There are PLENTY of video games out there that focus on destruction and getting things “out of your way”. But that are plenty of MORE games out there that desire you to do nothing more…than build things and make your own world. For those who want that on Xbox, here are the 10 Best Xbox Series XS City Builders!
#10 Planetbase
First up, let’s look at things on a literal planetary level. Because in Planetbase, you’re are in charge of a group of colonists who are trying to make a home on an alien world. That might sound easy at first…but it’s not, at all.
In fact, it’ll be your job to guide them every step of the way so that they can not just survive, but thrive. It won’t be the same thing every time through either, because there are four different planet types that you can try and thrive on, and each one has its own challenges you’ll need to overcome.
So if you think you can make living on another planet work…you might want to try out Planetbase.
#9 Tropico 5
Ok, so you don’t want to colonize a space world, that’s fine, and you want to have a rule that is unquestioned, right? Good for you, here’s Tropico 5.
Because in this popular “Dictator Sim” series, things are very much up for you to control and build from not just across the island chain you’re on, but across literal eras of human history. You’ll get to start out from the days of being colonists, to surviving world wars, the cold war, and many other threats that time likes to throw at thriving places.
Invest and advance your nation, trust your family and use them for further dominance, and then play against other players at the same time to show who is the best El Presidente.
#8 Aven Colony
Oh, what’s that? You don’t want to be a dictator and want to try out space again? Fine! Here’s Aven Colony.
Oh, but we’re not giving you the easy way out this time around, because Aven Colony doesn’t just put you on an alien world that you’ll need to help colonists thrive on. Nope, you’re put on an alien world that just so happens to be incredibly dangerous, have many natural disasters that you have to face, and…it’s inhabited with various creatures including giant sand worms!
You’ll need to build the future while you explore the past and see what made this place what it was. So jump in and see if you can survive it.
#7 Prison Architect
Ah, you’re being more careful with what you say now, aren’t you? Good for you, but you still have to pay a price, so we’re sending you to prison!
Specifically, Prison Architect, a builder game where you become the warden of a prison compound and it’s your job to try and keep everything contained, or else.
You might think, “I’ll just build walls to keep them all in!” yeah, it’s not that easy. Some of these prisoners need special treatment to keep them locked up. Plus, if you keep them huddled together, they could cause a riot.
So get what you need to build the best prison, and make sure that no one breaks out…ever.
#6 Tropico 6
Surprised? You shouldn’t be, this series is REALLY popular, and so Tropico 6 was bound to happen, and thus, if you liked the first one, you’ll like this one too!
So what’s the key differences this time around? Well, instead of one island you can build on, you can now have access to a massive archipelago of islands to build upon. Seriously, you can build on multiple islands at the same time, and thus make sure you expand your empire in a variety of ways.
As if that’s not enough, you can actually send your agents to go and steal the wonders of the world…so that they can be displayed wherever you want.
Oh yeah, it’s good to be bad, and Tropico 6 will show that to you.
#5 Surviving Mars
Yep, space is back! But this time around you get to actually live out the dream of many in our world right now, to be a colonist on Mars.
In Surviving Mars you’ll actually start slow and work your way up. You’ll choose an agency to work with and get resources from, and then, you’ll get to go forth and pick a spot Mars to build your first set of structures. Once that’s done? You’ll start to expand, carefully managing every single person on the colony to ensure that they’re being used to their fullest, and also being taken care of in the best of ways.
But not only that, you’ll get to explore Mars and finally see what secrets it’s hiding. Are you in?
#4 Jurassic World Evolution 2
This one is appropriate because of the movie that just came out and did rather well at the box office recently.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the sequel to the game that honestly let you build your own dinosaur theme part and try to keep it running without people getting eaten left and right (unless you wanted that, that is). With the sequel, they’ve expanded it in a variety of ways. Including how many modes of play you have, the various dinosaurs you can bring into the mix, and more.
Each dinosaur needs to be safely contained, and if you don’t…chaos will reign. So if you think you can do better than Chris Pratt and others, Jurassic World Evolution 2 is awaiting you.
#3 Astroneer
So what is it this time? Oh, you want a space game that is deep, but also more fun and less intense than the others? We can help with that via Astroneer. In this game, you’ll be sent on a mission to explore 7 different planets in the solar system, collect resources, and build bases upon them.
The catch though is that there’s a bit of Minecraft in this game in that you’ll be able to terraform much of the world in order to make it what you want. You can build bases above or below ground, and explore to your hearts content.
You can even play with friends and explore the universe together!
#2 Constructor
One could argue that many of these games we’ve shown you are a bit…rigid…with the rules…so what if we just…break them all? Constructor has you starting out as someone who wants to become a real estate tycoon. Pretty basic, right?
Except, you’re not a nice person in the game, and you’ll be able to use any means at your disposal in order to get to the top. That includes using a variety of “savory characters” to help “get the job done” without exactly tracing back to you.
You’re still going to be building things, just want to be clear on that. But that doesn’t mean you have to build them…perfectly…it’s all about money and growing after all. Cutting corners…is just a part of the game.
#1 Cities: Skylines
If you’re looking for the ultimate city builder that isn’t Sim City? Then you need to get Cities: Skylines, because this game has everything you need to have arguably the best building experience you ever had.
Because in other games, you just build things and “let them grow”, but here, you’re actually going to be put to task to not just make a city, but make a city that works. You need to mind what the citizens say, help them grow in the ways that they actually need, and deal with natural things that might happen to the city over time.
The game is very much a “easy to learn, hard to master” title, and with all the DLC that’s in it? You’ll be playing for a while.
