City building games have been entertaining players for decades. Starting with Sim City, released in 1989 by Maxis, it allowed players to design and manage their cities, leading to a whole new genre of video games. Sim City 2000 and Sim City 4 brought about significant changes, including transportation options like highways and mass transit, and game modding communities. Cities XL was one of the first 3D city building games but had bugs and high system requirements. The 2013 Sim City attempted to revive the franchise; however, it struggled due to bugs and server issues, leading Cities: Skylines to become one of the most popular city-building games of all time, offering a massive map size, transportation networks, and a robust modding community.

The Best City Building Games: From Sim City to Cities: Skylines

City building games have been around for decades and have provided players with endless hours of entertainment. These games allow players to design, plan, and construct their own cities, complete with intricate road networks, utilities, and structures. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best city building games of all time, starting from Sim City to the present-day Cities: Skylines.

Sim City (1989)

Sim City, released in 1989 by Maxis, is considered by many to be the first true city building game. The game allowed players to design and manage their own city, complete with roads, traffic, utilities, and buildings. Sim City was a groundbreaking game, and its success spawned a whole new genre of video games.

Sim City 2000 (1993)

Sim City 2000 was released four years after the original game and brought about some significant improvements. Players now had access to underground subway systems, airports, and seaports. The graphics also received a significant overhaul, allowing for improved visuals and a more immersive gameplay experience. This game was even more popular than the original, and it cemented the Sim City franchise as the king of city building games for years to come.

Sim City 4 (2003)

Sim City 4 was released in 2003, and the game brought about some more significant changes to the franchise. The graphics and gameplay received a significant overhaul, and players now had access to more advanced transportation systems like highways and mass transit, which allowed for more transportation options for citizens. The game’s modding community also took off, allowing users to create custom content, including buildings, maps, and even transportation networks. Sim City 4 remains a beloved game in the franchise and in the city building genre as a whole.

Cities XL (2009)

Cities XL was released in 2009 by Monte Cristo, and it was one of the first city-building games to offer fully 3D graphics. The game allowed players to create their cities in a fully immersive and detailed environment, complete with a day and night cycle, weather, and various types of buildings. The game also allowed players to trade with other players, making it a fully connected game with a social element. However, the game’s high system requirements and bugs prevented it from achieving the success of its predecessors.

Sim City (2013)

Sim City was released in 2013 by Maxis, and it was an attempt to revive the franchise with modern graphics and gameplay changes. The game’s multiplayer element was a significant selling point, allowing players to trade resources and communicate with other players. The game struggled at launch due to bugs and server issues and the game’s small city size. Many fans criticized the game for scaling back many of the features in previous games, such as transportation options and large cities.

Cities: Skylines (2015)

Cities: Skylines was released in 2015 by Paradox Interactive, and it quickly became one of the most popular city-building games of all time. The game boasted a massive map size, intricate transportation networks, and a robust modding community. The game has received numerous updates and expansions, adding even more depth to the gameplay, including the ability to manage public transportation networks more effectively. Its success has made it a definitive new standard for city building games, and with its seemingly endless replay value, it’s no wonder why fans of the genre continue to admire it.

Conclusion

The city building genre has come a long way since the release of its first entry decades ago. Sim City served as a catalyst for the creation of an entirely new genre, and fans of city building games have been lucky to have many great games to choose from as this genre has developed. Historical games such as Sim City and Sim City 2000 served as the foundation for a genre that continues to thrive and innovate. Cities XL attempted to push the boundaries of what was possible with the genre, while the more modern Sim City tried to emulate the success of the past. Cities: Skylines stands today as the definitive game in this genre, providing an incredibly detailed and immersive experience that fans crave.