The level of micromanagement here is staggering and there are plenty of great mods for those looking for even more control.ĭesigning a fully functioning city means managing taxes, establishing businesses, exploiting resources, and of course, it all has to function. Instead, players will focus on building a grandiose city with a life of its own. You will not have to contend with earth-shattering disasters or warring factions here. The draw of Cities Skylines, compared to similar games in the genre, is the sheer scope and scale of what this game offers. Even so, it was a big deal back in its time and was one of the best city-building games back then before SimCity and Cities: Skylines improved on the 3D city-builder formula. Sadly this online service was closed several months later and Cities XL became just a single-player game instead of an MMO based around city-building.

Each city belongs to a player and each player can even trade with others, basically running a simulated world.

Cities XL also allowed players to interact with one another in a persistent planet.

On the surface, it appeared to be a simple city-building game but it had an online multiplayer component which was interesting, to say the least. 15Ĭities XL deserves a spot on this list alone for how ambitious it was back in the time it was released. Some allow players to visit the past, while others venture deep into the future visiting alien planets or technologically advanced versions of earth. As a result, there are plenty of great city-building games available for those looking to test their city-planning skills or reign supreme over a kingdom of subordinates. Since then, a ridiculous amount of smaller subgenres have spawned from it, with city-builders among the most popular. Updated Jby Tom Bowen: The simulation genre has come an awfully long way since its humble beginnings back in the late eighties and early nineties. Why brave the real streets when you can just build your own to go anywhere your heart desires? We've constructed our very own list of the Best City Building Games of All Time so that you can find the ideal way to create a world of your very own. Luckily, game designers feel your pain and for years they have provided us with an outlet to play God and construct our very own utopias. If only there was a way to design the perfect city to end all your urban woes. It's noisy, crowded, and commutes can be frustrating. City life isn't always a walk in the park (unless you're actually walking through a park, that is).

City destruction game