Cities: Skylines

A modern city builder focused on zoning, traffic flow, services, and flexible sandbox planning.

City BuilderTrafficMod-friendlyBeginner FriendlySandbox
Cities: Skylines city planning and traffic management

The Game Foundry take

Cities: Skylines is still the default answer to 'I want to build a city' nine years on, mostly because the mod ecosystem has quietly kept fixing its rough edges since 2015. Traffic AI, zoning tools, and asset variety are all better now than at launch, and the workshop means you can basically build your own dream version of the game. It's shallower than the sequel in raw simulation terms, but it runs on almost anything and the learning curve is genuinely beginner-friendly. Start here if you're new to city builders; move to Skylines 2 once you want more systemic depth and have the hardware for it.

Best for

City-builder beginnersMod and workshop tinkerersPlayers who want a lighter-weight sandbox

Quick facts

Developer
Colossal Order
Release Year
2015
Platforms
Pc, Mac, Linux
Difficulty
Medium

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