The Best City-building Games

Update : Frostpunk 2 added at rank #29.
1

Tropical Resort Story (2022)

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98
Review score
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PC Windows IOS iPhone Android Nintendo Switch Playstation 4

In Tropical Resort Story, you get to develop your own lush island full of nature and create the most luxurious resort possible. From building accommodations to discovering great travel packages, you can make your guests' dreams come true. Improve the ocean water quality by adding marine plants and rocks in the ocean, and releasing fish you've caught while fishing. With more tourists visiting your island, you get to open stores and restaurants, and even create new products. This game will keep you hooked on creating your tropical paradise!


What we like:
  • Ability to create immersive natural environment
  • Opportunity to collaborate with business partners
  • Discovering winning combinations of features
  • Colorful and appealing graphics and sound effects
  • Easy to learn and play
What could be improved:
  • Janky handling on desktop
  • Narrow grid range makes building efficiency difficult
  • Limited challenge, low pressure gameplay

  • colony
  • simulation
  • city-building
  • 2d
  • casual
  • nature
  • building
  • pixel
  • cute
  • colourful
  • relaxing
  • fishing

2

Townscaper (2020)

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95
Review score
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PC Windows Mac OS IOS iPhone Xbox Series X Xbox One Android Nintendo Switch

Townscaper is a relaxing and creative town-builder game that lets you design your own picturesque floating towns with ease. With its colorful blocks and shapes that you can mix and match, you can create your dream villages whether you’re fidgeting or multitasking. The absence of missions or objectives allows you to immerse yourself fully in your creative flow and design your perfect idyllic town in no time. Get Townscaper for a soothing and creative gaming experience!


What we like:
  • Simple mechanics
  • Stress-free
  • Perfect for fidgeting
What could be improved:
  • Limited building tools and updates
  • Lack of variety in buildings and structures
  • Unsymmetrical grid pattern
  • No greenery except in enclosed areas
  • Building larger structures can be tedious

  • city-building
  • experimental
  • sandbox
  • short
  • cute
  • minimalist
  • building
  • grid
  • procedural
  • relaxing
  • nature
  • family-friendly
  • stylized
  • colourful

3

Cities: Skylines (2015)

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94
Review score
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PC Windows Mac OS Linux Xbox One Playstation 4 stadia Playstation 5 Xbox Series X

Build and maintain your own city with Cities: Skylines, where you must balance essential requirements like education, electricity, and healthcare while navigating your city's real economy system. With extensive traffic, district, and policy simulations, you have a multi-tiered and challenging environment to master. Customize and share your creations with other city builders. Don't miss out on this modern take on the classic city simulation game!


What we like:
  • Realistic city building simulation
  • Fun to plan, execute, and manage a city
  • Plethora of mods available
  • DLC adds interesting gameplay
  • Can enjoy the game without purchasing DLC
What could be improved:
  • Vanilla game is very basic

  • city-building
  • simulation

4

Frozen City (2022)

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94
Review score
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IOS iPhone Android

Help survivors build their city and fight to survive in a frozen land in Frozen City, a strategy game that keeps you on your toes with decision-making and anticipation. The game is frustrating and rewarding as you build from scratch, facing many decisions and hardships to keep your people alive. Despite needing some fine-tuning, it is a wonderful play for those who love strategy games and want to survive an ice age.

Buy

What we like:
  • Challenging decision-making
  • Frustrating and rewarding
  • Events for extra rewards
  • Keeps players on their toes
  • Fun for those who love strategy games
What could be improved:
  • Heroes are game's biggest issue
  • Build order is pretty rigid
  • Gacha mechanics feel in the way
  • Combat is dull auto-battle
  • Too much waiting time

  • survivor
  • city-building
  • team
  • simulation
  • card
  • town
  • font-family
  • farming
  • resource
  • adventure
  • hardcore
  • strategy
  • challenging
  • chess
  • buildings

5

Kingdoms and Castles (2017)

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94
Review score
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Linux Xbox Series X Xbox One PC Windows Mac OS Playstation 5 Playstation 4 j

Kingdoms and Castles is a city-building simulation game about growing a kingdom from a tiny hamlet to a sprawling city and imposing castle. Make trade agreements, alliance, and war with neighboring AI controlled kingdoms. Each villager and resource is individually simulated.


  • city-building
  • colony
  • simulation
  • medieval
  • strategy
  • farming
  • management

6

Songs of Syx (2020)

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93
Review score
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Linux Mac OS PC Windows

'Songs of Syx' is an immersive fantasy city-builder where you evolve from a tiny colony to a sprawling empire. Battle with legions, manage a diverse population, and shape your society in a living world of gods and creatures. With a blend of strategy and simulation, every decision can lead your kingdom to prosperity or downfall. Ready to rule?


What we like:
  • Unique blend of city-building and grand strategy
  • Tactical battles with huge armies
  • Dynamic world with evolving narrative
  • Deep management of population and resources
  • Regular updates enhancing gameplay
What could be improved:
  • Combat system needs refinement
  • User interface can be unclear in battle and on world map

  • city-building
  • colony
  • grand-strategy
  • simulation
  • base-building
  • moddable
  • building
  • empire
  • fantasy

7

Cataclismo (2024)

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93
Review score
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early access PC Windows

Design and build fortresses brick by brick to stand against endless hordes of Horrors in this real-time strategy game with resource management, siege defense, and exploration. Lead from the ramparts, push back the darkness, and hold fast against the creatures of the Mist.


  • real-time
  • city-building
  • colony
  • strategy
  • grand-strategy
  • moddable
  • 4x
  • resource-management
  • base-building
  • tower-defense
  • economy
  • building
  • simulation
  • sandbox
  • historical

8

Farlanders (2023)

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92
Review score
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PC Windows Mac OS Linux

Farlanders is a turn-based city builder set on Mars, with a puzzle game mentality and an engaging story that challenges you to think about the right you have to change the face of a planet. You play as Marco, an architect who discovers that all is not what it seems. Balance resources, build structures and manage colony happiness in this demanding but rewarding space colony simulator.


What we like:
  • Vibrant visuals
  • Realistic environments
  • Dynamic building system
  • Strategic choices
  • Challenging gameplay
  • Turn-based city builder
  • Procedurally generated maps
What could be improved:
  • Complexity can be overwhelming for some players
  • Steep learning curve
  • Requires careful resource management

  • city-building
  • turn-based
  • mars
  • colony
  • resource-management
  • base-building
  • simulation
  • building
  • strategy
  • space
  • procedural
  • pixel
  • management
  • survival

9

Thronefall (2023)

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92
Review score
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Mac OS PC Windows

A minimalist game about building and defending your little kingdom.

Buy

  • tower-defense
  • city-building
  • minimalist
  • medieval
  • strategy
  • isometric
  • base-building
  • defence
  • real-time
  • tower
  • building
  • stylized
  • 3d
  • colourful
  • action

10

Frostpunk (2018)

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92
Review score
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PC Windows Android Playstation 4 Xbox One Mac OS

Survive in a frozen post-apocalyptic world in Frostpunk, where every decision matters. Lead your community, manage scarce resources, and face tough moral dilemmas. Experience the unique city-builder mechanics and immerse yourself in the captivating story. Can you build the last city on Earth?


What we like:
  • Challenging and engaging gameplay
  • Unique city-builder and resource management mechanics
  • Deep and emotional storytelling
  • High replayability with different modes
  • Immersive atmosphere and visuals
What could be improved:
  • Steep learning curve
  • Limited city customization
  • Difficulties in handling missions

  • city-building
  • survival
  • steampunk
  • strategy
  • management

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