Creating an urban environment is not an easy task. Luckily, many video game developers have given us the opportunity to play “creator” and build our own worldview through city building games on PC, many of which are compatible with consoles and mobile devices.
With the rise of 4G networks, online village and city building games are now readily available and you can play them wherever you are.
If you can’t wait to see our list of the best city building games of 2022 and which ones we consider to be the best of all time , check out our selection below.
Best games | Build the city of your dreams
There’s more to PC gaming than just dynamism, aggression, or space adventure. It’s always hard to tell which franchise the title of the most famous game in the world belongs to. Ditto for the most popular franchise.
Today we will focus on city building games, both free and paid, which are full of special charm.
At first glance, some city building games do not seem as exciting as games belonging to other genres, especially adventure games .
It is well known that city building games do not provide the same adrenaline as, for example, shooting games . There are, however, many reasons why city building games, whether multiplayer games or single player games , have captured the hearts of many gamers.
Popularity of Free PC City Building Games
We all like to take control, and meticulously crafted city-building gameplay lets you achieve an unprecedented level of control. You think about the design yourself from A to Z.
You can decide how every inch of tarmac and every blade of grass looks, right down to the most important elements, such as how certain game characters interact with each other.
There’s something relaxing about quietly developing your own city. You can easily indulge in it after a long week of work, especially since these are still games with beautiful graphics .
After all, some gamers prefer realistic games because they feel more concerned with the real world and find it hard to hang on with the horrors of apocalyptic survival games or space games .
If this is your first experience of a strategy game in which you have to build a city, here are some examples of titles that will help you to familiarize yourself with the gameplay.
You will immediately realize that these are not just games where you have to build castles, but distinct worlds with their own heroes.
Top 5 Games | Building a city in 2022
1. Two Point Campus
From developers Two Point Studios, the city-building game Two Point Campus is the long-awaited successor to the critically acclaimed 2018 game Two Point Hospital.
Two Point Campus tasks players with developing and managing their own college campus. You will have to think of everything, from the design of lecture halls and libraries to the organization of events for students.
Like its predecessor, this game will take place in the Two Point district. Its aesthetic is almost similar to that of The Sims, which is actually an ideal example of PC gaming compatible with consoles. The game will be released in early August. We don’t know if Two Point Campus will be among the free city building games.
If the developers of Two Point Campus make it one of the free PC city building games on condition of prior registration, their “baby” has every chance of staying on top for a long time.
2. Pharaoh: A New Era
Almost a generation has passed since the original release, yet the Pharaoh franchise is back in the city building game genre. For the moment, the publisher Dotemu has not announced the official release date in 2022.
The action takes place in ancient Egypt and spans six iconic periods of Egyptian history with 53 individual missions, some of which inherit from the 2000 expansion pack of Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile.
This is undoubtedly going to be one of the most captivating mobile and PC games in the category of city building games.
Absolutely recommended for retrogaming enthusiasts .
3. Farthest Frontier
Find yourself at the end of the world with Crate Entertainment’s Farthest Frontier.
\Although not yet released, it is possible to register for early access to the game when it is available on Steam.
As in the best village building games, you will have to evolve a small settlement to transform it into a full-fledged city.
You will have to use all the raw materials at your disposal to protect your citizens by equipping them with the tools necessary to ward off external threats.
4. Prehistoric Kingdom
Have you ever wondered if it’s technically possible to merge Zoo Tycoon and Jurassic Park?
Blue Meridian developers have achieved this with Prehistoric Kingdom. It’s time to celebrate the age of dinosaurs by developing a park that showcases your favorite dinosaurs.
The release is scheduled for this month, so the wait will not be very long and you will soon be able to immerse yourself in the exciting universe of one of the most promising PC games of the year.
5. Frostpunk 2
The first Frostpunk was nominated for the BAFTAs, which was well deserved in many ways. It dramatically merged the mechanics of village and city building games with those of survival games .
In the original game, you play the role of the ruler of the last city on the planet. How to take care of the population and simultaneously manage the infrastructure of the city?
Frostpunk 2 transports you to a post-apocalyptic ice age, where your city relies heavily on oil to ward off the threats looming on the horizon.
Top 5 city building games of all time
1. SimCity 3000
Maxis and Electronic Arts have pulled out all the stops with the third installment of the SimCity franchise.
SimCity 3000 was a huge commercial success, with one million units sold within six months of its release. In January 2002, total sales reached 4.6 million units worldwide.
Extended editions followed, then versions for smartphones. SimCity 3000 is now seen as an example for other city building games to follow.
2. Banished
Banished, from Shining Rock Software, is considered one of the best strategy and city-building games of all time. What’s more, you will find it among free city building games.
You take on the role of leader of a group of travelers, the Clan Chief , who seek to settle in a new and unfamiliar territory.
Through meticulous management of resources and raw materials, you are tasked with transforming this isolated group into a fully functioning society.
3. Pharaoh
Impressions Games built on the success of Caesar 3 to release Pharaoh in 1999. Although its game mechanics are similar to those of Caesar 3, in Pharaoh the action unsurprisingly takes place in ancient Egypt.
Your job is to manage all aspects of building a city and protecting its citizens by ensuring they are fed, watered and safe.
Next Generation described the game as a mix of “pyramid building and floodplain management”, which made it an iconic city-building game.
4. Cities: Skylines
Launched in March 2015, Cities: Skylines has become one of the most iconic city-building games of all time. It is a more contemporary version of SimCity 3000.
Players use enhanced in-game elements to better meet the challenges of an evolving urban environment.
Expansion packs, which include the Airports branch, add an extra dimension to a collection of city building games.
5. Caesar 3
Third and final installment in the Caesar series of games, Caesar 3 is far ahead of its predecessors. GOG considered it the best simulation game of the year it was released, in 1998.
Your mission is to develop the Eternal City and control the inhabitants of ancient Rome, despite their individual needs and goals dictated by the AI.
It was one of the first city building games to offer the choice between peaceful missions and military missions.
There’s no doubt that this year’s releases will be able to commercially rival the best city-building games of 2021, with a whole host of popular franchises.