5 best city building games to play right now

The city builder genre is the best way to test out your urban planning skills and construct the ultimate city, civilization, or post-apocalyptic colony. Though the objective of this genre remains constant no matter the game, or building, the environments certainly change.

If you are looking for new city-building games to test out, you have no shortage of choices across Steam, your console store, or any other digital distribution platform. Below are our picks for the top five city builder games right now.

The best city building games to try right now

5) Surviving Mars

• Available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC

The vast wastes of Mars are once again teeming with life in Surviving Mars, as you command a Martian outpost and manage the otherwise inhospitable environment. The challenge in this city builder is creating a sustainable environment for the Mars colony and exploring the unknown reaches of the red planet. The game’s far-flung future aesthetic is incredible and if you have ever enjoyed the book or the film The Martian, then you need to give this game a try.

4) Timberborn

• Available on PC

Timberborn is another city builder with an extremely unique setting. Here, you play a city of beavers developing a settlement along the banks of a stretching river. Water is your primary resource in this game as you must deal with flooding, droughts, and your surrounding city.

I particularly enjoyed this game thanks to its replayability. There are two central factions to pick from: the Folktail and Iron Teeth, which both give drastically different gameplay experiences.

3) Anno 1800

• Available on PC

If you are looking for depth in your city builder, then it gets no better than Anno 1800. This is a historical city builder that follows the passage of the 19th century and requires players to alter and change the city to keep up with quickly innovating times.

This is a city builder for anyone who enjoys a historical setting with plenty of political and economy-based gameplay. Much of your time will be spent dealing with neighboring nations, building your city’s populace, combating unrest, and building trade routes. You can play as a friendly diplomat or an isolationist tyrant—either way, you need to find a way to keep up with the times lest your city fall.

2) Frostpunk

• Available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC

Frostpunk is my personal favorite city builder as it brings you to the grimmest setting yet. A never-ending winter has overtaken the world and you are in charge of one of the last remaining civilizations. Inside your desolate city is a burning engine. Without this engine, your civilization would collapse within hours.

There are more resources to maintain than you can likely first handle in Frostpunk, with coal, timber, metal, food, and workers all a dwindling resource. The ever-looming threat of snowstorms keeps you on constant guard. If you are looking for a challenge, then Frostpunk is for you. With the next installment in development, no time is better than now to jump into the franchise.

1) Cities: Skylines

• Available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC

If you are looking for a pure city building experience without the need for a dramatic or whimsical setting, then Cities: Skylines should be your pick. This is a true test of your ability to build and manage your city. Traffic, the economy, pollution, and natural disasters all fall on you to manage, avoid, and clean up after.