City Building Games belong to the group of video game classics. Since the first creations, resources management and administration of cities have been in the mind of developers and gamers who wanted to experience the role of a city builder, governor or urban planner. 

Below, we have compiled a selection of top-tier games within this genre that are definitely worth experiencing. If you haven't played some of them, we highly recommend giving them a try as they represent some truly exceptional gaming experiences!

Below you will find seven of the best city-building games. We've created a list of games that balance gameplay, graphics, visual style, environments, development systems, and paths for winning.

• Release Date: March 15, 2018

• Developer: Haemimont Games | Abstraction Games 

• Publisher: Paradox Interactive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, macOS, Linux, Xbox One 

• Metascore: 76

City builder games are usually about constructing and managing cities on Earth or during the rise and expansion of great empires. Surviving Mars addresses the same topic but from a completely different point of view. As its name suggests, this title establishes the city-builder genre on the red planet. In this sense, the gameplay introduces different conditions than other city builders. 

You begin your mission on the solar system's fourth planet, a barren wasteland. As the commander of the first terraforming mission, your role is to lead the expedition by managing and administering human, mineral, and other resources to ensure the survival of the first inhabitants.   

The crucial resources are oxygen, water, and protection since the planet's environment is extremely dangerous. As the best city builders, you have to maintain protection systems to avoid natural disasters like dust storms and cold waves.

Think of your position as if you were the president of this new colony, having to pay special attention to all the factors that influence people's lives. It means scientific investigation, botanic plantations, mining exploration on the surface of Mars, and more. 

Keep an eye also on researching potential new resources that can help you to improve structures and facilities. Use rovers and drones to carry out activities, prepare the colony for new inhabitants, and develop the necessary technology.  

This city-building game will take you to a totally different world – literally – where urgency and a sense of danger are the order of the day.  

Key Features:

• Face the greatest challenge of all, terraforming Mars!

• Unique individual needs influence the behavior of colonists.

• An exploring system that allows you to discover all the secrets of Mars. 

Surviving Mars Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys. 

• Release Date: November 3, 2020

• Developer: Earthshine 

• Publisher: Earthshine

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, classic Mac OS, Linux

• Metascore: N/A

Returning to classic mechanics,  Kingdom Reborn emerges as a standout title that offers an unparalleled experience of constructing awe-inspiring civilizations on Earth's surface.

This title is a building and citizen simulator, where you start in a procedurally generated map with endless opportunities. You’ll be creating your own cities from scratch without anything more than a few resources, creativity, and well-planned management. 

In Kingdom Reborn, you will select one of the four factions: The Emirates, The Duchies, The Norsemen, and The Shogunate, and lead the first settlements to a great civilization that goes beyond millennia through the Era.    

Just like many city-building games, Kingdoms Reborn revolves around managing resources. Still, there is a slight difference between this title and others in this list: the cornerstone of KR is the betterment of the citizens' lives. 

In this context, you're responsible for choosing the best location, providing the needed resources to build houses and feed citizens, and developing technologies to take your civilization from a simple medieval settlement to the biggest kingdom in the world's history. 

And if you need more than that, you can play this city-building sim with other players in your own city on the same map. Choose your side: play cooperatively or competitively; it's up to you! Share resources or compete for the dominion of the territory!

Key Features:

• Individual civilizations you can convert into your own empire.

• Four factions with unique aesthetics and structures. 

• Seven procedurally generated distinct biomes.      

Kingdoms Reborn Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys. 

• Release Date: July 25, 2017

• Developer: Mothership Entertainment 

• Publisher: Team17

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

• Metascore: 65

Aven Colony predicted the success of Surviving Mars – or rather inspired it. This title transports the mechanic of building cities to other planets and atmospheres. But the core is pretty similar; you'll be in charge of the resource management and protection of the inhabitants of your new perfect city. 

Contrary to games taking place on the planet Earth, in Aven Colony, you will do more than gather resources; you have to smartly manage and administer citizens' lives in dangerous biomes by sorting obstacles to trade routes and building the required structures, such as skyscrapers and space elevators.  

Consider the day and night cycle when planning your energy system and protection. Many of these natural disasters can destroy everything you've created. Keep that in mind when building trade routes to ensure food and other resources to the markets of your city. And do not rest on your laurels; aliens and plagues may attack your colony. Create the best defense systems to keep your buildings and citizens safe.

But, in Aven Colony, you do not start from scratch; you already have the knowledge and the technology to rebuild humanity and create a new Earth with the same conditions as the mother planet.

Think of Aven Colony as a career through which you must rise from Governor, passed through city planner, to President. Citizens will judge your work and reward your dedication and the majesty of the city's skylines on the interstellar horizon.    

Aven Colony is likely the best city-building game you can find online. Try it and you’ll agree with us!

Key Features:

• A distinct alien world that you need to turn into a new home for mankind.

• Multiple alien life forms that can be beneficial or harmful for your colony.

• Day and night cycles and climate changes that make it difficult to survive.  

Aven Colony Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: April 28, 2022

• Developer: Toukana Interactive

• Publisher: Toukana Interactive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch

• Metascore: 80

When experiencing Dorfromantik, you might notice its resemblance to The Island and other tabletop games. And this is true since Dorfromantik takes a lot of board games like the above-mentioned, especially Catan. This is due to its particular visual style and ways of organizing fields and territory. 

Dorfromantik is a captivating puzzle game and city builder where you’ll conquer and plan territories composed of hexagons. Each hexagon holds distinct resources, such as human structures or natural elements.  This allows you to create a more connected and integrated relationship system where parts work together to build synergy and collaboration. 

To advance through the map and set the best land to build cities and, finally, your realm, you need to get hexagonal tiles containing civilization elements, such as homes, buildings, train tracks, fields, forests, and more.

The main goal of this puzzle-city builder title is to assemble the best surroundings for your residents, businesses, and general activities. This aims to create the optimal conditions for developing economic actions.

Dorfromantik also offers unique challenges that can add excitement and provide a personal challenge. For example, you may be tasked with creating a large forest or a bustling industrial metropolis using a specific number of tiles. You decide what the civilization of your dreams looks like!

Key Features:

• A unique style of organization that makes you feel like a landscaper.

• Several types of hexagonal tiles allow you to set them up as you want.

• Relaxing and reflexive gameplay to challenge yourself.            

Dorfromantik Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: April 16, 2019

• Developer: Ubisoft Blue Byte 

• Publisher: Ubisoft

• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows, 

• Metascore: 81

As its name indicates, Anno 1800 is a city-building real-time strategy video game focused on Industrial Revolution shapes, aesthetics, and civilization. 

Anno 1880 opens up the dawn of the Industrial Age with its respective revolutionary technologies and administrations. 

Anno 1800, the seventh installment in the Anno franchise, continues the tradition of incorporating the series' signature mechanics. The game revolves around maintaining the happiness of citizens, as well as managing the needs of traders, artisans, and businessmen, who serve as the franchise's core focus. In Anno 1800, the captivating narrative remains consistent with the franchise's established themes and gameplay elements.

Of course, the context changes, which brings multiple interesting aspects to gameplay and visuals. Victorian Era buildings, and structures abound everywhere, constructing an exciting landscape resembling the particularities of cities like London and New York. 

The main goal in Anno 1800 is to establish trade routes, which allows you to connect your rising cities with a parallel New World, requesting for exchanges and goods. To make the best of this, the game provides blueprints that facilitate your city's successes.

Anno 1800 features three game modes: a story campaign mode, a sandbox mode, and a multiplayer mode. The game integrates randomly generated maps and trade routes in the three modes you need to leverage for gathering resources and planning the best strategy to build relationships. It also features opponents controlled by AI and naval warfare. 

Create your real city or digital empire and teleport yourself to the nineteenth century, when the world was expanded to unexpected corners.

Key Features:

• Particular Victoria Era style and aesthetics let you build the epoch town of your dreams.

• Build things you see in storybooks, like the Glass Palace and antique castles.

• A highly customizable sandbox mode with a rich city-building experience.      

Anno 1800 EU Ubisoft Connect CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys. 

• Release Date: October 21, 2016

• Developer: Firaxis Games

• Publisher: 2K

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android

• Metascore: 88

Regarding 4X video games, we can’t leave out games like Master of Orion (1993) and the classic franchise Sid Meier's Civilization. Civilization VI focuses on exploring, expanding, exploiting, and exterminating, deeply defining its gameplay.  

When playing Civilization VI, your primary objective is to develop a livable settlement into a powerful empire that governs the world through eras, whether through military domination or astute political strategies. Like other games in the franchise, it challenges you to guide your civilization's growth and shape its destiny.

In this title, developing your civilization mirrors the historical progression of small settlements transforming into mighty kingdoms and empires. You'll embark on a journey of exploration, founding new cities, constructing city improvements, and engaging in cultural exchanges and military defenses with other civilizations. 

Civilization VI continues with the old franchise tradition featuring dozens of empires and their respective leaders, but this opportunity evokes new capitals. In this chapter, you will have the chance to select among nineteen civilizations and leaders, highlighting France with Catherine de Medici, Egypt with Cleopatra, Sumer with Gilgamesh, and more. 

Civilization VI uses a similar hex-based grid like Dofromantik, in which you create districts and buildings. Constructions give you additional points for being placed in a suitable terrain, which increases your experience in further developing new features related to the structure and units you're using. You can also stack units to reduce congestion in the territory and leave space for more residents and other functions. But stacking is limited to a certain number of units.    

Civilization VI allows you to win over other players or computer-controlled opponents through several media, such as technological superiority, military domination, and cultural influence.  

Finally, Sid Meier's Civilization VI takes the concept of turn-based strategy 4x games to a whole new level that gamers who love city-building games must experience.  

Key Features:

• Nineteenth expansive empires are spreading across the world.

• Multiple districts with unique benefits and bonuses fit your needs.

• Research and civic trees to unlock powerful kingdoms and governments.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI - Digital Deluxe Edition Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: March 19, 2019

• Developer: Limbic Entertainment

• Publisher: Kalypso Media

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, SteamOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S 

• Metascore: 78

El Presidente has returned with his unique ability to create Nations from the ground up. You're the leader of a Caribbean island country passing through four eras: The Colonial era, The World War era, The Cold War era, and The Modern era. 

While developing your nation, you will have to deal with economic urgencies, food necessities, the development of services, and the happiness of the citizens.

Tropico 6 gains particular difficulty since you can't satisfy the needs of all residents and factions. You’ll have to balance the distribution of resources and detect crooked government officials to complete goals and lead the development of institutions and services.

Contrary to previous games of the franchise, Tropico 6 allows you to build your nation on multiple islands, shaping a country in an archipelago connecting these islands. Moreover, building bridges, roads, and other structures to enhance relationships among citizens will improve your society's productivity. Remember to maintain your population in a good mood since low-life conditions may result in revolt.

Key Features:

• The opportunity of creating your nation in several islands, like an archipelago.

• A diplomatic system allows you to send ambassadors to foreign lands to steal monuments.

• Customizable looks for primary buildings and becoming the dictator you desire.          

Tropico 6 Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys. 

• Release Date: April 14, 2018

• Publisher: 11 Bit Studios

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, macOS

Frostpunk is a building city game set in a world covered by ice and surrounded by a deadly atmosphere. The context: an alternate nineteenth-century world where you must manage a livable settlement by administering resources and energy to survive. As "The Captain," your role entails leading a group of survivors through harsh weather conditions where heat is an absolute necessity. 

Frostpunk - GOTY Edition Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: November 16, 2021

• Publisher: Paradox Interactive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Surviving the Aftermath takes place in a compelling post-apocalyptic setting, where you'll navigate a dynamically generated map with limited resources and harsh conditions that challenge your survival instincts. As you establish your settlement, it becomes crucial to attract individuals skilled in infrastructure development, exploration, and resource gathering. In addition, you must enlist the expertise of specialists who can effectively maintain the survivor's haven and ensure its continued viability.

Surviving the Aftermath Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

City-building games are an excellent choice if you seek a relaxing experience that allows you to make decisions at your own leisurely pace. The process of constructing and planning cities offers a sense of satisfaction, especially as you witness your towns expand and flourish, ultimately leading to the creation of a thriving civilization.