Björn Ottosson told us about his upcoming Townscaper-inspired city builder Island Architect, explained its mechanics and differences compared to Tiny Glade, and shared why he decided to work with a custom engine instead of Unity or Unreal.

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Björn Ottosson, former EA Frostbite engine developer, is creating Island Architect, a city builder inspired by Townscaper and European coastal architecture. The game features a dynamic irregular grid system that evolves as players build, allowing for curved buildings and organic town layouts. Built on a custom engine using WebGPU, it focuses on procedural generation of buildings, terrain editing, and creating authentic European village aesthetics. The developer chose a custom engine over Unity/Unreal for better iteration times and more control over the specialized procedural systems.

Island Architect: Townscaper-Like City Builder on Custom Engine