City builders are curious. On the surface they offer no excitement, no shooting, no adrenalin pumping moments and no storyline. Yet despite that, they can drain hours from your life without you even noticing. If you’re in the mood to create instead of destroy, here are what I think are five of the best city building games for PC in 2017 so far.
Also see our article The Best Games for the Chromebook
Do you have what it takes to build the perfect city? Become a visionary urban planner with these fun city-building games. City-building games - Microsoft Store. With the availability of games in the market with high-quality graphics and gaming consoles gameplay, we hardly play games on PC. However, if you are also a PC gamer like, do check this list consisting best city building games for PC and let the nostalgia hit you hard.Modified On September 26, 2019.
As someone who played the original SimCity series, I know only too well how effective city builders are as time sinks. You cannot help but stick around while one zone grows and to see whether that new subway line will reduce traffic or whether it will be a waste of money.
These games weren’t released this year and I don’t think any city building games are in the pipeline for release this year. Each of these games is available to buy this year though.
Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is what the new SimCity should have been. An open, freeform city builder with all the frustrations, elations and challenges that come with the genre. Released in 2015, it didn’t have the most auspicious start but regular updates and DLC are still being released. The graphics are good, the modeling is excellent and the range of buildings is superb.
![Games Games](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BRJKZ9WeQ2U/maxresdefault.jpg)
You do need a fairly recent PC to be able to do this game justice but you are rewarded with a living, breathing city with day and night cycles, fairly realistic mathematic and population modeling and real consequences for your actions. I have this game and still find myself going back to it regularly.
Banished
Banished began as an indie game on Steam designed and built by one person. I think that same person still runs everything now but you would never believe it. While a long time coming, once banished did arrive, it met with lots of praise. It is a medieval city builder with a slight twist. You manage an existing village and have to grow and expand it as the game progresses. You have to manage people, food, tools, materials and every aspect of resource and population management.
The game looks fantastic with superb season theming, building design and feel. The sound is pretty good too. This is probably the most challenging city building game I have played and another than keeps me coming back.
SimCity series
SimCity was the original city building game but it seems to have lost its way a bit recently. The game itself has all those features we liked about the previous versions. Detailed cities with great design, sound and feel. Lots of challenges, different terrain types, accurate transport and population modeling and lots and lots of building options.
SimCity 4 was excellent but the rebooted SimCity (2013) was a real disappointment. The inclusion of always online DRM ruined the game for many, myself included. The requirement to always be connected to the internet meant no more playing while I was commuting or while away from home and was a deal breaker. As was the fact that as soon as your city grew to a certain size it could not be self-supporting but had to depend on other player cities to survive.
Buy SimCity 4 as your city building game but not the newest version.
Tropico 5
I have played all of the Tropico games. I like the setting, the simulation, the music, sense of humor and everything about them. Tropico 5 is all that and more. It’s more island simulator than city simulator but the premise is the same. Build your economy, city, population and meet a set of objectives.
New City Building Games 2018
Tropico is more mission based than sandbox but those missions are varied and interesting enough to add rather than detract from the game. Graphics are good, writing and voice acting is good and there is enough here to keep you coming back for more.
Anno 2205
Anno 2205 is a futuristic city building game that has you build on earth before moving to the moon and beyond. The Anno series is another regular city builder that has covered many periods of history before shifting to the future. While not as involved or as accurately modeled as SimCity or Cities: Skylines production quality is high enough for it to deserve its place in this list.
Anno 2205 feels as much a company simulator as city builder but the balance is good. You need to manage the hierarchy of needs, resources, profit and all those other things alongside developing new tech and manufacturing. It is quite an involved game that become more complex the longer you play.
Upcoming City Building Games 2018 Online
What do you think are the best city building games for PC around right now? Tell us about them below!
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 |
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.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_city-building_video_games&oldid=917925882'