These are the 10 best city building games you need to try on Steam

City-building games offer players the chance to create, manage, and shape entire civilizations. Steam has become a hub for some of the best city-builder games in the industry, offering a massive library of titles that cater to different types of players. These games allow you to step into the shoes of an urban planner and make decisions that will shape these virtual worlds. In this article, we’ll explore ten of the best city-building games you should try on Steam, each offering its own unique take on the genre and a new challenge to take on.

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10

Dorfromantik

A tranquil take on the City-Building genre

Dorfromantik is a calm and relaxing take on the city-building genre. Instead of focusing on busy cities and resource management, this game is about creating beautiful landscapes by placing hexagonal tiles. Each tile represents a piece of the world, like forests, fields, houses, or rivers. There’s no pressure or complicated goals. Your job is simply to connect tiles in a way that matches certain criteria, like linking up trees or placing fields in a perfect pattern.

As you complete these challenges, you unlock new tiles that add more variety, like deer or ruins, turning your world into a peaceful, picturesque landscape. It’s a perfect game if you want to unwind and enjoy a slower, more thoughtful building experience. Dorfromantik is a great choice for players who want a relaxing, stress-free city-building experience without the usual chaos or resource management.

Dorfromantik

Dorfromantik is a relaxing building strategy and puzzle game in which you place tiles to create ever-growing, idyllic village landscapes. With Dorfromantik, you can immerse yourself in a quiet, peaceful world at any time and take a break from everyday life.

9

Tiny Glade

A city builder with a cozy aesthetic

Tiny Glade is a charming and relaxing building game where you can create your own little medieval village. Unlike other city-builders, there are no strict objectives or survival mechanics; this indie game is all about creativity. You design cozy houses, gardens, and paths in a small-scale world, using nothing other than your imagination. The soft color palette and calming music help set the tone for a peaceful, stress-free building experience.

There’s no need to stress over resources or population; you just need to focus on creating something beautiful. The game encourages you to build at your own pace, creating a world that feels personal and unique. It’s all about the joy of creating something lovely without the usual pressure. If you love designing with no constraints and want an escape from resource management, Tiny Glade is the perfect choice.

Tiny Glade

Tiny Glade is a relaxing free-form building game. Tap into the joy of making something pretty with no management, no combat, or wrong answers – just kick back, doodle some castles, and turn forgotten meadows into lovable dioramas.

8

The Wandering Village

Building cities on the move

The Wandering Village is a unique early-access city builder game where you create a village on the back of a giant creature named Onbu. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, you must manage both the village and your wandering companion as you travel across different biomes. As Onbu moves through the world, you must adapt to new challenges like changing weather and dwindling resources. You need to keep your villagers happy and healthy while ensuring Onbu’s survival.

The game combines traditional city-building mechanics like gathering resources and constructing buildings with a creative twist, where the health of your village is tied to the well-being of Onbu. This game stands out because of its mix of peaceful construction and the challenge of managing a living, breathing creature. If you’re looking for something fresh and imaginative, The Wandering Village offers a fun and unique take on the genre.

The Wandering Village

The Wandering Village is a city-building simulation game on the back of a giant, wandering creature. Build your settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the colossus.

7

Surviving Mars

Create the perfect colony on Mars

In Surviving Mars, your job is to build a colony on Mars. The planet is harsh, with dust storms, freezing temperatures, and limited resources, so you must carefully manage everything from oxygen to food. Your goal is to create a thriving colony, but you’ll have to make tough decisions along the way. The game challenges you to balance your settlers’ needs while simultaneously surviving the planet’s hostile environment.

You’ll need to research new technologies, gather resources from the planet, and build up the colony’s infrastructure, all while trying to keep your people alive. The survival of your population hinges on your ability to anticipate the needs of your colony in advance, making every decision feel important. Surviving Mars isn’t just about building, it’s about taking one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind.

Surviving Mars

Surviving Mars challenges you to colonize Mars and survive the process. Use drones to prepare for human colonists. Create habitable living areas in grand domes, make discoveries, and build a new society.

6

Anno 1800

A blend of the industrial revolution and strategy

Anno 1800 takes you back to the Industrial Revolution, where you’ll build and manage a city while dealing with evolving technology trees, trade routes, and politics. As the leader of your civilization, you must balance your city’s industry and citizens’ needs. Your city will grow as you build factories, manage resources, and trade goods, but you’ll also have to manage the overall happiness of your citizens. The game also focuses on diplomacy and exploration. You’ll need to trade with other cities, deal with political rivals, and conquer new lands to expand your empire.

Anno 1800 stands out because it mixes city-building with deeper strategic elements, like navigating economic challenges and handling conflicts. As you grow your city, you’ll have to make tough decisions and figure out how to balance progress with the well-being of your people. It’s an engaging game that’s perfect for players who love complex strategy and historical settings.

Anno 1800

Anno 1800 is a city-building video game developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft. It features real-time strategic gameplay in a story-based campaign and customizable sandbox mode, as well as a multiplayer experience.

5

Frostpunk 2

Survive the frozen wasteland

Frostpunk 2 is set in a harsh, frozen world where survival is almost impossible. After the events of the first game, you lead a colony that must survive in a frozen wasteland, where resources are limited, and every decision has life-or-death consequences. You’ll need to manage your colony’s resources, like heat, food, and water, deal with rival political factions, difficult weather, and make difficult moral choices. The game introduces new elements to the franchise, such as managing multiple colonies, which adds even more layers to the survival challenge.

Frostpunk 2 is an intense experience, filled with tough decisions and even tougher environments. The pressure of balancing survival with the needs of your people keeps the tension high. If you’re a fan of city-building games with a dystopian theme, then Frostpunk 2 will not disappoint.

Frostpunk 2

The game takes place 30 years after the apocalyptic blizzard that has taken place in Frostpunk. Earth is still overwhelmed by the neverending frost and harsh, icy climate. You play as the leader of a resource-hungry metropolis where expansion and internal conflicts are an unavoidable reality.

4

Manor Lords

Live your medieval life in 14th century Bavaria

Manor Lords is a city-building game which is currently in early-access. You have now become a lord and must build and manage a settlement in 14th-century Bavaria (Germany). Unlike traditional city builders prioritizing expansion, this game challenges players to build structures and a functioning community. Every building and decision has a direct impact on the settlement’s success. For your settlement to thrive, you will need to think strategically about resource management and where to place homes, markets, and workshops.

These choices affect everything from labor efficiency to the happiness and needs of your people. Food production, trade routes, and raw materials must be handled and stored correctly, otherwise the goods will be damaged and villagers’ houses will need to be placed strategically to make sure they work efficiently. A unique aspect of Manor Lords is its emphasis on politics and the military. Managing internal politics, dealing with factions, and forming alliances are key to thriving. Additionally, military strategy and defense are crucial in protecting the settlement from external threats. Manor Lords offers a truly immersive and rewarding experience for city-building fans.

Manor Lords

Manor Lords is a strategy game that allows you to experience the life of a medieval lord. Grow your starting village into a bustling city, manage resources and production chains, and expand your lands through conquest.

3

Civilization 7

Guide your civilization through history

Civilization 7 is one of the most anticipated games of 2025. Tasking you to lead a civilization through history, starting from ancient times and advancing to the future. In this game, your cities are the heart of your empire, and you must manage resources, technology, military, and diplomacy. As you build your cities, you’ll make decisions that shape the future of your people, such as whether to focus on war, diplomacy, or scientific progress.

The game features a dynamic world where each playthrough feels different, depending on your choices. You’ll encounter other civilizations, and you can decide whether to cooperate, trade, or go to war. Civilization 7 is perfect for players who love long-term strategy and the idea of guiding a civilization through the ages. It’s a game full of depth, offering endless possibilities for how you build and lead your empire.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII

In Civilization VII, your strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire. Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history and steer the course of your story by choosing a new civilization to represent your empire in each Age of human advancement.

2

Tropico 6

Vote for El Presidente! Or else…

In Tropico 6, you become El Presidente, a dictator of a small island nation. The game lets you manage your island, balancing the needs of your people with geopolitical power struggles across the globe. You’ll oversee the building of a city, manage resources, and deal with challenges like corruption, trade, and diplomacy. What makes Tropico 6 special is the witty humor throughout the series.

You can choose to rule with kindness or power, using whatever methods you think will keep you in control. The game also introduces new features like managing multiple islands, which adds complexity to the way you transport goods throughout the nation. With its lighthearted tone and political intrigue, Tropico 6 is a fun and engaging game for anyone who enjoys a mix of city-building, strategy, and humor.

Tropico 6

In times of political turmoil and social unrest, the people are calling for visionary leaders, who will steer the fate of their country with foresight and ingenuity. Prove yourself once again as a feared dictator or peace-loving statesman on the island state of Tropico

1

Cities: Skylines 2

The most realistic city builder on the market

Cities: Skylines 2 takes the beloved city-building formula to the next level, offering a more realistic and detailed simulation of urban life. As the mayor of a city, you’ll manage everything from infrastructure to the behavior of your citizens. The game introduces new mechanics like realistic weather, traffic systems, and zoning, making the management feel more immersive than ever. As your city grows, you’ll face challenges like traffic congestion, economic issues, and even natural disasters.

The game’s deep simulation gives you a sense of what it’s really like to run a city. Whether you’re managing public services or dealing with disaster recovery, the complexity of the game offers a rewarding experience for those who love city-building. If you enjoy the challenge of running a real, living city, Cities: Skylines 2 is a must-play.

Conclusion

Whether you’re drawn to the complexity of managing a bustling metropolis or the tranquility of building a serene, picturesque landscape, there’s no shortage of exciting city-building games on Steam. With endless possibilities for how to shape and govern your virtual world, these ten games will provide hours of engaging and rewarding gameplay.

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