5 best city-building games of 2010s (& 5 best simulation games)

City-building games are one of the most unique gaming genres, and not everybody gets hooked on them.

This particular genre in the gaming industry has a cult-like following. It allows gamers to create a mega-city of their dreams from scratch.

It’s a gaming genre centered around building a sprawling settlement and managing it.

City-building titles make users feel like gods as they plot down a metropolis in the middle of an infinitely expandable space just for fun. In the previous decade, a few developers did a fabulous job creating the ideal city-building game of everybody’s dreams, as seen below.

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Five amazing city-building games to try out

1) SimCity (2013)

SimCity is a massive online multiplayer simulation game published by EA Arts. It is the fourth major installment of the SimCity series, as the previous SimCity title was released a decade ago in 2003.

The SimCity franchise is one of the longest-running city-building game franchises in the world. The first title was launched in 1989, and the series has since been the trendsetter in this genre.

Along with a substantial change in 3D graphics, SimCity brought many more welcome changes than previous games. For instance, it had a user interface inspired by Google Maps, making navigation easier, unlike the previous SimCity editions.

Roads were again an essential element of SimCity. Unlike previous titles, they carried tons of vital lines such as electricity, sewage, and water.

In addition, almost all the resources were finite. This added an extra layer of strategy players had to take care of to expand their cities.

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2) Cities: Skylines (2015)

Co-developed by Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order in 2015, Cities: Skylines has emerged as the number one city-building game in just seven years.

It was able to give users what SimCity failed to offer. Cities: Skylines indeed provided them the option to expand their cities infinitely and protect them against natural calamities.

Cities: Skylines also introduced plenty of new in-game elements in the form of challenges and hardships to overcome, which made it a thrilling city-building title.

It had no barriers, and players could build whatever customizable building they wanted, only restricted by their imaginations. No wonder Cities: Skylines has emerged as the apex city-building game of this generation and is still played by millions daily.

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3) The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (2010)

The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom is a unique game that combines elements of city-building and real-time strategy games. It borrows mechanics from the Civilization Series, where users had to choose a faction or society and try to make it the most prosperous among all.

The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom was set in a medieval world. The ultimate aim was to grow the settlement into an empire through military actions, diplomacy, developmental activities, and many other means.

The combined city-building and real-time strategy elements made it a gem of a city-building game.

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4) CitiesXL (2012)

When CitiesXL was first released in 2012, it was applauded for how ambitious the game was. On the surface, it appeared to be a simple city-building game, but it also had a multiplayer component.

This allowed gamers to interact with each other online. Each player had a unique city of their own and could trade resources with each other.

Unfortunately, the franchise removed the online multiplayer component from the game. Although CitiesXL is just a single-player city-building game right now, it still offers plenty of reasons for users to keep coming back for more.

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5) Banished (2014)

Developed by Shining Light Software in 2014, Banished is yet another spectacularly huge city-building game. It stands out from the rest of its competitors in two ways. First and foremost, the entire game was designed by a single game developer named Luke Hodorowicz.

Secondly, the title’s mechanics are far more complex than any other city-building game, enough to keep gamers engaged for hours as they try to transform their small village into a thriving megapolis.

In Banished, as they progress from a simple hamlet to a full-fledged city, the title’s priorities also change from gathering the right resources to expansion, resource management, and trading with other cities.

Overall, it gives enough engagement to players to keep playing for many days. As a result, this city-building game is still getting excellent reviews from the gaming community, even though it has been eight years since its launch.

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Five great simulation games to try out

While all city-building games can be grouped under the simulation game category, not all simulation games are city-building games. Here is a list of some of the best simulation games of the last decade that are not city-building games.

1) The Sims 4 (2014)

Developed by Maxis Studios and published by EA Sports, The Sims is probably the most well-known simulation game franchise. It is a series of social simulation titles where players have to create their unique characters and play that character’s life in a fictional city.

The first Sims title came out in 2000, and the franchise dominated the simulation genre in the following decade. After the successful launch of three Sims titles between 2000-2010, the franchise released its fourth installment, The Sims 4, in 2014.

It broke all previous records as it became the highest-selling game in the franchise, with over 20 million copies sold. Unlike the previous Sims offerings, The Sims 4 focused more on improved character creation, including new emotions and personality traits.

Besides that, Sims 4 offers deeper in-game exploration and a more comprehensive story build-up of the characters.

The Sims 4 has more than 12 payable and free expansion packs. Additionally, it has launched many free updates throughout its life cycle, the latest being The Sims 4: High School Years, released just last month in July 2022.

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2) Stardew Valley (2016)

Stardew Valley is a unique role-playing simulation game where users take over a dilapidated farm left behind by their deceased grandfather. It’s a fun and easy-to-play simulation title about farming in a world called Stardew Valley.

It was especially well-received due to its easy gameplay mechanics and diversified engagements available in the open world. The in-game atmosphere is also very comforting and relaxing.

Stardew Valley offers gamers plenty of activities to do right from mining, fishing, crafting, and fighting monsters, to becoming friends with others. It features something or the other for everyone to return for more.

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3) Euro Truck Simulator 2 (2012)

Developed and published by Microsoft Windows, Euro Truck Simulator 2, as the name suggests, is a one-of-a-kind truck simulation game where gamers have to drive around a vast open world inspired by the real-world landscape of Europe. It offers seven licensed truck brands and over 15 unique truck models.

Euro Truck Simulator 2 lets players become the king of the roads in Europe as they drive vast distances across Spain, France, the UK, and many other parts of the continent to deliver heavy goods and essential cargo.

The open world is spectacularly designed to give users the most accurate experience of driving a truck across Europe. Initially released in 2012, it beat many other simulation titles in terms of map beauty and precise driving mechanics.

As a result, the game is still played by millions across the world.

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4) Microsoft Flight Simulator X (2014)

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a free-to-play PC game developed by Microsoft to give gamers the most realistic flight simulation experience ever. It is one of the longest-running simulation game franchises, with a legacy of flight simulation games dating back to 39 years.

Since then, Microsoft has launched several editions of its airplane flight simulation title. If someone wonders whether Microsoft’s Flight Simulator is good enough to teach users the basics of flying an aircraft, the answer to the question is yes. They can check out this 2014 release for proof.

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5) Kerbel Space Program (2011)

Kerbel Space Program is the perfect simulation game for those who enjoy exploring space and colonizing a new world while maintaining a real-time flight simulation. Developed by Intercept Games in 2011, it took the gaming world by storm when it was first released.

Kerbal Space Program made the world realize what they were missing in the real-time flight simulation genre. The title allows players to hone their pilot skills in a sandbox environment with accurate propulsion methods and various on-surface building modules.

In 2020, Intercept Games announced that they would launch the second edition of Kerbel Space Program by the end of 2021. However, the launch got delayed, and the loyal fans of this simulation game now have to wait till 2023.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinion.