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10 best city-building games to play on PC
An updated list of the best city-building games to play in 2024 has been compiled by several sources, including PC Gamer, IGN, and Rock Paper Shotgun....
An updated list of the best city-building games to play in 2024 has been compiled by several sources, including PC Gamer, IGN, and Rock Paper Shotgun. These lists highlight a range of titles, from complex simulations to more accessible, creative sandboxes.
A frequently recurring game at the top of these lists is Cities: Skylines, praised for its in-depth traffic management and extensive modding community. Another highly-rated title is Anno 1800, which focuses on intricate production chains and trade during the Industrial Revolution. For players seeking a more challenging experience, Frostpunk is often recommended for its brutal survival mechanics and impactful moral choices.
The recently released Against the Storm has garnered significant attention for its unique blend of city-building with roguelite elements, where players build a series of smaller settlements to contribute to a larger rebuilding effort. Another newer title, Farthest Frontier, offers a deep and challenging simulation of a medieval town, with detailed farming and survival mechanics.
For those who enjoy a futuristic setting, Surviving Mars tasks players with establishing a functional colony on the Red Planet. The Tropico series, particularly Tropico 6, remains popular for its unique blend of city-building with political simulation and humor.
Classic titles also continue to be relevant. SimCity 4 is still considered a benchmark for the genre, while remakes of older games, like Pharaoh: A New Era, have been well-received. Finally, games like Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster offer a different take on the genre, focusing more on creativity and design within a theme park setting.The city-building genre offers a unique blend of creativity, strategy, and management. Games in this category challenge players to design and manage thriving virtual metropolises, from small, rural villages to sprawling futuristic cities. Key elements often include resource management, infrastructure planning, and keeping citizens happy.
The complexity of these games can vary greatly. Some, like the SimCity series, are known for their deep simulations and intricate systems. Others may focus on specific aspects of city management, such as the industrial production chains in the Anno series or the survival challenges of Frostpunk.
Many of the best city-building games also offer a high degree of creative freedom. Cities: Skylines, for example, is renowned for its powerful modding tools that allow players to create custom assets and share them with the community. This creative aspect is also a major draw in games like Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo, where the focus is on designing intricate and aesthetically pleasing theme parks.
The genre continues to evolve, with new titles introducing innovative mechanics. Against the Storm, for instance, combines city-building with roguelite elements, offering a fresh and replayable experience. Whether you're a seasoned urban planner or a newcomer to the genre, there's a wide variety of city-building games available to suit your playstyle.The best city-building games often share several key features that make them compelling and enjoyable. At its core, a good city-builder needs a robust simulation engine that provides a believable and challenging environment. This includes managing resources, a simulated economy, and the needs of the city's inhabitants.
Another crucial element is the user interface (UI). Given the complexity of these games, an intuitive and easy-to-navigate UI is essential for a smooth gameplay experience. Players need to be able to access a wealth of information and tools without feeling overwhelmed.
Beyond the core mechanics, many of the top-rated city-building games also offer a sandbox mode, allowing players to build and create without the pressure of specific objectives or resource limitations. This caters to the creative side of the genre, where the focus is on designing beautiful and unique cities.
Finally, replayability is a key factor. The best city-building games provide players with a variety of scenarios, challenges, and starting conditions to keep them coming back for more. This is often enhanced by a strong modding community, which can add countless hours of new content to the game.The city-building genre is a diverse one, with titles that cater to a wide range of playstyles. Some of the most popular and critically acclaimed games in this category include:
- Cities: Skylines: Often cited as the modern standard for city-builders, this game is praised for its detailed traffic simulation and massive modding community.
- Anno 1800: This title combines city-building with a deep economic simulation, focusing on production chains and trade during the Industrial Revolution.
- Frostpunk: A unique take on the genre, Frostpunk is a city-survival game where players must manage a group of survivors in a frozen, post-apocalyptic world.
- Against the Storm: This game blends city-building with roguelite mechanics, challenging players to build a series of successful settlements in a world plagued by a perpetual, destructive storm.
- Surviving Mars: As the name suggests, this game tasks players with building a self-sustaining colony on Mars, managing resources and overcoming the harsh realities of life on another planet.
- Tropico 6: This series is known for its humorous take on city-building, with players taking on the role of "El Presidente," a dictator ruling over a Caribbean island nation.
- Farthest Frontier: A medieval city-builder that emphasizes survival, with a detailed farming system and the need to protect your settlement from raiders and disease.
- Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster: These games focus on the creative aspects of building and managing a theme park, with incredibly detailed and flexible construction tools.
- SimCity 4: Rush Hour: A classic of the genre, SimCity 4 is still beloved for its deep simulation and regional gameplay.
- Banished: A challenging survival city-builder where every citizen is a valuable resource that must be managed carefully.
These are just a few examples, and the genre is constantly evolving with new and innovative titles.