15 Best City-Building Games for Creative Minds in 2025
I absolutely love the best city-building games – they’re a great genre to spend your free time.
It’s an amazing feeling when you build your own city from scratch, watching it grow, come to life, and expand. Over the years of gaming, I’ve tried countless city-building strategies. Today, I’m ready to share the best city-building games that are truly worth your time.
The selection includes both complex economic simulators and relaxing sandbox games.
Our Top Picks for City Building Games
The best city-building games come in different styles – some focus on economy and realism, emphasize survival of your settlement, while in others, it’s all about relaxing and creating. Here are some of the leading titles you’ll definitely appreciate:
- Cities: Skylines (2015) – one of the top city-building games that has remained relevant for over 10 years. Here, you’ll find a flexible zoning system and realistic management of your economy and infrastructure. The perfect choice for gamers who want full control over their metropolis.
- Anno 1800 (2019) – a great game for fans of complex economic systems. Welcome to the Industrial Revolution – manage trade, build strong economic ties, and venture into the New World.
- Surviving Mars (2018) – tired of traditional city-building strategies? Head to Mars and prepare to face several challenges. Resource shortages, limited oxygen, and other survival issues on the wild planet await
- Frostpunk 2 (2024) – the sequel to the cult city-building survival game. Here, you’ll manage a city in an eternal winter. The new installment gives players more freedom in city-building, but tough moral dilemmas are still present.
- Timberborn (2021) – the unique feature of this strategy is that you manage a beaver civilization. Only proper management of water resources will help your settlement survive during a drought.
15 Best City Building Games to Flex Your Creativity
Let’s move on to a detailed overview of the best town-building games. The selection includes strategies, survival games, and other genres. Keep reading to find something that fits your interests perfectly.
1. Cities: Skylines (The Ultimate City-Building Sandbox)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | 2015 | Colossal Order |
If you’re looking for a city builder that is also an excellent strategy game, then Cities: Skylines is the true benchmark of the genre. You’ll spend hundreds of hours developing your own creations, managing the economy, and solving the pressing problems that arise in your metropolis. Even though the game was released 10 years ago, it still offers one of the most realistic city-building processes.
Here, you’ll be able to construct huge cities with intricate road networks, residential neighborhoods, and industrial zones. What I love about the game is the many mods that have been created since its launch.
You can integrate natural disasters into the gameplay, completely change the rules of the game, and tailor every aspect of your city to your liking. One of the pros is the resource management system, including raw materials and production chains. Gamers who want to imagine themselves as a mayor and create the perfect detailed city will really love this game.
Grab your copy Cities: Skylines today >
2. Anno 1800 (Best for Economic Strategy Lovers)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S | 2019 | Ubisoft Blue Byte |
Anno 1800 is a great find for fans of detailed simulation games, where resource management mechanics are deep and advanced. Settle new islands, build beautiful cities, and manage the economy by establishing new trade relations.
You’ll also encounter epic battles with other factions, where victory can play a key role in the further development of your settlement.
We enjoyed the realistic economic system, the possibility of colonizing new islands, and the highly detailed citizens.
3. Surviving Mars (Best Sci-Fi City-Builder)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS4, Xbox One | 2018 | Haemimont Games |
Tired of classic city-building games and want to try something truly unique? Surviving Mars will be the perfect choice. Take control of the first human colony on the red planet in an otherworldly open-world game. Remember that every mistake will cost the lives of your settlers. Prepare for a shortage of oxygen and useful resources, as well as solving unconventional problems.
What will you do if all the water freezes? The game impressed us with its lifeless space atmosphere and the hardcore mode where every small detail affects survival.
Place your order for Surviving Mars today >
4. Frostpunk 2 (Best for Survival Strategy Fans)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC | TBA | 11 bit studios |
Frostpunk 2 is a chilling RTS game with a great way to test your leadership skills. If you think managing an ordinary city is hard, you simply haven’t tried being the mayor of a metropolis in the midst of an eternal winter. Every day is a real fight for survival.
The first game became one of the most intense strategy games, and the second part is a fantastic continuation – there are even more moral choices for a society on the brink of exhaustion.
Every resident is ready to start a real battle just for a piece of bread. The atmosphere is perfectly complemented by the tense musical score, which enhances the feeling of hopelessness.
Get your copy of Frostpunk 2 >
5. Timberborn (Best for Unique Mechanics)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC | 2021 | Mechanistry |
Still thinking that all city-building games are the same? It’s time to launch Timberborn. Here, humans are replaced by intelligent beavers, building their settlement in the midst of a drought. Water is the main resource, and the well-being of all the inhabitants depends on it.
You’ll have to not only build structures but also constantly regulate river levels to avoid droughts. The game features several seasons, each of which changes the rules. Thought-out mechanics and vibrant graphics will not leave you indifferent. Create something truly cool for your city right now.
Get your copy of Timberborn today >
6. Cities: Skylines II (Best Next-Gen City Builders)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S | 2023 | Colossal Order |
The continuation of the top-tier city-building strategy, Cities: Skylines II, has taken the entire genre to an entirely new level. Here, the developer completely revamped the zoning system, made the economy simulation more realistic, reworked the transport system, and changed the behavior of citizens.
Another new feature in the sequel is the realistic weather-changing system, which greatly complicates the gameplay.
Order your copy of the game Cities: Skylines II >
7. Against the Storm (Best Roguelike City-Builder)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC | 2023 | Eremite Games |
Against the Storm is not just a building game, but a real challenge for fans of complex and realistic strategies. I really liked the resource management elements, procedural generation, and the constant pressure of time – it’s crucial to make the right decisions as quickly as possible.
Each new city here is a true test for you because it will introduce resource shortages and constantly worsening weather conditions. Remember, each settlement is a temporary stage – sooner or later, you’ll have to leave it and move on.
Gamers who don’t want to keep building just one city will enjoy this game. You’ll need to build an entire network of settlements.
Grab your copy of Against the Storm >
8. The Wandering Village (Best for a Unique Setting)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One | 2022 | Stray Fawn Studio |
What makes The Wandering Village unique? It’s the unique indie game where you build your settlement. Forget about classic land plots – here, your city is located on the back of a giant titan named Onbu. This adds several interesting game mechanics – when building structures, it’s extremely important to consider the movement of this massive creature.
I tested this game and can tell you about some features I personally enjoyed. First of all, here, you have to take care not only of the settlers but also of the giant titan. This is something new for the entire genre. And you can even use Onbu for your purposes to improve the well-being of your citizens.
9. Endzone: A World Apart (Best Post-Apocalyptic City-Builder)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S | 2020 | Gentlymad Studios |
Endzone – A World Apart is a game where you need to construct and manage your own settlement in a world that was destroyed by a nuclear catastrophe. It’s not just about building structures, but constant survival in conditions of radiation, acid rains that destroy all life, and a permanent shortage of resources.
For most players, Endzone will be a true test of planning and adaptation skills. Production chains and resource management are key here, as well as taking care of your citizens. Keep in mind that every mistake could cost a life. The game’s disaster system adds extra dynamics to the gameplay.
Get your copy of Endzone now >
10. Aven Colony (Best for Alien Planet Colonization)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS4, Xbox One | 2017 | Mothership Entertainment |
Aven Colony invites you to travel to the distant planet Aven Prime and build the first human colony. There are no roads or familiar greenery here, but plenty of extreme conditions and mysterious creatures. And just like on any unexplored planet, you’ll be facing a constant shortage of resources.
I would recommend this game to gamers who want to try out a classic city builder in a sci-fi setting. Watch the oxygen levels, protect your citizens from sandstorms, and send expeditions to conquer new lands.
11. Industries of Titan (Best for Industrial City Management)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC | 2020 | Brace Yourself Games |
Industries of Titan is a blend of city-building, corporate management of your settlement, and strategic battles with rivals. Build your megacity on Titan, Saturn’s moon, and do everything to outsmart your competitors.
This is one of the freshest takes on city-building games. It’s important to manage the workforce properly, use resources efficiently, and adapt to what’s happening on the screen.
The game will appeal to anyone looking for something new in the genre of complex economic strategies.
12. Airborne Kingdom (Best for Floating Cities)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | 2020 | The Wandering Band |
Build your own flying settlement in the Airborne Kingdom. There are no familiar streets or buildings on the ground here, but there’s a huge floating megacity. When building, it’s important to consider not only resources but also the weight of your settlement to prevent a disaster. Don’t forget the needs of the local inhabitants.
The gameplay’s uniqueness is also enhanced by diplomacy – you’ll need to establish strong economic ties with ground settlements.
Order your version Airborne Kingdom >
13. Foundation (Best Medieval City-Builder)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC | 2019 | Polymorph Games |
Foundation is about building a city in medieval times on completely uninhabited land without a road grid. It’s important to consider all the landscape features and not forget the needs of your citizens.
One of the game’s features is that the residents choose where to build their house and what to do next. I’d call the game really cool – you have every chance to turn a small settlement into a huge city. But watching locals complete their routine tasks is also a form of art.
Get a Steam gift card right now >
14. Tropico 6 (Best for Political Strategy)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Limbic Entertainment |
Tropico 6 is a real fun, where you take on the role of a dictator managing a whole network of islands. In the game, you’ll need to build structures, manage the economy, sometimes listen to the needs of your citizens, and also attract tourists.
One of the game’s features is the political maneuvering that will help you stay in power, no matter what. I appreciated the great humor in the game, as well as the ability to create your own laws.
15. Planetbase (Best for Space Colony Simulation)
| Platforms | Year of Release | Developer |
| PC, PS4, Xbox One | 2015 | Madruga Works |
Planetbase is another space city-building strategy where you must build your colony on a hostile planet. You take control of a group of settlers who need to create a self-sustaining settlement.
Do everything you can to survive. Any wrong management of resources will lead to a real disaster for the settlers. You can choose from 4 planets, each with its own difficulty level.
Own your copy – buy Planetbase >
FAQs
Which game is better — Cities: Skylines or SimCity?
When it comes to modern city-building simulators, Cities: Skylines is far superior to SimCity. It offers more freedom in city-building, a ton of mods, and constant updates from the developers. SimCity is also a decent city-building simulator, but the maps are small, and the economic possibilities are limited.
Which city-building games are good for beginners?
If you’re just starting out with city-building games, I recommend checking out Tropico 6, which has great humor, and The Wandering Village, which features an unusual mechanic of building on the back of a giant creature.
Are there any good city-building games with survival elements?
Yes, and every year more such games are released. Some real hits in this genre are Frostpunk, Surviving Mars, Endzone – A World Apart, and Against the Storm.
Which city-building strategies have the most complex economy and resource management?
If you’re looking for real challenges in hardcore city-building, check out games like Anno 1800, Industries of Titan, and Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic. Here, every detail matters, and you need to plan your actions several steps ahead.
What new city-building games have been released in the past few years?
The city-building genre is still evolving, and among the newest releases, we can highlight Cities: Skylines II, the iconic continuation of the original, Manor Lords with early access in 2024, Civilization VII and Against the Storm, which is about survival in a dark fantasy world.
