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If you're looking to get stuck into the best city building games that are worth playing in 2026, we're here to help you do just that. After playing through countless titles of both classic and new games, we've gathered our recommendations of the 15 greatest games that the genre currently has to offer.
From letting you rule over your own kingdoms, to watching over civilizations, and managing sprawling cityscapes of your own design, there are all kinds of experiences out there to try out. We've made sure to look at every different gameplay avenue out there, so whether you enjoy managing resources and challenging yourself with similar elements found in some of the best strategy games, or you want to let your creativity flourish by bringing to life your own towns, cityscapes, you're sure to find something for you in this list.
15. Banished
Developer: Shining Rock Software LLC
Platforms: PC
Banished may be one of the oldest entries on this list, but it is still a staple of the city-builder genre and a game I keep coming back to. Here, you control a group of exiled travellers looking for a new beginning with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the resources in their carts. With no skill trees and the ability to build at any point when you have the resources, Banished is all about managing townspeople as your primary resource as you work to build a utopia filled with happy residents. While I enjoy trying to create a place where my residents can thrive, one of Banished's greatest charms is the macro-management challenge and the sheer number of things that can go wrong.
Things can easily go awry when you least expect it, and as such, you are truly never bored here, as disaster is always on the cards. This threat of doom keeps you playing, and it's easy to sink hours into the game without even trying. The modding community is also great if you want to customize your game to the extreme, and this fact, paired with the game not requiring the best hardware to run, probably makes it one of the most accessible city builders out there.
14. Civilization 7
Developer: Firaxis Games
Platform(s): PC
While it's not a city building game in the traditional sense, the latest installment of Sid Meier's long-running strategy series, Civilization 7, puts greater emphasis on the city-building features, with cities and architectural marvels to build up and create as you develop and expand your civilization.
From making technological breakthroughs to raising an army and growing your very own empire in a procedurally generated world that's rooted in an alternate take on history. As you build up your cities through the ages, your tactical prowess will be put to the test time and again in its core campaign. For more, read our Civilization 7 review.
13. The Colonists
Developer: Codebyte
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch
If you're after a relaxing experience that also has a cute factor, The Colonists is a pleasantly paced city-builder with adorable little robot inhabitants. As the one in charge, you control a group of robots who have escaped from Earth in search of a new home out in the galaxy. Your little Wall-E like robot friends all have the same sole dream - to be human. Since they're robots that's not exactly possible, but you can create a colony that resembles a human settlement and nurture them as if they were actually people. Aww.
Drawing inspiration from the Settlers and Anno series, The Colonists see you harvest resources, set up farms, research new technologies, advance through different ages, and explore the mysterious lands you settled on. Building up your colony still requires some strategy, with roads, transport systems and different infrastructures to place and create, but its gentle pace and lack of threat make for a rewarding, chilled-out time-stealer.
12. Tropico 6
Developer: Limbic Entertainment
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Ever wanted to build and rule your very own island paradise? El Presidente returns once again, and it's your job to fill their shoes as the tyrannical dictator or the peaceful ruler you were always born to be. Shifting its focus onto the political side of affairs, Tropico 6 introduces a new research tree that enhances your political strategies so you can be the best dictator the tropical world has ever seen.
Constructing transport systems and bridges to connect your islands is a must if you want to build up your burgeoning empire. And a big part of being a good leader is giving grandiose speeches to your citizens and giving them lots of empty promises to keep them in the palm of your hand, right? Well, maybe you're not a good leader, but you can give a good election speech and that’s got to count for something. Oh, and don’t forget you can customize your very own palace - it’s one of the perks of the job, after all.
11. Manor Lords
Developer: Slavic Magic
Platforms: PC
Currently out in Early Access, Manor Lords brings a dash of medieval designing to our lineup in a satisfying, in-depth city-builder that allows you to create and rule over your own lands as a lord. You'll go from a village to building up cities as you manage resources and battle it out to conquer more land to expand your growing empire.
With intuitive tools that makes it a breeze to bring your land to life and craft supply chains as you advance, Manor Lords already has so much to offer. And with lots of patches and fresh additions, it's only been getting better and better since it first landed in 2024. For more, check out our Manor Lords review.
10. Townscaper
Developer: Oskar Stålberg
Platform(s): Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Townscaper, from developer Oskar Stålberg, is a delightfully vibrant city builder that really lets your creativity flourish. As a sandbox-style game in the genre, you have the freedom to build up your own little towns, cities, hamlets, and more. In fact, you can even make your very own city up high in the sky if you want to. Built block by block with different colors to choose from, it's incredibly satisfying to see the blocks form into buildings and expand into your very own miniature city or construction.
In Townscaper, it really is all about the building, so if you're looking to scratch that particular itch, you can't go wrong with this wonderful indie number. Seriously, we end up asking everyone if they have played Townscaper because it is just that good. With plenty of tools to create vast structures or quaint little towns with colorful houses, bridges, harbors, and more, you can marvel at your own creations and fall into the relaxing flow of bringing your designs to life.
9. The Wandering Village
Developer: Stray Fawn
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
After initially releasing in Early Access before it's 1.0 launch landed in 2025, The Wandering Village puts its own spin on the genre by asking you to create your town on the back of a massive, six-legged beast called Onbu. However, before you get excited about the creature element here, this is still a relaxing management game above all else.
As Onbu walks along you'll have to feed it, guide it, and also recognize when it needs a rest, all while building your own empire on top of it. The city building itself isn't going to reinvent the wheel, but it's the combination of how the building works with Onbu where this game really shines.
8. Dorfromantik
Developer: Toukana Interactive
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch
Dorfromantik is part city-builder, part puzzle game, and 100% chill vibes. It's one of the best relaxing games, as you get a stack of hexagonal tiles, each of which has elements of civilization on it. Homes, forests, fields, waterways, and train tracks are your staples at first, but later, you'll unlock deer, ruins, and other additional tiles to add visual interest to your creations.
There's a matching puzzle to how you build, with tasks popping up that ask you to connect certain amounts of any element together, like 300+ trees in a single forest or exactly 25 fields, so there's a wonderful blend of puzzling and pure aesthetics. It's never taxing, but it's easy to get drawn into its beautifully peaceful world and lose an hour or two to trying to best your top score.
7. Fabledom
Developer: Grenaa Games
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
If you're looking for a laidback city builder set in a world plucked right out of a fairytale that's filled with magical creatures, Fabledom is for you. Approachable and easy to get stuck into, Grennaa Games' city builder sees you start out with a village that you can work to transform into a thriving kingdom.
You can follow your citizens lives as you try to manage and exchange resources and evolve your settlement. And what's more, you can set out to complete quests and even find love by romancing one of the six different rulers of the land.
6. Surviving Mars
Developer: Haemimont Games
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4
Mars has always been the go-to spot when it comes to imaging where the next homeworld would be when, god forbid, Earth meets with its untimely demise. But the hostile world isn't exactly human-friendly. With no oxygen, cold temperatures, and barren landscapes, settling down there and calling it home presents its own unique challenges. And that's exactly what you have to try and achieve in Surviving Mars. Taking up residence on the dusty red planet, you work to set up a sustainable colony, and - in case the name wasn't a dead giveaway - work to ensure it survives.
By exploring the unknown terrains of the alien planet and investing in research, you can improve your chances of surviving. Every colonist also has a unique personality with their own strengths and weaknesses, which can add to your problems or improve them. The retro-futuristic vibes of the domes you build make Mars look more stylish than it's ever been before, and with some careful planning, you can create a prospering colony that will continue to spread across the alien world.
5. Timberborn
Developer: Mechanistry
Platform(s): PC
What if there was a city builder where you play as beavers? If that sounds amazing, you need to check out Timberborn. With the humans long gone, it's the beavers' time to shine and see if they can carve out a better existence for themselves. With droughts ever present in the valley, water conservation is a constant challenge, so you've got to plan ahead to ensure you can continue to provide for your population in times of scarcity.
There's farming to be done, vertical cities to be built, and technology to advance. It's all thematically adorable, and there are even two different factions to play - the nature-friendly Folktails or the industrious Iron Teeth. Each one has its unique style, buildings, and even gameplay tweaks, so there's a lot of game to enjoy here - even if it's still in Early Access.
4. Frostpunk 2
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
Set 30 years after the first game, Frostpunk 2 is one of the most bold sequels for city builders. Like the first game, you are the ruler of a city on Earth in a post-apocalyptic world stuck in an everlasting winter. It's up to you to keep your citizens alive and warm during storms and prepare for the "Whiteout." However, unlike the relatively intimate gameplay of the original, here, players build vast colonies, can now construct districts, and must keep all the factions involved in their political system happy or risk a collapse of stability.
That's right, not only do you have to worry about the icy weather, but you also have to worry about politics, resulting in multiple ways to play the game as you align with different philosophies (each with its own branch of perks). There are more maps, more playstyles, and more issues to juggle as you fight to survive. Frostpunk 2 is one of the best city builders of 2024, hands down. Check out our Frostpunk 2 review for more details!
3. Farthest Frontier
Developer: Crate Entertainment
Platform(s): PC
Farthest Frontier is excellent at capturing what it could have been like to be a pioneer, even though it's currently in Early Access. It's a Medieval city builder that has the potential to surprise you. It's really tethered to history, which is really interesting, and makes everything you do have a pang of authenticity about it. Food, for example, spoils, so you've got to decide what to harvest - and, more importantly, when.
Its farming systems are also really, really detailed, so prepare yourself to start thinking like a Medieval person fast. It's a lot to manage, but the overall effect is seriously cool, particularly when it starts impacting the look and feel of your settlement.
2. Anno 1800
Developer: Blue Byte
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
It's the dawn of a pivotal new era, and you're about to build a city that will thrive or fall as technology changes and advances. Anno 1800 plants you at the start of the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the 19th century and demands that you craft and maintain a city built on the innovation of your research and technological advancement.
Building trade routes and going out on expeditions to further your research and uncover useful resources will help your newly established metropolis prosper. But as your city grows, you'll have to deal with more problems, like competing rulers, civil strife, and political warfare, to name a few. Whether you're diplomatic or a bit of a tyrant, you can experiment with different playstyles as you seek your fame and fortune in the industrious age.
1. Cities: Skylines
Developer: Colossal Order
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Calling all aspiring mayors - Cities: Skylines wants you to build the next best city. Yes, as the new mayor in town, you construct the city from the ground up, managing every aspect of its realistic economy, to its roadworks and healthcare. As fun as it is challenging, Skylines has so much depth and detail, you'll find that mastering everything is a bit of a juggling act, but once you do you'll truly feel like a management expert.
There's nothing quite like transforming empty green fields of land into a flourishing megalopolis that every virtual citizen wants to call home. Facing the elements with natural disasters, pollution, traffic accidents, and anything else you can imagine, you'll be tested in many different ways. A whole line-up of DLCs is also on offer to take your city building escapades to new heights by introducing other transit systems, alternative designs and looks, new weather conditions, and so much more.
For more, why not check out our pick of the best crafting games, best sim games, and the best classic PC games.
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