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The Best City Building Games to Play Right Now (2024)

What are the best city building games to play in 2024? Are you ready to rule your own metropolis, sculpting a world of unparalleled splendor from the ground up? In the dynamic domain of city-building games, your grand vision can come alive. Let's journey through the best city-building games that are capturing the imaginations of gamers worldwide in 2024. From Cities: Skylines to Kingdoms Reborn, we've got you covered with this detailed guide.


Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines Gameplay (2023)

In the bustling world of Cities: Skylines, players are bestowed with the power to craft sprawling cities from the ground up. Launched by Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive, this game has maintained its grip on the community due to its deep and immersive gameplay. The true allure lies in the freedom it offers; a canvas of infinite possibilities where your city-planning skills are put to the test.


While initiating, the first step involves selecting a plot of land out of several choices, each with unique geographical features. Next, you pave the roads, zoning areas for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes. Your role as a city manager also entails managing resources efficiently, laying out public services, and ensuring your citizens are happy and well-taken care of.


Cities: Skylines further enchants players with its mod-friendly nature. The community has created an array of mods that add new levels of depth and customization, allowing for a game that's continually evolving. Its graphics are a feast for the eyes, with meticulously detailed environments that bring your metropolis to life in stunning realism. The dynamic day and night cycle, along with a comprehensive traffic simulation system, creates a living, breathing world that continually evolves, cementing its place as a frontrunner in the city-building games niche.

Cities: Skylines Gameplay (2023)

Tropico 6

Tropico 6 Gameplay (2023)

Dive into a world of strategy and wit with Tropico 6, a game where you don the hat of 'El Presidente', the leader of a Caribbean island nation. This installment in the Tropico series further polishes its unique blend of city-building, political simulation, and strategy, offering a rich and diverse gameplay experience. Your journey begins in the colonial era, guiding your nation through different historical periods, facing various challenges, and making critical decisions that influence your path. Players have the freedom to shape their nation according to their vision, be it a tourist paradise or an industrial powerhouse.


A striking feature of Tropico 6 is the archipelago system, allowing you to build bridges connecting different islands, unlocking new possibilities and strategic elements. The game also introduces a revised research system, where players unlock new perks and abilities to solidify their rule. The political dynamics are nuanced, requiring you to balance relations with different factions and foreign powers, adding layers of depth to the gameplay.

With vibrant graphics and a captivating soundtrack, Tropico 6 immerses players into a world filled with humor, strategy, and complex decisions. The sophisticated urban development and management tools ensure that every aspiring dictator will find their place under the virtual sun.

Tropico 6 Gameplay (2023)

Frostpunk

Frostpunk Gameplay (2023)

Step into the grim and frostbitten world of Frostpunk, where survival meets city-building in a striking blend of strategy and management. In this game developed by 11 Bit Studios, you are entrusted with the role of a leader in a post-apocalyptic frozen world. Your mission is to build and manage the last city on Earth, making harsh decisions to ensure your community's survival. The gameplay is centered around a massive generator, the heart of your city, providing heat and power to fend off the relentless cold. You'll find yourself immersed in a delicate balance of resource management, as you gather coal, wood, and steel to expand and upgrade your settlement. However, resources are scarce, and the biting cold ever-present, bringing a sense of urgency to every action.


Frostpunk also introduces moral dilemmas, where players face tough decisions affecting their citizens' lives and the city's outlook. The game's law system lets you dictate the societal rules, which can either cement your role as a benevolent leader or a ruthless dictator. With stark, immersive graphics and a haunting soundtrack, Frostpunk creates a tense and atmospheric experience. It's a game that challenges not only your strategic thinking but your ethical compass, making it a standout choice for fans of city-building games with a darker, more mature narrative.

Frostpunk Gameplay (2023)

Surviving Mars

Surviving Gameplay (2023)

Venture into the red landscapes of Mars with Surviving Mars, a city-building game that transcends earthly boundaries. Developed by Haemimont Games and published by Paradox Interactive, this title combines city-building with survival elements, set against the backdrop of Martian colonization. Players embark on a mission to establish a thriving colony on Mars, a task fraught with challenges and unknowns. From selecting a suitable landing site to managing the supply chains from Earth, every decision holds weight. The Martian environment is harsh and unforgiving, requiring meticulous planning and resource management to secure your colony's success.


The game boasts of a realistic and detailed scientific portrayal of Martian colonization. You'll find yourself managing oxygen levels, cultivating food in hydroponic farms, and mining minerals to build and expand. Researching new technologies is vital, unlocking new potentials and helping your colony to flourish amidst adversity.

Surviving Mars stands out with its visually striking graphics, portraying the red planet in all its stark and beautiful glory. Its gameplay is a deep and rewarding experience, offering players the chance to pioneer a new frontier, making it a must-play for fans of city-building and science fiction genres.

Surviving Gameplay (2023)

SimCity 4

SimCity 4 Gameplay (2023)

Step back in time to rediscover a timeless classic that has left an indelible mark on the genre of city-building games - SimCity 4. Developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, this title offers a rich and detailed simulation experience, where players can create sprawling metropolises buzzing with life and activity. In SimCity 4, you take on the role of a city mayor, tasked with building and managing a city from scratch. The game offers a wealth of tools and options, allowing for intricate city designs and layouts. Zoning plays a significant role, where you designate areas for residential, commercial, and industrial developments, shaping your city's growth and character.


A standout feature of SimCity 4 is its robust simulation engine. Every citizen, or 'Sim', has their life simulated in detail, going about their daily routines, jobs, and activities. This creates a vibrant and dynamic city environment, where players can witness the direct consequences of their decisions on the city's populace. Despite its age, SimCity 4 remains a powerhouse in the city-building genre, with a thriving community and mod support adding new layers of depth and customization. Its strategic depth and detailed simulation mechanics make it a top choice for fans seeking a deep and rewarding city-building experience.

SimCity 4 Gameplay (2023)

Kingdoms Reborn

Kingdoms Reborn Gameplay (2023)

Explore a world teeming with opportunities in Kingdoms Reborn, a game that blends city-building with strategy and sandbox elements, offering a rich and complex gaming experience. In this title developed by Earthshine, players guide a fledgling settlement to prosperity, navigating the challenges and adversities of a dynamic world. The game starts with players selecting a suitable location to establish their new settlement. As you progress, your small hamlet can grow into a bustling city, a testament to your leadership and vision. In this vast, open-world setting, every decision you make has tangible impacts on your civilization's development. A remarkable aspect of Kingdoms Reborn is the multiplayer element. Players can coexist in the same world, trading, cooperating, or competing with one another, adding a layer of depth and dynamism to the gameplay. The game’s card system introduces a strategic layer to the city-building mechanics, where you can use cards to unlock new technologies, build structures, or enact policies.


An equally impressive facet of this game is the procedural generation of worlds, ensuring that every playthrough is a new experience with varying challenges and opportunities. This feature keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging, urging players to adapt and innovate with each new venture. Additionally, the seasons cycle, and the corresponding change in weather patterns, demands flexible strategies to keep your civilization thriving.

Graphics-wise, Kingdoms Reborn offers a visually pleasing experience with detailed environments and fluid animations. The user interface is intuitive, making it easy for both newcomers and veterans of the genre to navigate the complexities of city management.

The AI in Kingdoms Reborn is designed to be sophisticated, offering a realistic representation of population dynamics and economic systems. The citizens have their desires and needs, and catering to them effectively is key to fostering a prosperous society.

Kingdoms Reborn Gameplay (2023)

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Want to play these games in a virtual LAN party with friends? Download our free Playtest on Steam!


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