Top 5 City-Building Games

#1: Cities: Skylines

Released on the PC in 2015 and later on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2017. Cites Skylines is a single-player open-ended city-building simulation where you engage in urban planning by controlling zoning, road placement, taxation, public services, and public transportation of an area. The objective is to maintain various elements of the city, including its budget, health, employment, and pollution levels. The game has also had official expansion packs released for it. As of September 2017 more than 4 million copies have been sold.

#2: Tropico 4

Tropico 4 was released on the PC and Xbox 360 in 2011 and is a single-player city building simulation that centers on a customisable character titled 'El Presidente' of the island paradise of Tropico. Tropico 4 combines real time strategy city building and resource management with various objectives throughout each scenario that are all informed by the game's satirical Cold War era politics and caricatures.

#3: SimCity 4

Released on the PC and Mac in 2003 SimCity 4 is a city-building, urban simulation computer game where you build a settlement which you eventually grow into a city zoning different areas of land as commercial, industrial, or residential development. The object of the game is to manage your city's finances, environment, and quality of life for its residents. SimCity 4 was one of the top 10 selling PC games of 2003.

#4: Pharaoh

Released on the PC in 1999 Pharaoh is an isometric city-building game where you oversee the construction and management of cities and settlements in Ancient Egypt. This involves micro-managing every aspect of the city, while also ensuring its citizens are fed, employed, healthy and protected from diseases, disasters and wars.

#5: Banished

Released on the PC in 2014 Banished is a city-building strategy video game that focuses on careful resource management and survival as an isolated and growing society. There is no military aspect and apart from completing Achievements no game goal, the challenge comes from being able to survive and to see how big of a city you can manage.