge social housing projects, the urban planning and relationships between neighbourhoods, the generational gap, the misunderstood legacy, the forgotten aesthetic, the passing of generations.

Below you can see some of the screenshots of the current state of the game. Everything you see has been procedurally generated, no models were used.

A generated monument. A generated monument.
Another monument, using a symmetric generation style. Another monument, using a symmetric generation style.
A residential block inside one of the resident’s dreams. A residential block inside one of the resident's _dreams_.
Indicators at the base of each building represent the value systems of its residents. Each neighbourhood has a predominant value system, which changes over time with resident migration. Indicators at the base of each building represent the value systems of its residents. Each neighbourhood has a predominant value system, which changes over time with resident migration.
A small residential block (in reality) protected by a monument. Protected neighbourhoods cannot be destroyed when resident generations change. A small residential block (in _reality_) protected by a monument. Protected neighbourhoods cannot be destroyed when resident generations change.
A gigantic monument protects a tower neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods containing tall concrete towers are the least popular among the population and are most likely to be demolished at the end of the generation unless protected. A gigantic monument protects a tower neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods containing tall concrete towers are the least popular among the population and are most likely to be demolished at the end of the generation unless protected.
A monument protecting several blocks inside a resident’s dream. A monument protecting several blocks inside a resident's _dream_.

Development is currently on hold.