Best City Building Games
[Updated: April 2019]
Explore games tagged City Builder on itch.io. Cross-platform MMO 3D strategy with combat management in real time. A combination of space simulator, strategy and RPG.
There aren’t many games that include themselves in the city builder genre. It’s a simple premise: you take on the role of planner, and mayor of a city. You look down upon your creation from above, and you are entirely responsible for its growth and management. City building games are exceptionally time consuming, and each game can go on forever—or at least until the city you are working on gets stale and you make a new one for different challenges.
Despite originally established in 1989 with the release of Will Wright’s SimCity, city builders haven’t had all that many releases in their 24 years of existence. In addition, they aren’t all that similar to each other in gameplay style.
Because it’s a genre full of duds and great titles are few and far between, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best city building video games. Likewise, we’ve included some bonus titles at the end.
#18 Cities XL 2012
- Developer: Focus Home Interactive
- Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
- Platforms: PC
- Release: October 2011
Made by Focus Home Interactive, Cities XL 2012 is the third and latest game in the Cities XL franchise.
City Builder Games Downloads
Unlike SimCity and its strong focus on multiplayer, Cities XL 2012 places a singular emphasis on single-player mode and includes new structures, maps, and a starter guide to ease players into the game. Earlier versions were considered very difficult to get into due to their complexity.
As of this writing, the game’s a couple years old, but it remains one of the better city building sims out there.
#17 SimCity 2000
- Developer: Maxis
- Publisher: Maxis
- Platforms: PC, SNES, Sega Saturn, PSX, N64, GBA
- Release: 1993
SimCity may have been the foundation of the city building genre, but it was SimCity 2000 that brought the genre to my attention. The game, as it was, was sophisticated but not too complicated for a twelve year old to grasp—nor did it ever give me the impression that it was “made for children.” If there was one thing I hated about games when I was younger, it was being pandered to with a game clearly made for kids—like the SimTown, also from Maxis, which came out a year or two after SimCity 2000.
SimCity 2000 is a game which allowed me to pretend at being a civil engineer. It let me construct a city which I’d have been proud to live in, made up of neat little grids with buildings placed in an ideal donut shape—not unlike the layout of Barcelona. It’s a game that taught me the broader impacts of pollution, traffic congestion, and what happens to a city when you reduce the subsidies to your police force and fire stations.
In other words, the game gave me a pretty decent understanding of how the world works, at least on a localized level—a topic that The Wire, a HBO series, took to an even more personal level.
I’ll be the first to admit that the game is an abstract simulation, but it’s one which encouraged me to think while other games only encouraged me to jump when instructed or shoot at the target in my crosshairs.
#16 SimCity 2013
- Developer: Maxis
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PC,
- Release: March 2013
SimCity might be regarded by many as a dud for its smaller environments, restrictive DRM, and host of limitations, but it is by no means a bad city builder, or even a bad game. It’s a good game that’s only getting better with the passage of time and the release of more and more updates based on suggestions and feedback from the community.
What SimCity brings to the table in terms of improvements is expansion. Previously the games focused more on controlling the game at-large. The new game incorporates some degree of micromanagement as well. While it’s not Sims level of control, we are able to interact with the citizens. Basically, there’s multiple things to keep in mind whenever you’re building something, regardless of what it is.
Also in the new SimCity are interconnected cities, which are called regions. This allows you to use friends to better manage your own city. For instance, you can build a city where your citizens work, another friend builds a city where they live, and another friend can have a city where they go to have fun. All parties involved would benefit and this would allow players to focus their efforts in specific ways—should that be of interest. Unfortunately, the region system is tied into the game’s online DRM, which makes it impossible to play offline and forces players into a pseudo-online mode.
The game is certainly a step forward for the genre in some ways and a step backward in others.
Part of a series on: |
Simulation video games |
---|
|
This is a comprehensive index of city-building games, sorted chronologically. Information regarding date of release, developer, platform, setting and notability is provided when available. The table can be sorted by clicking on the small boxes next to the column headings.
Legend[edit]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
List[edit]
Year | Game | Developer | Setting | Platform | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1969 | The Sumer Game | Richard Merrill | Historical | MAIN | |
1975 | Hamurabi | David H. Ahl | Historical | MAIN | Expanded version of The Sumer Game. Published later as part of BASIC Computer Games. |
1978 | Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio | Historical | MAIN | ||
1981 | Kingdom (Also known as Yellow River Kingdom)[1] | David Allen[2] | Historical | BBC | A conversion of the game 'Hamurabi', it was included as part of welcome package to BBC Microcomputers. |
1982 | Utopia | Don Daglow | Contemporary | AQUA, INT | |
1989 | SimCity | Maxis, Nintendo EAD, Babaroga | Contemporary | AMI, ARC, BBC, C64, CDTV, CPC, DESQ, DOS, EPOC32, FMT, GBA, iPod, LIN, MAC, MOBI (iPhone, JAVAME, SYB), NeWS, OS2, PC98, SNES, ST, Tk, UNIX, VC, WIN, XO1, X11, ZX | First title in the series. |
1990 | ActRaiser | Quintet | Fantasy | MOBI, SNES, VC | Hybrid with side-scrolling platform game. |
1990 | Moonbase | Wesson | Sci-fi | AMI, DOS | |
1991 | Utopia: The Creation of a Nation | Celestial | Sci-fi | AMI, DOS, SNES, ST | |
1992 | Caesar | Impressions | Historical | AMI, DOS, ST | First title in the series. |
1993 | Stronghold | Stormfront | Fantasy | DOS | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
1993 | SimCity 2000 | Maxis, Full Fat | Contemporary | AMI, DOS, GBA, MAC, N64, PS1, PSP, SAT, SNES | Sequel to SimCity. |
1993 | Lunar Command | Wesson | Sci-fi | DOS | Updated version of Moonbase. |
1993 | The Settlers (a.k.a. Serf City: Life is Feudal) | Blue Byte | Fantasy | AMI, DOS | First title in the series. |
1994 | Outpost | Sierra | Sci-fi | MAC, WIN3X | Sci-fi version of SimCity. |
1995 | SimIsle: Missions in the Rainforest | Intelligent | Contemporary | DOS, MAC, WIN3X | |
1995 | SimTown | Maxis | Contemporary | MAC, WIN, WIN3X | |
1995 | Caesar II | Impressions | Historical | MAC, WIN | Sequel to Caesar. |
1996 | Afterlife | LucasArts | Fantasy | DOS, MAC, WIN9X | |
1996 | Holiday Island | Sunflowers | Contemporary | WIN9X | |
1996 | Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | DOS, DS, MAC | Sequel to The Settlers. Nintendo DS port was released in 2007. |
1996 | Settlers II Mission CD, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | DOS | Expansion to The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
1997 | Constructor | System 3 | Contemporary | PS1, WIN | |
1998 | Anno 1602: Creation of a New World | Max | Historical | WIN9X | First title in the series. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
1998 | Settlers III, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN9X | Sequel to The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
1998 | Caesar III | Impressions | Historical | MAC, WIN9X, Not | Sequel to Caesar II. |
1999 | Lincity | Various | Contemporary | CROSS | Open source clone of Sim City. |
1999 | Pharaoh | Impressions | Historical | WIN9X | |
1999 | SimCity 3000 | Maxis | Contemporary | DS, iPhone, LIN, MAC, WIN | Sequel to SimCity 2000. |
2000 | Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile | Impressions | Historical | WIN9X | Expansion to Pharaoh. |
2000 | Master of Olympus: Zeus | Impressions | Fantasy | WIN | |
2000 | SimCity 64 | HAL | Contemporary | N64 | Spin-off of the SimCity series. |
2000 | SimCity 3000 Unlimited | Maxis | Contemporary | LIN, WIN | Re-release of SimCity 3000. |
2000 | StarPeace | Oceanus | Sci-fi | WIN | MMOG. |
2001 | StarTopia | Mucky Foot | Sci-fi | WIN | |
2001 | Mobility | Glamus | Contemporary | WIN, LIN | |
2001 | Master of Atlantis: Poseidon | Impressions | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to Master of Olympus: Zeus. |
2001 | Tropico | PopTop | Contemporary | MAC, OSX, WIN, WIN9X | |
2001 | Stronghold | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2001 | Settlers IV, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Sequel to The Settlers III. |
2002 | Metropolismania | Media Factory | Contemporary | PS2 | First title in the series. |
2002 | Tropico: Paradise Island | BreakAway | Contemporary | WIN, WIN9X | Expansion to Tropico. |
2002 | Moonbase Commander | Humongous | Sci-fi | WIN | |
2002 | Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom | BreakAway, Impressions | Historical | WIN | |
2003 | SimCity 4 | Maxis | Contemporary | OSX, WIN | Sequel to SimCity 3000. |
2003 | SimCity 4: Rush Hour | Maxis | Contemporary | OSX, WIN | Expansion to SimCity 4. |
2003 | Anno 1503: The New World | Max | Historical | WIN9X, WIN | Sequel to Anno 1602: Creation of a New World. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2003 | Tropico 2: Pirate Cove | Frog City | Historical | OSX, WIN | |
2003 | Anno 1503: Treasures, Monsters and Pirates | Max | Historical | WIN | Expansion to Anno 1503: The New World. |
2004 | Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile | Tilted Mill | Historical | WIN | |
2004 | Outpost Kaloki X | NinjaBee | Sci-fi | WIN, X360 | |
2005 | Settlers: Heritage of Kings, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Sequel to The Settlers IV. |
2005 | Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand | Monte Cristo | Historical | WIN | |
2005 | Stronghold 2 | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2005 | Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Expansion Disk, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. |
2005 | Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Legends Expansion Disk, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. |
2006 | CivCity: Rome | Firefly, Firaxis | Historical | WIN | |
2006 | Caesar IV | Tilted Mill | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Caesar III. |
2006 | Tycoon City: New York | Deep Red | Contemporary | WIN | |
2006 | Dwarf Fortress | Bay 12 Games | Fantasy | WIN, LIN, MAC | |
2006 | City Life | Monte Cristo | Contemporary | WIN | |
2006 | Anno 1701 | Related | Historical | DS, WIN | Sequel to Anno 1503: The New World Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2006 | Glory of the Roman Empire | Haemimont | Historical | WIN | |
2006 | Settlers II 10th Anniversary, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Remake of The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
2007 | Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery | Keen | Historical | DS | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2007 | Settlers: Rise of an Empire, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Sequel to The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. |
2007 | Anno 1701: The Curse of the Dragon | Related | Historical | DS | Expansion to Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2007 | SimCity Societies | Tilted Mill | Contemporary | MOBI, WIN | Spin-off of the SimCity series. |
2007 | Settlers II: 10th Anniversary - The Vikings, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers II 10th Anniversary. |
2008 | A Kingdom for Keflings | Ninja Bee | Fantasy | X360 | |
2008 | Micropolis | Don Hopkins | Contemporary | CROSS | Open source version of SimCity. |
2008 | SimCity DS 2 | Contemporary | DS | . | |
2008 | SimCity Societies: Destinations | Tilted Mill | Contemporary | WIN | Expansion to SimCity Societies. |
2008 | Hinterland | Tilted Mill | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RPG elements |
2008 | Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King | Square Enix | Fantasy | Wii | Hybrid with RPG elements |
2008 | Settlers: Rise of an Empire - The Eastern Realm, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers: Rise of an Empire. |
2008 | Imperium Romanum | Haemimont | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Glory of the Roman Empire. |
2009 | Grand Ages: Rome | Haemimont | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Imperium Romanum. |
2009 | Anno 1404 | Related, Ubisoft, Blue Byte | Historical | WIN, OSX, DS, Wii | Sequel to Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2009 | Tropico 3 | Haemimont Games | Contemporary | OSX, WIN, X360 | Successor to Tropico. |
2009 | Cities XL | Monte Cristo | Contemporary | WIN | |
2009 | OpenCity | Duong-Khang Nguyen | Contemporary | CROSS | Open source. A development version is available. |
2010 | Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | OSX, WIN | Sequel to The Settlers: Rise of an Empire. |
2010 | A World of Keflings | Ninja Bee | Fantasy | X360 | |
2010 | Cities XL 2011 | Focus Home Interactive | Contemporary | WIN | |
2011 | Anno 2070 | Related Designs | Sci-fi | WIN | |
2011 | Tropico 4 | Haemimont Games | Contemporary | WIN, X360, OSX | |
2011 | Cities XL 2012 | Focus Home Interactive | Contemporary | WIN | |
2011 | Stronghold 3 | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, LIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2013 | SimCity | Maxis | Contemporary | WIN, OSX | Relaunch of Simcity Series. |
2014 | Banished | Shining Rock Software | Historical | WIN | |
2014 | Tropico 5 | Haemimont Games | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, LIN, X360, PS4[3] | |
2014 | Stronghold Crusader 2 | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2014 | Clockwork Empires | Gaslamp Games | Fantasy | WIN | |
2015 | Cities: Skylines | Colossal Order | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne, NSW | Based on the engine used for Cities in Motion 2 |
2015 | Cities XXL | Focus Home Interactive | Contemporary | WIN | |
2015 | Anno 2205 | Blue Byte | Sci-Fi | WIN | Sequel to Anno 2070 |
2017 | Kingdoms and Castles | Lion Shield, LLC | Historical | WIN, OSX, LIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
2018 | Frostpunk | 11 bit studios | Sci-Fi | WIN | |
2019 | Dawn of Man | Madruga Works | Historical | WIN, OSX | Prehistoric city builder that takes place from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age. |
2019 | Tropico 6 | Limbic Entertainment | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne | |
2019 | Islanders | Grizzly Games | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, LIN | Casual city builder with low-poly aesthetic |
2019 | Anno 1800 | Blue Byte | Historical | WIN |
City Building Pc Games 2018
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Welcome for BBC Micro (1981) - MobyGames'. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- ^http://bbc.nvg.org/doc/Welcome.pdf
- ^'9 Ways To Dictate Like A Pro In Tropico 5 on PS4'. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
Online City Builder Games
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_city-building_video_games&oldid=917925882'