This is a comprehensive index of city-building games, sorted chronologically. Information regarding date of release, developer, platform, setting and notability is provided when available. The table can be sorted by clicking on the small boxes next to the column headings.
Legend
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List
edit| Year | Game | Developer | Setting | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Sumerian Game | Mabel Addis | Historical | MAIN | Text-based game based on the ancient Sumerian city of Lagash.[1] |
| 1969 | The Sumer Game | Richard Merrill | Historical | MAIN | Adaptation of The Sumerian Game.[1] |
| 1975 | Hamurabi | David H. Ahl | Historical | MAIN | Expanded version of The Sumer Game. Published later as part of BASIC Computer Games. |
| 1978 | Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio | George Blank | Historical | MAIN, 9+ other platforms | |
| 1981 | Kingdom[2] | David Allen[3] | Historical | BBC | A conversion of the game "Hamurabi", it was included as part of welcome package to BBC Microcomputers.[citation needed] |
| 1982 | Utopia | Don Daglow | Contemporary | AQUA, INT | |
| 1989 | SimCity | Maxis | Contemporary | AMI, MAC, 27+ other platforms | First title in the SimCity series. |
| 1990 | ActRaiser | Quintet | Fantasy | MOBI, SNES, VC | Hybrid with side-scrolling platform game. |
| 1990 | Moonbase | Wesson | Sci-fi | AMI, DOS | |
| 1991 | Utopia: The Creation of a Nation | Celestial | Sci-fi | AMI, DOS, SNES, ST | |
| 1992 | Caesar | Impressions | Historical | AMI, DOS, ST | First title in the City Building series. |
| 1993 | Lunar Command | Wesson | Sci-fi | DOS | Updated version of Moonbase. |
| 1993 | SimCity 2000 | Maxis, Full Fat | Contemporary | AMI, DOS, GBA, MAC, N64, PS1, PSP, SAT, SNES | Sequel to SimCity. |
| 1993 | The Settlers (a.k.a. Serf City: Life is Feudal) | Blue Byte | Fantasy | AMI, DOS | First title in the series. |
| 1993 | Stronghold | Stormfront | Fantasy | DOS | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 1994 | Outpost | Sierra | Sci-fi | MAC, WIN3X | Sci-fi version of SimCity. |
| 1995 | Caesar II | Impressions | Historical | MAC, WIN | Sequel to Caesar. |
| 1995 | Lincity | Various | Contemporary | CROSS | Open source clone of Sim City. |
| 1995 | SimIsle: Missions in the Rainforest | Intelligent | Contemporary | DOS, MAC, WIN3X | |
| 1995 | SimTown | Maxis | Contemporary | MAC, WIN, WIN3X | |
| 1996 | Afterlife | LucasArts | Fantasy | DOS, MAC, WIN9X | |
| 1996 | Holiday Island | Sunflowers | Contemporary | WIN9X | |
| 1996 | The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici | Blue Byte | Fantasy | DOS, DS, MAC | Sequel to The Settlers. Nintendo DS port was released in 2007. |
| 1996 | The Settlers II Mission CD | Blue Byte | Fantasy | DOS | Expansion to The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
| 1997 | Constructor | System 3 | Contemporary | PS1, WIN | |
| 1998 | Anno 1602: Creation of a New World | Max | Historical | WIN9X | First title in the series. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 1998 | Caesar III | Impressions | Historical | MAC, WIN9X, Not | Sequel to Caesar II. |
| 1998 | The Settlers III | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN9X | Sequel to The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
| 1999 | Mobility | Glamus | Contemporary | WIN, LIN | |
| 1999 | Pharaoh | Impressions | Historical | WIN9X | |
| 1999 | SimCity 3000 | Maxis | Contemporary | iPhone, LIN, MAC, WIN | Sequel to SimCity 2000. |
| 2000 | Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile | Impressions | Historical | WIN9X | Expansion to Pharaoh. |
| 2000 | Master of Olympus: Zeus | Impressions | Fantasy | WIN | |
| 2000 | SimCity 64 | HAL | Contemporary | N64 | Spin-off of the SimCity series. |
| 2000 | SimCity 3000 Unlimited | Maxis | Contemporary | LIN, WIN | Re-release of SimCity 3000. |
| 2000 | StarPeace | Oceanus | Sci-fi | WIN | MMOG. |
| 2001 | Master of Atlantis: Poseidon | Impressions | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to Master of Olympus: Zeus. |
| 2001 | StarTopia | Mucky Foot | Sci-fi | WIN | |
| 2001 | Stronghold | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2001 | The Settlers IV | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Sequel to The Settlers III. |
| 2001 | Tropico | PopTop | Contemporary | MAC, OSX, WIN, WIN9X | |
| 2002 | Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom | BreakAway, Impressions | Historical | WIN | |
| 2002 | Metropolismania | Media Factory | Contemporary | PS2 | First title in the series. |
| 2002 | Moonbase Commander | Humongous | Sci-fi | WIN | |
| 2002 | Tropico: Paradise Island | BreakAway | Contemporary | WIN, WIN9X | Expansion to Tropico. |
| 2002 | Stronghold: Crusader | Firefly Studios | Historical | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2003 | Anno 1503: The New World | Max | Historical | WIN9X, WIN | Sequel to Anno 1602: Creation of a New World. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2003 | Anno 1503: Treasures, Monsters and Pirates | Max | Historical | WIN | Expansion to Anno 1503: The New World. |
| 2003 | SimCity 4 | Maxis | Contemporary | OSX, WIN | Sequel to SimCity 3000. |
| 2003 | SimCity 4: Rush Hour | Maxis | Contemporary | OSX, WIN | Expansion to SimCity 4. |
| 2003 | Tropico 2: Pirate Cove | Frog City | Historical | OSX, WIN | |
| 2004 | Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile | Tilted Mill | Historical | WIN | |
| 2004 | Outpost Kaloki X | NinjaBee | Sci-fi | WIN, X360 | |
| 2005 | Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand | Monte Cristo | Historical | WIN | |
| 2005 | Stronghold 2 | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2005 | Settlers: Heritage of Kings, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Sequel to The Settlers IV. |
| 2005 | The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Expansion Disk | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. |
| 2005 | The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Legends Expansion Disk | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. |
| 2006 | Anno 1701 | Related | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Anno 1503: The New World. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2006 | Caesar IV | Tilted Mill | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Caesar III. |
| 2006 | City Life | Monte Cristo | Contemporary | WIN, DS | |
| 2006 | CivCity: Rome | Firefly, Firaxis | Historical | WIN | |
| 2006 | Dwarf Fortress | Bay 12 Games | Fantasy | WIN, LIN, MAC | |
| 2006 | Glory of the Roman Empire | Haemimont | Historical | WIN | |
| 2006 | The Settlers II 10th Anniversary | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Remake of The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
| 2006 | Tycoon City: New York | Deep Red | Contemporary | WIN | |
| 2007 | Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery | Keen | Historical | DS | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2007 | Anno 1701: The Curse of the Dragon | Related | Historical | DS | Expansion to Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2007 | SimCity DS | EA Japan, AKI Corporation | Contemporary | DS | |
| 2007 | SimCity Societies | Tilted Mill | Contemporary | MOBI, WIN | Spin-off of the SimCity series. |
| 2007 | The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary - The Vikings | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers II (10th Anniversary). |
| 2007 | The Settlers: Rise of an Empire | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Sequel to The Settlers: Heritage of Kings. |
| 2008 | A Kingdom for Keflings | Ninja Bee | Fantasy | X360 | |
| 2008 | Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King | Square Enix | Fantasy | Wii | Hybrid with RPG elements. |
| 2008 | Hinterland | Tilted Mill | Fantasy | WIN | Hybrid with RPG elements. |
| 2008 | Imperium Romanum | Haemimont | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Glory of the Roman Empire. |
| 2008 | Micropolis | Don Hopkins | Contemporary | CROSS | Open source version of SimCity. |
| 2008 | SimCity DS 2 | EA Japan, AKI Corporation | Contemporary | DS, Wii | Aka SimCity Creator ww. |
| 2008 | SimCity Societies: Destinations | Tilted Mill | Contemporary | WIN | Expansion to SimCity Societies. |
| 2008 | Settlers: Rise of an Empire - The Eastern Realm, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | WIN | Expansion to The Settlers: Rise of an Empire. |
| 2009 | Anno 1404 | Related, Ubisoft, Blue Byte | Historical | WIN, OSX, DS, Wii | Sequel to Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery. Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2009 | Cities XL | Monte Cristo | Contemporary | WIN | |
| 2009 | Grand Ages: Rome | Haemimont | Historical | WIN | Sequel to Imperium Romanum. |
| 2009 | OpenCity | Duong-Khang Nguyen | Contemporary | CROSS | Open source. A development version is available. |
| 2009 | Tropico 3 | Haemimont Games | Contemporary | OSX, WIN, X360 | Successor to Tropico. |
| 2010 | A World of Keflings | Ninja Bee | Fantasy | X360 | |
| 2010 | Cities XL 2011 | Focus Home Interactive | Contemporary | WIN | |
| 2010 | Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom, The | Blue Byte | Fantasy | OSX, WIN | Sequel to The Settlers: Rise of an Empire. |
| 2011 | Anno 2070 | Related Designs | Sci-fi | WIN | |
| 2011 | Cities XL 2012 | Focus Home Interactive | Contemporary | WIN | |
| 2011 | MegaCity | ColePowered Games | Contemporary | iOS, X360, DROI | Puzzler with city-building looks. |
| 2011 | Stronghold 3 | Firefly Studios | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, LIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2011 | Tropico 4 | Haemimont Games | Contemporary | WIN, X360, OSX | |
| 2012 | SimCity Social | Playfish, Maxis | Modern | BROW | Defunct online, social SimCity spin-off. |
| 2012 | Stronghold: HD | Firefly Studios | Historical | WIN | Modest enhancement of Stronghold (2001). RTS hybrid. |
| 2012 | The Simpsons: Tapped Out | EA Mobile | Parody | iOS, DROI | Freemium title. Delisted 2024. |
| 2012 | Towns | Xavi Canal, Ben Palgi | Fantasy | WIN, LIN, OSX | RPG hybrid with few influences. Abandoned in 2014. |
| 2013 | SimCity | Maxis | Contemporary | WIN, OSX | Relaunch of Simcity Series. |
| 2014 | Banished | Shining Rock Software | Historical | WIN | |
| 2014 | Stronghold Crusader 2 | Firefly Studios | Historical | WIN | Hybrid with RTS elements. |
| 2014 | Tropico 5 | Haemimont Games | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, LIN, X360, PS4[4] | |
| 2015 | Anno 2205 | Blue Byte | Sci-Fi | WIN | Sequel to Anno 2070. |
| 2015 | Cities: Skylines | Colossal Order | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne, NX | Based on the engine used for Cities in Motion 2. |
| 2015 | Cities XXL | Focus Home Interactive | Contemporary | WIN | |
| 2015 | Concrete Jungle | ColePowered Games | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, iOS, DROI | City-planning deck-builder. Sequel to MegaCity. |
| 2015 | Planetbase | Madruga Works | Sci-fi | WIN, OSX, XOne, PS4 | Survival city-builder. |
| 2015 | Valhalla Hills | Funatics Software | Mythology | WIN, LIN, OSX, Cloud, XOne, PS4 | City builder, RTS. |
| 2016 | Clockwork Empires | Gaslamp Games | Alternate History, Lovecraftian | WIN, OSX | Lovecraftian colony sim. Delisted 2019. |
| 2017 | Aven Colony | Mothership Entertainment | Sci-Fi | WIN, PS4, XOne | |
| 2017 | Block'hood | Plethora Project | Modern | WIN, LIN, OSX | Neighbourhood builder. |
| 2017 | Life is Feudal: Forest Village | Bitbox | Historical | WIN | Survival town builder. |
| 2017 | Kingdoms and Castles | Lion Shield | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, LIN, XOne, PS4, XSX/S, PS5 | |
| 2018 | Frostpunk | 11 bit studios | Sci-Fi | WIN, OSX, PS4, XOne | |
| 2018 | Judgment: Apocalypse Survival Simulation | Suncrash | Post-apocalypse, Demons | WIN | Colony sim & real-time tactics. |
| 2018 | Maia | Machine Studios | Hard sci-fi | WIN, LIN, OSX | Survival colony sim with a first person mode. |
| 2018 | Surviving Mars | Haemimont Games | Sci-Fi | WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne | |
| 2019 | Anno 1800 | Blue Byte | Historical | WIN | Industrialization-age exploration building sim. |
| 2019 | Dawn of Man | Madruga Works | Historical | WIN, OSX | Prehistoric city builder. Eras: Paleolithic to the Iron Age. |
| 2019 | Islanders | Grizzly Games | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, LIN | Casual city builder with low-poly aesthetic. |
| 2019 | Outlanders | Pomelo Games | Contemporary | iOS, WIN | |
| 2019 | Rise of Industry | Dapper Penguin Studios | Historical | WIN, LIN, OSX | Tycoon sim with minimalist 3D graphics. Former name: Project Automata. |
| 2019 | Rise to Ruins | Raymond Doerr | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, LIN | Indie city-builder with survival and god game elements. |
| 2019 | Tropico 6 | Limbic Entertainment | Contemporary | WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne | |
| 2020 | Before We Leave | Balancing Monkey Games | Sci-fi | WIN, OSX, NX, XOne, PS4, XSX/S, PS5 | |
| 2020 | Per Aspera | Tlön Industries | Sci-fi | WIN | City-builder about terraforming Mars. |
| 2020 | Airborne Kingdom | The Wandering Band | Sci-fi | WIN, OSX, PS4, PS5, XOne, XSX/S, NX | Steampunk flying city. |
| 2021 | Actraiser Renaissance | Sonic Powered, Square Enix | Fantasy | iOS, DROI, NX, WIN, PS4 | Big remaster of ActRaiser. |
| 2021 | Dice Legacy | DESTINYbit | Fantasy | WIN, NX, XOne, PS4, XSX/S, PS5 | Roguelike survival with dice rolls. |
| 2021 | Endzone: A World Apart | Gentlymad Studios | Post-apocalypse | WIN, XOne, XSX/S, PS5 | Post-apocalyptic survival city-builder. |
| 2021 | Nebuchadnezzar | Nepos Games | Historical | WIN, LIN | Set in Ancient Mesopotamia. |
| 2021 | Patron | Overseer Games | Historical | WIN | Survival city-builder. |
| 2021 | Surviving the Aftermath | Iceflake Studios | Post-apocalypse | WIN, NX, PS4, XOne, XSX/S | Post-apocalyptic survival city-builder. Sequel to Surviving Mars. |
| 2021 | Townscaper | Oskar Stålberg | Fantasy | WIN, OSX, MOBI | Indie city-builder with a specially intuitive gameplay and interface. |
| 2022 | Floodland | Vile Monarch | Post-apocalypse | WIN | Survival city-builder. |
| 2022 | Urbek City Builder | Estudios Kremlinois | Contemporary | WIN, PS4, PS5, XSX/S, NX | Puzzle aspects. |
| 2023 | Against the Storm | Eremite Games | Dark fantasy | WIN | Roguelike. |
| 2023 | Aquatico | Digital Reef Games | Historical | WIN | |
| 2023 | Cities: Skylines II | Colossal Order | Contemporary | WIN, XSX/S, PS5 | Sequel to Cities: Skylines. |
| 2023 | Stranded: Alien Dawn | Haemimont Games | Sci-fi | WIN, XOne, PS4, XSX/S, PS5 | Survival sim. |
| 2024 | Bulwark Evolution: Falconeer Chronicles | Tomas Sala (Person) | Fantasy | WIN, LIN, XOne, PS4, XSX/S, PS5 | Open world builder. |
| 2024 | Frostpunk 2 | 11 Bit Studios | Alternate history | WIN, PS5, XSX/S | Sequel to Frostpunk. |
| 2024 | Summerhouse | Friedemann Allmenröder | Contemporary | WIN, OSX | Open-ended sandbox game. |
| 2024 | Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic | 3Division | Historical | WIN | City builder with a focus on a communist economic system. |
| 2024 | Tiny Glade | Pounce Light | Historical | WIN | Medieval cosy diorama builder.[5] |
| TBA | Builders of Egypt | Strategy Labs | Historical | WIN | Ancient Egypt city builder. Eras: From Egyptian Civilization to the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Cleopatra's death. |
| TBA | Foundation | Polymorph Games | Historical | WIN | Medieval indie city-builder. |
| TBA | Infection Free Zone | Jutsu Games | Post-apocalypse | WIN | Survival city-builder. |
| TBA | Manor Lords | Slavic Magic | Historical | WIN, XOne, XSX/S | City-building & real-time tactics. |
| TBA | Timberborn | Mechanistry | Fantasy, Futuristic | WIN, macOS | Beaver colony. |
| TBA | The Wandering Village | Stray Fawn | Sci-fi | WIN, LIN, OSX, XOne, XSX/S | Mobile city-builder. |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Rollinger, Christian (9 January 2020). Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-350-06664-9.
- ^ "The Majesty of Welcome Tape". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ http://bbc.nvg.org/doc/Welcome.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "9 Ways To Dictate Like A Pro In Tropico 5 on PS4". Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- ^ Writer, Kiera Mills Guides; Mills, Kiera (15 August 2024). "Cosy building game Tiny Glade finally has a release date, plus ducks". Rock Paper Shotgun.