5 beginner tips and tricks for Cities Skylines 2

Cities Skylines 2 bringing the next generation of city-builders to the forefront. As the successor to the 2015 original, developer Colossal Order has aimed for a more ambitious project. It is as complex as players expect, and while some issues still need to be ironed out, players will have a perfectly acceptable time crafting the city of their dreams.

With that said, it is an overwhelming game on all fronts, so here are some tips to help newcomers get started.

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5 things new players of Cities Skylines 2 should know about

1) Pick the right map to start with

Those new to Cities Skylines 2, or even city-building games, should begin with one of the few premade maps to begin their commercial endeavors. Each is inspired by various real-world locales and, thus, offers different types of terrains to pick from.

One of the easier ones to begin with is Sweeping Plains, themed after North America. As the name suggests, it is a massive playground for players to toy around with regard to construction and civic development. They can also tweak modifiers like Natural Disasters, Unlimited Money, and so on — though we recommend avoiding the latter for later playthroughs.

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2) Become intimately familiar with the Terraforming Tool

Sculpting the land has both functional and visual benefits (Image via YouTube: TotalXclipse)

Regardless of what map players pick, they will need to cull the surroundings and environments to fit their vision of what their city will look like. This means removing dirt and trees by transforming the landscape using a sculpting tool. For all its depth and complexity, the terraformer in Cities Skylines 2 is easy to use.

Players will take a circular cursor and use it on the environment to shape it as they desire. This should allow them to create spots where they can evenly place massive apartments, shops, and other buildings on the map with ease. It also allows for making uniform, aesthetically pleasing locations if players dedicate themselves to it.

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3) Plan beforehand about the final layout

Make sure your city looks amazing in the long run (Image via Paradox Interactive)

As with real-world construction blueprints, players of Cities Skylines 2 need to pre-plan what goes where. The build possibilities are endless, after all, so one needs to figure out the locations for each of their sectors. For example, ensure the industrial sector is situated away from the residential one.

Alternately, commercial elements like malls, transportation, and more can neighbor civilian settlements without hassle. This way, it is easier for commoners to commute to and fro from areas, while the industrial sector needs a lot of transportation to carry materials and goods.

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4) Windmills are early-game friends

Wind power is very eco-friendly (Image via Paradox Interactive)

Energy is the key resource to keep your city moving and to generate it, players would generally need power plants. Alternatively, they may also opt for windmills. These aren't just easy to acquire and low maintenance but also do not create any air pollution. Coal power plants, on the other hand, are more expensive to manage and run.

This, in turn, positively impacts the mood of the citizens, making them happy, which is the ultimate goal of any city-building game. In Cities Skylines 2 as well, a city is nothing without its denizens, which brings us to the next important point players need to bear in mind.

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5) Keep the city folk satisfied

As mentioned before, happy citizens are contributing citizens, which in turn spins the wheel of profits for the player to invest in further upgrades for the city. Of course, there are various ways to do this. For one, players should meet basic needs like water, electricity, proper roads, and ample transportation for travel.

Ensuring services such as hospitals, academic institutions, entertainment, disaster management, and more are provided is key as well. Be sure to minimize pollution as, like in real life, no one prefers living in polluted areas. This way, they can be happy tax-paying citizens to help boost your city towards a brighter future.

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Cities Skylines 2 is out on PC and has seen a middling opening due to performance issues. Thankfully, they will seemingly be fixed soon. The game will also arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.