Highlights

  • Simulation games have a long-standing legacy in the gaming industry, with city-building games being a popular genre.
  • Players enjoy the satisfaction of meticulously constructing towns and cities, ensuring smooth functioning and a happy population.
  • There is a wide variety of city-building games available, ranging from historical settings to sci-fi colonies, offering different gameplay experiences for players.

Ever since the early ages of gaming, simulation games have been one of the industry's leaders. With The Sims popularizing the genre and making it mainstream, the series has had quite a massive legacy. The franchise would not exist were it not for the success of 1989's SimCity. SimCity not only led to more than one successful spin-off series, but it also inspired a whole new genre. Today city-building games come in all shapes and sizes. With so many unique sub-genres and flavors for gamers of every pallet, finding a suitable city builder has never been easier.

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Players love the idea of building towns and cities in a meticulous manner, allowing them to pick and choose the best way possible to construct houses, facilities, entertainment centers, and everything else along the same lines. The allure of city builders is pretty self-explanatory because of the satisfaction that players enjoy when all the cogs in the machine are working smoothly, allowing for harmonious development and a jubilant population.

Updated on September 17, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: City-building games have occupied a popular niche in the gaming industry, with many players loving the idea of losing themselves in these detailed simulations that are a blast to experience firsthand. Some games have city-building as a minor part of the proceedings, while others focus on this mechanic to a massive extent. Regardless, there's something quite engaging about building structures in a meaningful manner to keep settlers happy while maintaining a semblance of law and order in the process.

19 Medieval Dynasty

villagers in Medieval Dynasty
  • A medieval survival simulator with town-building mechanics
  • Price: $34.99

When it comes to checking out games that encompass a lot of gameplay loops, players will be more than satisfied by what Medieval Dynasty brings to the table. The game combines survival gameplay with town-building mechanics to make for a unique and engaging time as players scourge for resources and struggle to make a building early on before slowly coming to grips with how the game works.

In no time, players will develop a bustling village with many residents as they try to survive in a medieval world. Watching the player's village become populated and grow into something special makes for a great time and is easily one of Medieval Dynasty's biggest strengths, proving why the game has such a loyal fan following despite some issues popping up here and there.

18 Age Of Mythology

Strategy Game Age Of Mythology
  • An RTS game with mythological elements
  • Price: $29.99

While Age of Mythology may be more of an RTS game than a city builder, there's no denying that players who decide to boost their economy instead of focusing on warfare will find it great to create a massive settlement that is populated with villagers who are hard at work trying to gather the resources required to reach a prosperous age and gain superiority over other factions in the game.

The best part of Age of Mythology is the focus on gods and legendary beings, with players being able to utilize the mythological creatures from various civilizations to bolster their armies and become even more awe-inspiring to behold. Each civilization is pretty unique in its own way, making it a blast to play through the game with these different cultures to try and see which one suits the player the most!

17 Empire Earth

Empire Earth copper age image
  • A title where players start from the Stone Age before eventually progressing to the future
  • Price: $5.99

Players who love classic RTS games like Age of Empires will find Empire Earth to be right up their alley. While AoE is more rooted in history as a whole, Empire Earth takes the concept of developing civilizations to a whole new level. Players do start from the Stone Age, but as they progress to new eras over time, they can even reach the modern age before moving on to the future.

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This novelty is what makes Empire Earth such a blast to play through, with its campaigns covering both historical events and fictional storylines in the future that are pretty engaging in their own right. It may feel a bit close to its core inspiration despite having such drastic changes between the ages, but fans of tight and engaging RTS games won't mind this in the slightest.

16 Pharaoh

Pharaoh
  • A city-building game set in ancient Egypt
  • Price: $9.99

Pharaoh is a classic title that many city-building veterans have definitely heard of. The game lets players develop a city in ancient Egypt while dealing with the various issues that plagued the country during the time, including war, famine, and destruction to a whole new level. Players need to form a careful balancing act between keeping their citizens happy and fulfilling their duties as a city leader and eventual Pharoah if they wish to attain victory in this game.

The campaign mode gives players several tasks to fulfill that are pretty fun in their own right, while the free-build mode allows for more flexibility as players get to build whatever they want and mold the city in their vision instead of having to conform to a strict set of rules and regulations. Regardless of which mode players opt for, there's no denying that Pharaoh will have more than enough things to perform that will keep players occupied for quite some time.

15 Dwarf Fortress

Tutorial Dwarf Fortress
  • A deep and engaging dwarf colony simulator
  • Price: $29.99

Dwarf Fortress is one of the most complex and beloved titles on this list, enjoying a long history of being played to the moon and beyond before finally receiving a full release that has been quite expansive and enjoyable indeed. The fact that this title influenced genre-defining titles like RimWorld and Minecraft is proof enough of just how legendary Dwarf Fortress' influence really is.

Despite its rudimentary graphics, it's the sheer depth of the gameplay present in Dwarf Fortress that makes it such a joy to play through. Fans of deep and engaging city-building games will love managing a colony of dwarves and witnessing the procedural systems add a ton of replayability to each and every playthrough.

14 Foundation

Foundation
  • A fun and relaxing medieval city-building game
  • Price: $29.99

Sometimes, players don't want to build cities while there's a ton of pressure on their heads. Instead, what they would prefer is to sit down and chill out as they develop a city in a unique setting without feeling like they need to accomplish a certain goal within a limited time span.

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This is where Foundation comes into the picture, providing players will all the freedom in the player to develop what they want without any issues. Of course, there are goals and objectives that come into the picture, but Foundation is pretty relaxing and a great way for players to relax and create a medieval settlement in the image they see fit.

13 Rimworld

City Builder Games Rimworld Overview Grid
  • Sci-fi colony management game with incredibly deep gameplay
  • Steam/GOG Price: $34.99

When it comes to city-building games, the depth of gameplay and the breadth of available paths to progress through the game are key to long-term enjoyment. In Rimworld, just about everything is customizable, there's an unimaginable amount of micro-management systems, and in short, it's one of the most open-ended simulation games ever made.

It's no wonder the game has continued to slowly grow in popularity since its release in mid-2016. Rimworld has dedicated communities online that are more helpful than they are exclusive, and while its graphics aren't anything to write home about, the use of narration and the incredible number of things to do make it one of the best city (ahem, colony) building games out there.

12 Northgard

City Builder Games Northgard Viking Settlement Clan
  • City builder and narrative RPG genres mashed together
  • Price: $29.99

Northgard is an amazingly stylistic take on the medieval management simulator genre. Charged with running a Viking clan, Northgard players soon find that there's a lot more to this game than placing down buildings and gathering resources – there's a story mode with lots of classic RPG elements, for example.

At its core, Northgard plays similarly to the Civilization series, though with a little bit less focus on progression through time and a little more focus on unlocking new potential for the clan. Its simple and beautiful art style, its exploration, and its surprising depth of gameplay make this one of the best management games out there.

11 Littlewood

villager willow speaking to hero in littlewood
  • A Post-RPG setting in a calming, cute town builder
  • Price: $14.99

Littlewood is a lot like Northgard in that it's a civilization-management game with a twist – except instead of taking part in a narrative-driven RPG, the world has already been saved before Littlewood even starts. In fact, the entire game takes place after the "Dark Wizard" is defeated, and the player is tasked with rebuilding the world after these unseen events.

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Its art style is reminiscent of early Flash games but with a bit more polish. While the graphics are simple, the potential for creativity in the "play your way" approach of Littlewood makes it a must-play for the city-building aficionado. It's much more relaxing than many city-building games out there, too, thanks to the low stakes of its post-Dark Wizard world.

10 Tropico Series

A scenic view from Tropico 4 City Building Games
  • Play as a brutal dictator or gentle diplomat in this civilization management game
  • Price: Varies, Tropico 6 is currently $39.99

For players that have ever dreamed of being a dictator, Tropico is the series for them. Consisting of six main installments, each one allows fans to live out their most tyrannical fantasies.

The mechanics are excellent and varied, with a multitude of factors needing to be considered to run a successful autocracy. Not only is this series immensely entertaining, but it also serves as a surprisingly deep political commentary.

9 Aven Colony

Aven Colony City Dome City Building Games
  • A sci-fi survival simulation game with space colony management mechanics
  • Price: $29.99

Aven Colony takes the concept of a city builder to space. In this game, players are faced with a much higher-than-usual task of rebuilding humanity.

Players in Aven Colony start off as the governor of a small colony and grow in authority as their colony rises into a full-fledged city and massive space outpost. This is a game that can be quite testing as it can be quite punishing. While not an especially original game, Aven Colony's setting allows it to stand out.

8 Frostpunk

City Builder Games Frostpunk Survival
  • Must ensure the survival of a city in an alternate-history city builder
  • Price: $29.99

An absolute classic in its own right. Frostpunk is the most morally challenging game on this list. Presenting players with the obstacle of surviving an unexpected ice age and its associated hardships.

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This is not a game for those who enjoy city builders that make players feel like all-powerful demigods. This game is about simple and brutal survival, with death and failure always being around the corner.

7 Surviving Mars

Gameplay footage of surviving mars City Building Games
  • Mars-based colony builder with hardcore survival elements
  • Price: $29.99

If Frostpunk and Aven Colony were to have a lovechild, Surviving Mars would be their offspring. The game combines hardcore and difficult-to-master survival elements, while also providing players with the thrill and wow factor of running a space colony on Mars.

There are countless decisions to make, and fans are forced to master varied sets of skills to constantly meet the demands, and ensure the safety, of their colonists.

6 Cities: Skylines

City Skylines Overhead view City Building Games
  • Addicting alternative to SimCity with mod support and more robust gameplay
  • Price: $29.99

It should have been made more clear that the last two entries are not for the faint of heart, or for the genre-uninitiated. For gamers looking for a more easy-to-grasp experience, they need to look no further than Cities: Skylines.

A game that has built its success on simply being fun to play, and giving players a little bit more wiggle room. Cities: Skylines is welcoming to newcomers, deep, and accessible across a variety of platforms.

5 Anno 1800

anno 1800 city view pc game City Building Games
  • Historically accurate (to a point) civilization management simulator
  • Price: $59.99

Not enough games took place during the Industrial Revolution. As a period of history that was dynamic, complex, and filled with rapid social, economic, and political change, the possibilities are quite endless.

Anno 1800 is a game that somehow manages to encapsulate all the factors of this era as it places players in the shoes of an industrial colony company leader and de facto governor. A unique and challenging setting indeed.

4 Age Of Empires Series

age of empires swedish civilization City Building Games
  • Classics to the civilization management genre, and must-plays for city-building fans
  • Price: Varies, Age of Empires 4 is $39.99

Delving more into the realm of Real-Time Strategy, the Age of Empires series is nonetheless one that contains some of the best city-building mechanics ever seen in gaming. Each entry takes place in a different era and geographic location, however, all of them follow the same principles of survive, build, and grow.

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The gameplay is engaging and challenging, yet at the same time, it is fair and rewarding. There is no better choice for history buffs craving to scratch their city-building itch.

3 Banished

2014 Banished City Building Game
  • Medieval-era city builder with a focus on society rather than resources
  • Price: $19.99

Banished may seem like the common medieval-era-themed city builder, but this game has a ton of unique mechanics and gameplay under the hood.

What makes this entry so unique is its focus on economic theories and the sustainability of society, showing that dynamic and adaptive solutions are the best when it comes to prosperity. Banished is just as much of a survival game as it is a city sim, so players should be prepared to work hard for their success.

2 Flotsam

A floating player built town in Flotsam City Building Games
  • Not as much a city builder as it is a raft-based colony management game
  • Price: $24.99

Flotsam takes players away from a terrestrial setting and puts players in a flooded world. This extremely unique environment makes the game even more special when coupled with its special and one-of-a-kind mechanics. What starts out as a survival game, turns into an aquatic city builder, which finally turns into a game with a powerful, yet subtle, environmental lesson.

Flotsam is one of those rare games that can send a political message, that simultaneously does not get in the way of the fun.

1 Dawn Of Man

an encampment in Dawn of Man City Building Games
  • A through-the-eras settlement game taking place from the dawn of time to the Iron Age
  • Price: $24.99

If players want to see a simulation of what building society and civilization was like in the very beginning, they need to look no further than Dawn of Man. This game will take players all the way back to the prehistoric era, and challenge players to survive into the Iron Age.

What makes this game especially unique is the importance of what are usually trivial items in other city-building games, like clothes, and sticks, which can either mean a player's survival or demise.

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