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It takes time and care to play Best City Building Games on Steam, but that’s what makes them fun. This list is very hard to make because there are so many of these games. I basically found some of the best well-known city-builders and some of the best less-well-known ones.
Depending on how they like to play games, players can choose from many different types of builder games. They can go for harder strategy, survival, or cute slice-of-life games. Players can move through time and space and even go to cute fantasy worlds thanks to these builders.
No matter which game you choose, the main way to play is the same. It can be thought of as a computer game about building and planning. If you are a city planner or just want to unwind after a long day, city building games are a good choice.
Best City Building Games on Steam Comparison Table
Game | Setting | Gameplay | Graphics | Multiplayer |
---|---|---|---|---|
Northgard | Viking civilization | Resource management, strategy, conquest | Cartoonish, stylized | Yes (Co-op and PvP) |
Tropico 6 | Tropical island | Political simulation, city management | Detailed, vibrant | Yes (Co-op and PvP) |
Townscape | Modern city | Urban planning, building, management | Pixel art | No |
Flotsam | Post-apocalyptic ocean | Survival, resource scavenging, city building | Cartoonish, colorful | No |
RoboCo | Robotics workshop | Creative building, programming, simulation | Cartoonish, vibrant | No |
Against The Storm | Fantasy world | City building, strategy, survival | Cartoonish, stylized | No |
Surviving Mars | Mars colonization | Resource management, survival, exploration | Detailed, realistic | No |
Northgard
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows Vista/7/8/10 (64-bit) | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz or equivalent | Intel i5 3.1 GHz or equivalent |
Memory | 1 GB RAM | 2 GB RAM |
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or equivalent | Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or equivalent |
DirectX | Version 10 | Version 10 |
Storage | 1 GB available space | 1 GB available space |
Game of Thrones Best City Building Games on Steam: Winter is Coming is a good suggestion, but if you really want to feel like you’re in a medieval Viking world, you should try Northgard. It’s a highly-rated real-time strategy game based on Norse mythology that focuses on building cities as a way to fortify an army, control an army, and protect settlements at all costs.
The game has a 9/10 rating on Steam because of its fun RTS mechanics, beautiful graphics, and balance of strategy and simulation gameplay. Many people liken it to The Settlers because it pushes players to work together in teams and has a lot of replay value. Unfortunately, the game has been attacked for having a boring, one-note story that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of plot.
The Good
- Engaging strategy game with a Viking theme.
- Graphics with a lot of detail and beauty.
- There are many clans, each with its own skills.
The Bad
- A lot to learn for people who are new to the genre.
Tropico 6
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
Processor | AMD or Intel, 3 GHz (AMD A10 7850K, Intel i5-2000) | AMD Ryzen 7 1700X, Intel i7-6700K |
Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
Graphics | AMD/NVIDIA dedicated GPU, 2 GB VRAM | AMD/NVIDIA dedicated GPU, 4 GB VRAM |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
Storage | 16 GB available space | 16 GB available space |
Tropico 6 Best City Building Games on Steam is the most recent game in a very famous series. It has a 9/10 rating on Steam, and many people have said how big, bold, beautiful, and fun the city-building game is. As a peaceful politician or an oppressive tyrant in charge of the island’s people, players work hard to make it a thriving utopia. This adds political drama to the story, which most people think makes it better than the last version.
Tropico 6 adds new ways to play, such as building bridges, managing archipelagos, using transportation to improve infrastructure, and stealing landmarks from rival architects. Players also have to deal with the effects of political elections on their city’s construction, which are directly related to how well their city was built. Even though the stakes have been raised a lot, Tropico 6 doesn’t have the emotional weight of Steam’s more important city builders.
The Good
- Highly realistic and funny simulator of being a dictator.
- Detailed pictures of beautiful tropical island settings.
The Bad
- Some problems with performance and some bugs.
Townscape
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 7 or later (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core i3 or equivalent | Intel Core i5 or equivalent |
Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
Storage | 1 GB available space | 1 GB available space |
Let’s start with a small and easy thing. Townscape is a very simple game about making a city. In Townscape, you don’t have to take care of people or try to reach goals. It’s all about letting your imagination run wild. You can put down a house or platform by clicking a button. They can be joined together to make bigger constructions.
Shapes and sizes can be anything. It’s a cute and relaxing game where you can spend hours building your ideal city without having to worry about running it at the same time. There are an amazing number of different ways to build. Structures can be set apart with the help of different colors. Different fields on the grid also give each building a different shape.
The Good
- A unique mix of building a city, running it, and puzzles.
- The pixel art is cute, and the music is moody.
The Bad
- Lack of advanced features and systems that are hard to use.
Flotsam
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core i3 or equivalent | Intel Core i5 or equivalent |
Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4400 or equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
Storage | 600 MB available space | 600 MB available space |
Why would we only use land for our ideas and cities? In Flotsam, the ocean has covered the whole world, and you have to build your city out of trash that is floating in the water. You get materials and resources for your city and people by fishing trash out of the ocean. Recycling lets you learn about and use tools from the past. Even though Flotsam is set in a post-apocalyptic world, it has a lot of color.
A game about the end of the world usually has dark colors and a sad mood, but this one doesn’t. Instead, Flotsam has a very optimistic feel to it. People you work with are fun and different. Each one is different and has its own likes, dislikes, and needs that you have to meet if you want them to be happy.
The bigger your drifting city can be, the more people you find.
The Good
- A new and interesting way to look at the city-building genre.
- A floating world after the end of the world that is beautifully made.
The Bad
- Early access games may have bugs and features that aren’t quite done.
RoboCo
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core i5-6600 or equivalent | Intel Core i7-7700K or equivalent |
Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or equivalent |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
RoboCo is one of the Best City Building Games on Steam cutest new builder games of 2022. Its design is simple but colorful. With this good early-access sandbox building game, players can learn how to code and make their own robots that can help people live a better and easier life.
Some of the best robots in video games are made by the players in RoboCo. In this new building, people who play video games can use their imaginations to make robots and decide how they will move, how they will work, and of course how they will look, all while completing fun challenges. It’s one of the most fun and educational games for making new things, and both new and experienced players can enjoy it.
The Good
- Puzzles and missions that will put your engineering skills to the test.
- You can design and change your robots in any way you want.
The Bad
- Not many different missions and goals.
Against The Storm
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
Processor | Intel Core i5 or equivalent | Intel Core i7 or equivalent |
Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
Storage | 10 GB available space | 10 GB available space |
Among early access city builder games on Steam, Against the Storm has one of the best ratings Best City Building Games on Steam. With this new dark fantasy city builder, players can explore a scary but beautifully made open world as they try to stay alive and rebuild the magical fantasy world’s society.
In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, players will have to learn how to lead not only people but also lizards and beavers, as well as use their strategic skills to build a future. It’s a new city-building simulation game that is harder than most, but thanks to its unique design and world-building, it will be fun for both casual and experienced players.
The Good
- A weather system that changes over time and affects how you play and plan.
- Battles that are hard and require strategy.
The Bad
- There aren’t enough detailed tutorials or explanations of the game’s mechanics.
Surviving Mars
System Requirement | Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications |
---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
Processor | 4th Generation Intel i3 CPU or equivalent | 5th Generation Intel i5 CPU or equivalent |
Memory | 4 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
Graphics | DirectX 11, GPU with 1 GB VRAM | DirectX 11, GPU with 2 GB VRAM |
DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
Storage | 6 GB available space | 6 GB available space |
The science fiction video game Surviving Mars is a Best City Building Games on Steam settlement builder that focuses on colonizing Mars and surviving the process of doing so. Before you decide where your colony will be located, you should select a space agency to provide you with supplies and financial support.
Constructing domes and other types of infrastructure, doing research on new possibilities, and making use of drones are all good methods to uncover more complex ways to mold and extend your community. If you plan on purchasing the product, you should be aware that it is not a simple task because the game is actually quite challenging. If you enjoy story-driven quests of this nature, there is also a campaign available for you to play through.
The Good
- There are many ways to research and customize a colony.
- Story events and mysteries that keep you interested.
The Bad
- A lot to learn for people who are new to the genre.
FAQs
A: Yes, there are games on Steam that let you build cities with other people. “Tropico 6” and “Cities: Skylines” are two examples of city-building games with social modes. In these modes, players can work together or compete with each other to build cities and connect with each other.
A: Yes, you can change many city-building games on Steam. “Cities: Skylines” is known for its strong editing support. It has a huge library of user-made mods that can improve gameplay, add new features, and change different parts of the game. Modding can add new things to a game and make the whole experience better.
A: Yes, there are certain system needs for city-building games on Steam that make sure they run at their best. The conditions can be different for each game. Checking the system requirements on the game’s Steam store page or official website is a good idea to make sure your computer has the right specs.