Has SimCity been getting you down? Looking at the end user reviews on Amazon it would seem that a huge audience are annoyed at Electronic Arts and Maxis for making a mess of the latest title. Developer Maxis said they ‘were dumb' for underestimating the demand and Electronic Arts stepped in to try and repair the situation by offering free games.

The biggest issue is the ‘always online' DRM demand for the gamers.

Fear not ! In recent weeks some programmers took to KickStarter to announce a project called Civitas, a DRM free city planning game.

When the title was first announced on KickStarter, it raised around $40,000 in funding, even though not much information was announced, not even a video of gameplay or the concept.

The creators have managed to deliver a video highlighting some of the game's functionality. You can see it (with other things) over here on their update page.

They are now at $74,662 of a $250,000 goal, with 21 days left. The game so far is looking quite good, even for the early stages of development.

The concept of the game is familiar, you build a city via various structures and manage all the aspects, ensuring the inhabitants are happy with enough variety to keep them functioning and satisfied.

The game also includes a terraforming feature, which means the gamers can change the shape of the land, god style. The player can also add lakes and mountains.

The developers have also mentioned the ‘permit' system. This means only specific types of buildings can be constructed in certain zones. Civitas promises to be highly moddable.

The developers are making the game engine to support Windows, Linux and Macintosh platforms, with single player and multiplayer modes. Minimum backing is $15. If you pay $25 then you will receive a digital copy and access to the beta, once it is released.

Only 21 days left to support the guys, so if you feel that the project is worth backing, head over here.

Kitguru says: A potential SimCity beater waiting to be supported?

Become a Patron!