List of city-building video games explained

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.

List

YearGameDeveloperSettingPlatformNotes
1964 The Sumerian Game Historical MAIN Text-based game based on the ancient Sumerian city of Lagash.[1]
1969 The Sumer Game Historical MAIN Adaptation of The Sumerian Game.
1975 Hamurabi Historical MAIN Expanded version of The Sumer Game. Published later as part of BASIC Computer Games.
1978 Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio Historical MAIN
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.
1982 Utopia Contemporary AQUA, INT
1989 SimCity Contemporary AMI, MAC, 27+ other platforms First title in the SimCity series.
1990 ActRaiser Fantasy MOBI, SNES, VC Hybrid with side-scrolling platform game.
1990 Moonbase Sci-fi AMI, DOS
1991 Sci-fi AMI, DOS, SNES, ST
1992 Caesar Historical AMI, DOS, ST First title in the City Building series.
1993 Lunar Command Sci-fi DOS Updated version of Moonbase.
1993 SimCity 2000 Contemporary AMI, DOS, GBA, MAC, N64, PS1, PSP, SAT, SNES Sequel to SimCity.
1993 The Settlers (a.k.a. Serf City: Life is Feudal) Fantasy AMI, DOS First title in the series.
1993 Stronghold Fantasy DOS Hybrid with RTS elements.
1994 Outpost Sci-fi MAC, WIN3X Sci-fi version of SimCity.
1995 Caesar II Historical MAC, WIN Sequel to Caesar.
1995 Lincity Various Contemporary CROSS Open source clone of Sim City.
1995 Contemporary DOS, MAC, WIN3X
1995 SimTown Contemporary MAC, WIN, WIN3X
1996 Afterlife Fantasy DOS, MAC, WIN9X
1996 Holiday Island Contemporary WIN9X
1996 Fantasy DOS, DS, MAC Sequel to The Settlers. Nintendo DS port was released in 2007.
1996 The Settlers II Mission CD Fantasy DOS Expansion to .
1997 Constructor Contemporary PS1, WIN
1998 Historical WIN9X First title in the series. Hybrid with RTS elements.
1998 Caesar III Historical MAC, WIN9X, Not Sequel to Caesar II.
1998 Settlers III, The Fantasy WIN9X Sequel to .
1999 Pharaoh Historical WIN9X
1999 SimCity 3000 Contemporary DS, iPhone, LIN, MAC, WIN Sequel to SimCity 2000.
2000 Historical WIN9X Expansion to Pharaoh.
2000 Fantasy WIN
2000 SimCity 64 Contemporary N64 Spin-off of the SimCity series.
2000 SimCity 3000 Unlimited Contemporary LIN, WIN Re-release of SimCity 3000.
2000 StarPeace Sci-fi WIN MMOG.
2001 Fantasy WIN Expansion to .
2001 Mobility Contemporary WIN, LIN
2001 StarTopia Sci-fi WIN
2001 Stronghold Fantasy WIN Hybrid with RTS elements.
2001 The Settlers IV Fantasy WIN Sequel to The Settlers III.
2001 Tropico Contemporary MAC, OSX, WIN, WIN9X
2002 Historical WIN
2002 Metropolismania Contemporary PS2 First title in the series.
2002 Moonbase Commander Sci-fi WIN
2002 Tropico: Paradise Island Contemporary WIN, WIN9X Expansion to Tropico.
2003 Historical WIN9X, WIN Sequel to . Hybrid with RTS elements.
2003 Historical WIN Expansion to .
2003 SimCity 4 Contemporary OSX, WIN Sequel to SimCity 3000.
2003 Contemporary OSX, WIN Expansion to SimCity 4.
2003 Historical OSX, WIN
2004 Historical WIN
2004 Outpost Kaloki X Sci-fi WIN, X360
2005 Historical WIN
2005 Stronghold 2 Fantasy WIN Hybrid with RTS elements.
2005 Settlers: Heritage of Kings, The Fantasy WIN Sequel to The Settlers IV.
2005 Fantasy WIN Expansion to .
2005 Fantasy WIN Expansion to .
2006 Anno 1701 Historical DS, WIN Sequel to . Hybrid with RTS elements.
2006 Caesar IV Historical WIN Sequel to Caesar III.
2006 City Life Contemporary WIN
2006 Historical WIN
2006 Dwarf Fortress FantasyWIN, LIN, MAC
2006 Glory of the Roman Empire Historical WIN
2006 The Settlers II 10th AnniversaryFantasy WIN Remake of .
2006 Contemporary WIN
2007 Historical DS Hybrid with RTS elements.
2007 Historical DSExpansion to . Hybrid with RTS elements.
2007 SimCity Societies Contemporary MOBI, WIN Spin-off of the SimCity series.
2007 Fantasy WIN Expansion to The Settlers II (10th Anniversary).
2007 Fantasy WIN Sequel to .
2008 A Kingdom for Keflings Fantasy X360
2008 Fantasy Wii Hybrid with RPG elements.
2008 Hinterland Fantasy WIN Hybrid with RPG elements.
2008 Imperium Romanum Historical WIN Sequel to Glory of the Roman Empire.
2008 Micropolis Contemporary CROSS Open source version of SimCity.
2008 SimCity DS 2 Contemporary DS .
2008 Contemporary WIN Expansion to SimCity Societies.
2008 Settlers: Rise of an Empire - The Eastern Realm, The Fantasy WIN Expansion to .
2009 Anno 1404 Historical WIN, OSX, DS, Wii Sequel to . Hybrid with RTS elements.
2009 Cities XL Contemporary WIN
2009 Historical WIN Sequel to Imperium Romanum.
2009 OpenCity Duong-Khang Nguyen Contemporary CROSS Open source. A development version is available.
2009 Tropico 3 Contemporary OSX, WIN, X360 Successor to Tropico.
2010 A World of Keflings Fantasy X360
2010 Cities XL 2011 Contemporary WIN
2010 Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom, The Fantasy OSX, WIN Sequel to .
2011 Anno 2070 Sci-fi WIN
2011 Cities XL 2012 Contemporary WIN
2011 Stronghold 3 Fantasy WIN, OSX, LIN Hybrid with RTS elements.
2011 Tropico 4 Contemporary WIN, X360, OSX
2012 SimCity Social Modern BROW Defunct online, social SimCity spin-off.
2012 Stronghold: HD Historical WIN Modest enhancement of Stronghold (2001). RTS hybrid.
2012 Towns Xavi Canal, Ben Palgi Fantasy WIN, LIN, OSX RPG hybrid with few influences. Abandoned in 2014.
2013 SimCity Contemporary WIN, OSX Relaunch of Simcity Series.
2014 Banished Shining Rock Software Historical WIN
2014 Stronghold Crusader 2 Fantasy WIN Hybrid with RTS elements.
2014 Tropico 5 Contemporary WIN, OSX, LIN, X360, PS4[4]
2015 Anno 2205 Sci-Fi WIN Sequel to Anno 2070.
2015 Contemporary WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne, NX Based on the engine used for Cities in Motion 2.
2015 Cities XXL Contemporary WIN
2015 Concrete Jungle ColePowered Games Contemporary WIN, OSX, IOS, DROI Hybrid with deck-building elements.
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 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 Sci-Fi WIN, OSX, PS4, XOne
2018 Suncrash Post-apocalypse, Demons WIN Colony sim & real-time tactics.
2018 Maia Machine Studios WIN, LIN, OSX Survival colony sim with a first person mode.
2018 Surviving Mars Sci-Fi WIN, OSX, LIN, PS4, XOne
2019 Anno 1800 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 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 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 Fantasy iOS, DROI, NX, WIN, PS4 Big remaster of ActRaiser.
2021 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 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 Contemporary WIN, XSX/S, PS5 Sequel to .
2023 Sci-fi WIN, XOne, PS4, XSX/S, PS5 Survival sim.
2024 Frostpunk 2 Alternate history WIN, PS5, XSX/S Sequel to Frostpunk.
2024 Summerhouse Friedemann Allmenröder Contemporary WIN, OSX Open-ended sandbox game.
2024 3Division Historical WIN City builder with a focus on a communist economic system.
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 Stray Fawn Sci-fi WIN, LIN, OSX, XOne, XSX/S Mobile city-builder.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rollinger . Christian . Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World . 9 January 2020 . . 978-1-350-06664-9 . 29 .
  2. Web site: The Majesty of Welcome Tape . . . 22 April 2024 . 23 July 2009.
  3. http://bbc.nvg.org/doc/Welcome.pdf
  4. Web site: 9 Ways To Dictate Like A Pro In Tropico 5 on PS4. 2 October 2016.