If you've never read any Ted Chiang, you should change that. Start with Stories of Your Life and Others, a collection of short stories which begins with a tale called Tower of Babylon. It follows a nation trying to reach heaven by building a tower all the way there. I won't tell you what they face or whether they succeed, but it's one of the most powerful pieces of literature I've ever read, and a hell of a way to start a writing career. However, you can get some semblance of what Chiang was going for in Stario, a new city building game released into early access that sees you attempt the very same challenge.
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