20 Best City-Building Games to Play Right Now

The premise is simple: create a city from scratch. 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. There are plenty of games to choose from, but finding the diamonds in the rough is our job. Here’s our list of the best city-building games to try out today.

#20 Stronghold: Definitive Edition

Platform: PC
Release Date: November 07, 2023

Steam

One could argue that city-building games were one of the first genres within video games that pushed things to incredible places because of all they tried to enact on screen.

You’ll see what we mean in Stronghold: Definitive Edition, as you’ll get to retake England for your king and his kin while also making some of the best possible castles, fortresses, and more! The game is multi-layered, but the main building mechanics come from trying to build defenses and offenses to take on foes and repel the assaults they’ll bring against you.

Be smart with building and expanding, and you won’t have any problems!

#19 Diplomacy is Not an Option

• Developer: Door 407
• Publisher: Door 407
• Platforms: PC
• Release: January 26, 2022

There’s plenty of strategy involved when it comes to keeping a kingdom lively and its people happy. However, what if the game throws you into a kingdom where your lack of care leads to rebellion? That’s essentially what Diplomacy is Not an Option is all about. You’re a king who’s constantly battling tough decisions that prove unpopular, and soon, you’re fighting off hordes of rebellious citizens that wish to overthrow the kingdom’s power. Gather your resources, build up walls, ensure your army is readily available, and fight whatever comes knocking at your gate. Do whatever you think is best. Dabble with the taboo magicians that can reign fire down from the heavens above or keep the playing field more traditional, and it’s all your choice. You are the king, after all.

#18 Going Medieval

• Developer: Foxy Voxel, Gramophone Games
• Publisher: The Irregular Corporation, Gramophone Games
• Platforms: PC
• Release: August 10, 2020

In this game, players control a colony of settlers and help them to survive against the will of nature and the elements by constructing settlements and fortresses. You’re also in charge of making sure that everyone in the colony is happy and coping well in this unpredictable world. There are also several crafting and farming elements to help you upgrade your structures and tools so expect to spend tons of hours cultivating the perfect colony. The game’s story provides different objectives to complete, so make sure you’re focusing on those as well.

#17 Farthest Frontier

• Developer: Crate Entertainment
• Publisher: Crate Entertainment
• Platforms: PC
• Release: August 9, 2022 Early Access

Most city-building games focus on the player having a piece of land and going up from there. But in Farthest Frontier, you’ll have to lead a group of settlers to survive in a location at the edge of the world!

Don’t let the location drown out your hope and slowly build up a new community for your people. Farthest Frontier has one of the deepest farming systems you’ll ever see. You’ll have to grow food to survive long-term and hunt for resources to build your home even further.

Make life sustainable and fight back against threats natural and human when they arrive!

#16 Settlement Survival

• Developer: Gleamer Studio
• Publisher: Gleamer Studio
• Platforms: PC
• Release: October 11, 2021

In Settlement Survival, you’ll lead a group of people to a land that they do not know, and it’s your job to make sure that they can both survive and thrive. Seems simple, right? Except, we all know it’s not. As their protector, you’ll need to shape the landscape so that they can start to build. Then, you’ll need to use the limited resources that you have to the best of your abilities. Only then can your people be happy and be able to expand their settlement. If you do well, others from various places might want to come join you! The devil is in the details here, and you’ll need to mind not just your area, but the people, and be careful about threats both natural and man-made.

#15 Planetbase

• Developer: Madruga Works
• Publisher: Madruga Works
• Platforms: PC, XBO
• Release: October 2015

In Planetbase, players guide a group of space settlers in an attempt to establish a base on a remote and uninhabitable planet that doesn’t look too different from Mars. Grow food, collect and mine resource, survive disasters, and build a sufficient colony in an environment unfit for human habitation. It’s basically The Martian in the form of a city-building sim.

#14 Anno 2070

• Developer: Related Designs, Blue Byte
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platforms: PC
• Release: November 2011

Anno 2070 is a lot like previous games in the series including Dawn of Discovery, but this time, the title is set in the future. The game plays upon the looming catastrophe of the sea level rise and the melting polar ice caps, as humanity continues to grow and expand well beyond sustainable levels.

It’s your job as a manager to build a sustainable island city while currying favor with each of the game’s three factions—industrialists, environmentalists, and technologists. In return for your support, each faction provides you access to unique technologies and advancements for your city. In addition to the game’s single-player campaign and freeplay modes, Anno 2070 comes with an online component that adds weekly challenges for players and a live voting system for passive bonuses to your city, which can change the dynamic of how you build and manage your creation.

#13 Anno 2205

• Developer: Blue Byte Mainz
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platforms: PC
• Release: November 2015

Set in the distant future, Anno 2205 brings the long-running Anno series of games all the way to the Moon. At first, you “conquer” all of Earth, building large, bustling technologically-driven cities and grand industrial complexes before you run out of space and travel to the stars. This is one title that you’re sure to sink hundreds of hours into, so tread carefully if you can’t commit to that amount of time.

#12 Cities in Motion 2

• Developer: Colossal Order
• Publisher: Paradox Interactive
• Platforms: PC
• Release: April 2013

Cities in Motion 2 is a follow-up to Colossal Order’s Cities in Motion. The particular video game series has a focus on public transportation and players must create efficient routes and systems within different cities around the world. Your ability to skillfully craft a decent transportation system will determine the impact of your city’s growth. Likewise, there are cooperative and competitive game modes to enjoy the city building and management titles with friends.

#11  Banished

• Developer: Shining Rock Software
• Publisher: Shining Rock Software
• Platforms: PC
• Release: February 2014

Banished is an interesting title as it’s not a typical city builder. Instead of modern cities or futuristic worlds, Banished follows an outcast group of citizens who must live in a remote community. This small group will rely on players carefully managing the various resources for their survival.

Starting from scratch, gamers can build their community into a thriving city that can be maintained from the birth of children to accepting wandering citizens out in the world. Speaking of citizens, in Banished, as players grow their cities, citizens will age and eventually die which results in citizens being a precious resource to account for.

#10 Tropico 5

• Developer: Haemimont Games
• Publisher: Kalypso Media
• Platforms: PC, PS4, XB 360, XBO
• Release: May 2014

The banana republic simulator (not to be confused with the clothing brand) goes into the fifth iteration, progressing in the direction of a full-on SimCity-style city-building simulator. For the first time in the series, Tropico 5 features competitive and cooperative online multiplayer features in which players can compete or cooperate with other rival dictators. While a more recent title in the series is available, this one is still worth picking up.

#9 Aven Colony

• Developer: Mothership Entertainment
• Publisher: Team17
• Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
• Release: July 2017

Overall, Aven Colony follows the human colonization of an alien planet. There are various hazards that players will have to deal with such as freezing night temperatures, alien plagues, and, of course, keeping your residents happy. Essentially, Aven Colony is a futuristic take on something similar to the Sim City franchise. Outside of providing water, oxygen, crops, and electricity, gamers will have to maintain a means of crime control and employment.

#8 Tropico 4

• Developer: Haemimont Games, Feral Interactive
• Publisher: Kalypso Media, FX Interactive, Feral Interactive
• Platforms: PC, XB 360
• Release: August 2011

Tropico 4 allows you to fill the shoes of the dictator of a small banana republic called Tropico, which is not unlike Cuba. You’re El Presidente, and it’s up to you to play the role of a tyrant or of a benevolent dictator.

The power to develop your city is at your fingertips as you manage an economy and handle dozens of projects to ensure the happiness and prosperity of your citizens. You can rely upon a multitude of sources to generate wealth, including plantations, factories, or even tourism. If you want, you can even play the game like Kim Jong Il and turn your city into a dystopia.

#7 Tropico 6

• Developer: Limbic Entertainment
• Publisher: Kalypso Media
• Platforms: PC, PS4, XBO
• Release: March 29, 2019

Tropico has been around for a good while, and fans received a new installment to the franchise back in 2019 with Tropico 6. This is a series where players take on the role of a leader, known as El Presidente, who is in control of a Caribbean island. Being the leader, you’ll have control over a variety of aspects that range from political situations, laws, and overall management of the island itself.

Gamers will be taking control of the island throughout four eras. How you handle various situations will determine if your island flourishes or if you’ll end up dealing with a revolt. Similar to other city management style video games, it’s a mix of keeping your location looking nice while catering to the citizen’s needs.

#6 The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom

• Developer: Blue Byte
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platforms: PC
• Release: March 2010

The Settlers 7 is the latest title in the kingdom-building strategy series that began in 1993. The game puts you into the role of a king or queen who must build a colony into a mighty kingdom. As your kingdom expands, you’ll face opposition from rival monarchs whom you must fight for both territory and natural resources.

Settlers 7 returns the series to its origins from the real-time strategy-oriented 5th and 6th installments, which many fans considered too divergent from the Settlers formula. The latest game also offers a new element with the Victory Points system. You’ll earn more Victory Points as you conquer sectors across the map, and increase the productivity of your followers by plying them with food, drink, and gold.

#5 Prison Architect

• Developer: Introversion Software
• Publisher: Introversion Software
• Platforms: PC, PS4, X360, XBO, Ios, Android
• Release: October 6, 2015

Prison Architect is a construction and management simulation game. Players are in total control of designing a private prison used to host several inmates. This is a top-down 2D video game where not only are players tasked with designing and building a prison, but also managing the facilities.

Some of the management processes will include hiring staff such as a warden, guards, and other workers to keep the prison neat, orderly, and well maintained. Furthermore, players can adjust their prison to include a reform program to help with a prisoner’s rate of success when leaving.

#4 Anno 1800

• Developer: Blue Byte
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Platforms: PC
• Release: April 16, 2019

The Anno series has been around for a good while now and it’s popped up a few times in this list for good reason. Anno 1800 happens to be the latest installment, taking place in the 19th century. Players will be going through colonial trade as they build up their city and manage its citizens, workers, and artisans. Building the city should also be a bit easier with this installment thanks to the blueprint feature to help plan your area a bit better. Likewise, you’ll need to build the area up to help attract tourists with natural land along with local festivities.

To top it off, there is a sandbox and multiplayer game mode. In multiplayer mode, up to four players can join a match in an attempt to conquer islands, trade, and simply build an empire together. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any strategy as you race to reach certain milestones such as the first to build up a monument, securing a certain amount of investors and revenue.

#3 SimCity 4

• Developer: Maxis
• Publisher: EA Games, Aspyr Media
• Platforms: PC
• Release: January 2003

After the somewhat disappointing SimCity 3, Maxis’s release of SimCity 4 was a true return to form for both the company and the city-building sim. More than just a city builder, the game is an architectural playground for those of us who wish to have the power of god—and Daniel H. Burnham—at our fingertips.

SimCity 4 provides an impressive level of detail to a game where detail is absolutely essential, ranging from street traffic to large-scale urban planning. The amount of time we’ve spent playing SimCity 4 couldn’t be measured in hours, or even days—but in months and years.

#2 Frostpunk

• Developer: 11bit studios
• Publisher: 11 bit studios
• Platforms: PC
• Release: April 24, 2018

Frostpunk puts a chilling spin on survival in a post-apocalyptic world. In 11 Bit Studios’ strategy city builder, the player is given the reins to create a city in the middle of a frozen wasteland. Every scrap collected is just as important as even the smallest choices you’ll make as you decide how to rule your steam-driven city. With the world at your neck, do you rule with kindness or fear?

The game offers three modes to go through all of which feature different gameplay storylines. For instance, depending on the game mode, players may lead a group of explorers on an expedition to find a new coal reserve north of London or you could find yourself playing as a leader of a refugee group that has taken control of a generator city reservation made exclusively for the wealthy.

#1 Cities: Skylines

• Developer: Colossal Order
• Publisher: Paradox Interactive
• Platforms: PC, XBO, PS4
• Release: March 2015

Cities: Skylines is a modern take on the classic city simulator. This game introduces new elements to make players realize the thrill and hardships of creating and maintaining a real city while expanding on some well-established tropes of the city-building experience. It also allows the ability to mod the game to suit your play style as a fine counterbalance to the layered and challenging gameplay. It’s time to play and let your imagination run wild, so take control and like the title suggests, reach for the sky!

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Bonus

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. 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 of years old, but it remains one of the better city-building sims out there.