I think it's a fundamental problem with trying to create a dystopia with an interesting aesthetic. At best people ignore the dystopian critiques in favor of just soaking in the atmosphere, and at worst people wish for it to happen because of the aesthetic.
Cyberpunk and Warhammer 40k are examples that immediately spring to mind.
Making a 'realistic' cyberpunk game with capital as a central critique is honestly kind of a hard sell. It's too close to home, and all your adventures are about making rent, which you already do in real life. Might be easier as a computer game
I could imagine a small indie game like Papers Please in a cyberpunk setting where the goal is to make rent. I understand that Cruetly Squad is about a gig economy hitman, which is also pretty close.
I think it's a fundamental problem with trying to create a dystopia with an interesting aesthetic. At best people ignore the dystopian critiques in favor of just soaking in the atmosphere, and at worst people wish for it to happen because of the aesthetic.
Cyberpunk and Warhammer 40k are examples that immediately spring to mind.
Making a 'realistic' cyberpunk game with capital as a central critique is honestly kind of a hard sell. It's too close to home, and all your adventures are about making rent, which you already do in real life. Might be easier as a computer game
I could imagine a small indie game like Papers Please in a cyberpunk setting where the goal is to make rent. I understand that Cruetly Squad is about a gig economy hitman, which is also pretty close.
Making a rent mod for cyberpunk 2077 that only ends if you kill your landlord and break the line of inheritance
Citizen Sleeper is more or less this. One of the main mechanics is scrounging money for medicine so your robot body doesn't fall apart. It's great!