City building games come in a lot more flavors than the name suggests, and picking the wrong one is how you end up with a 60 GB download you bounce off in an hour. Some want you running traffic and zoning. Some want you feeding a medieval village through winter. Some have no goal at all. Here are the city building games I'd actually point a friend to, grouped by what they're like, with prices as of November 2026. Prices bounce around with sales, so I list the normal price and you check the storefront.
My bar: the game has to be something you can buy or download today, and I'll say plainly when a game is still in early access or has a rocky history. If you want the wider field (survival crafting, block builders and the rest), my roundup of the best building games covers it. This page sticks to cities and colonies.
Modern big-city sims
Cities: Skylines (the original)
If you want a modern city builder and you want one pick, this is it. It came out in March 2015, costs $29.99 on Steam, and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Bits N' Pixels calls it the reigning champ and recommends it over its sequel, and I agree. Buy it on sale and decide on DLC later, because the DLC pile is the one thing that gets out of hand.
Cities: Skylines II
The sequel launched in October 2023 at $49.99 and is Windows only on Steam. It launched to a lukewarm reception with technical problems, and it's heavier on your PC (16 GB RAM and an RTX 3080-class card are the recommended specs, plus 60 GB of disk). Iceflake Studios and Colossal Order develop it, with Paradox publishing. Paradox has announced PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions but hasn't given a date, so as of November 2026 don't count on a console release. It's the more ambitious game on paper. If you're on a decent PC and you're patient, it's worth a look. If you just want to build a city, start with the original.
Medieval and historical builders
Manor Lords
A gridless medieval town builder: you place houses on burgage plots, run seasons and production chains, and can fight optional real-time battles if you want a conquest angle. It's about $40 list and often discounted. Windows only. It's still in early access (it launched in April 2024), so expect it to keep changing. PC Gamer picked it as their favorite strategy city builder of 2024. I'd buy it if you like watching a town grow organically rather than snapping to a grid.
Anno 1800
Victorian-era production chains and trade, from 2019. The base game is $59.99 on Steam; the editions with DLC go up to $99.99 and $129.99. It's Windows only, needs a Ubisoft account, and has single-player plus co-op and PvP. It's DLC-heavy, so start with the base game. It's for people who love logistics puzzles more than pretty skylines.
Anno 117: Pax Romana
The newest Anno, set in the Roman Empire, released in November 2025. List price is $59.99, and on Steam it's Windows only. It needs 16 GB RAM, an SSD and about 117 GB of disk, so it's one for a strong PC. Anno sells DLC passes, and a new expansion is scheduled for November 2026.
Pharaoh: A New Era
A remake of the classic Egyptian city builder, from 2023. It's $22.99 list, Windows only, and it asks for very little (8 GB RAM, 8 GB disk). There are 50+ missions, 100+ hours of play and a sandbox mode, all in hand-drawn isometric art. This is the one for old-school fans, or anyone who wants a classic-style builder that runs on a modest PC.
Survival and colony builders
Frostpunk 2
You run a city in a frozen world, juggling heat, factions and awful choices. It came out in September 2024 at $44.99 on Windows and Mac, with a campaign and a sandbox mode. It's bleak, and Steam lists mature content, so it's not one for young kids. PC Gamer called its society simulation unmatched at making every choice difficult. Two DLCs are out, and the developers say active support drops to minor fixes after the final one, The Surge, so don't expect big changes after that.
Timberborn
Beavers build a colony on a river, with real 3D water physics, droughts, toxic seasons and vertical building. It's $34.99 on Windows and Mac and light on hardware (8 GB RAM, 3 GB of disk). The challenge comes from the environment rather than combat, which makes it a good pick if you want a hard colony game without any fighting. It also has Steam Workshop mods and a map editor. The theme is cute, but it's a proper management game.
If surviving and building together is the draw, my picks of games like Valheim lean that way too.
Cozy city building
Townscaper
This is more a toy than a game. There's no goal and no real gameplay, you just tap to drop colorful coastal buildings and watch the town grow around them. It costs $5.99 on Steam (Windows and Mac), and the official site also links to iOS, Android, Epic and VR stores. It's the pick for a relaxed evening or a phone.
Free city building games
Two free picks I'd point you to, though neither is a zoning-style city builder:
- OpenTTD: free and open source, based on Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Heads up that it's a transport and logistics game, not zoning-style city building. If trains, roads and supply routes sound fun, it's great. It's still updated, with a new release candidate out at the end of October 2026.
- Freeciv: a free, open-source empire-building strategy game inspired by human history. It's closer to Civilization than to Cities: Skylines, so it's the answer if you were searching for civilization building games. You can play multiplayer in Longturn games, which run one turn per day. The latest stable release is 3.2.7, from November 2026.
If your real goal is more block-style building for free, my list of games like Minecraft is the better place to look.
City building games on console and mobile
- Console: Cities: Skylines II has PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions announced, but no release date as of November 2026, so don't plan around it yet.
- Mobile: Townscaper has iOS and Android versions. For more phone-friendly picks, check the broader best building games page.
City building games at a glance
| Game | Type | List price (Nov 2026) | Platforms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cities: Skylines | Modern city sim | $29.99 | Windows, Mac, Linux | First city builder, value |
| Cities: Skylines II | Modern city sim | $49.99 | Windows | Strong PCs, patient players |
| Manor Lords | Medieval | About $40 | Windows (early access) | Organic towns |
| Anno 1800 | Industrial era | $59.99 | Windows | Production chains |
| Anno 117 | Roman | $59.99 | Windows | Roman empires on a strong PC |
| Pharaoh: A New Era | Ancient Egypt | $22.99 | Windows | Classic fans, low-spec PCs |
| Frostpunk 2 | Survival | $44.99 | Windows, Mac | Hard choices (mature) |
| Timberborn | Colony | $34.99 | Windows, Mac | Challenge without combat |
| Townscaper | Cozy toy | $5.99 | Windows, Mac, mobile, VR | Relaxing |
| OpenTTD | Transport sim | Free | See openttd.org | Logistics fans |
| Freeciv | Civilization-style | Free | See freeciv.org | Turn-based strategy |
How to choose
- No combat: Timberborn puts the challenge in the environment, and Townscaper has no goal at all, let alone fighting. Manor Lords' battles are optional, and Frostpunk 2's pressure comes from hard choices.
- Old PC: Pharaoh and Timberborn run on very little. Anno 117 and Cities: Skylines II need a lot more.
- Budget: Townscaper, Pharaoh and the original Cities: Skylines are the cheap routes, and OpenTTD and Freeciv cost nothing.
- One pick: original Cities: Skylines for a first modern city builder, Manor Lords for a medieval town.