Sometimes you don't want to run around with a gun in a shooter, fight zombies, trying to save your life, solve intricate mysteries in order to come to some goal. Sometimes you want to relax, use your brain and analytical thinking, and not just the reaction and good keystroke speed.

In this case, city-planning simulators can come to our aid. Usually, in toys of this genre, you need to build your own metropolis, and then manage all the processes that take place in it. The better you fulfill the duties of the mayor-builder, the faster your city develops and the higher the quality of life of the population in it. Usually, there is no global goal in such toys - the construction process itself is your mission.

And who would refuse to feel like the ruler of an entire city, where you can set your own rules?

So for those who want to take the reins of government, as well as learn how to create entire megacities from scratch, we have selected the TOP, which includes the best city-planning simulators of all time.

10. Banished

Banished - a simulator where you need to build a village

The tenth position was taken by a city-planning simulator, which appeared in the public domain 3 years ago. It was on the last line of the TOP because it is the smallest in terms of volume and the gaming world. You will not see a huge metropolis here. You must build a village. But that doesn't make the game worse.

According to the plot, you are given several exiles who must survive in the wilderness. The nature around is beautiful, there are also plenty of resources: from wood to water, animals, etc. So it is quite possible to start settling in this very place.

Your wards can engage in crafts, of which there are as many as 18 in the game. Here characters can be farmers, hunters, blacksmiths, healers and so on - it all depends on what you order them to do.

Also, this city-planning simulator does not require a strategic plan - there is no specific scheme for the appearance of the necessary resources in certain areas, etc. - everything is random. Winter will be the most difficult test for the gamer: this season is really harsh in the game. You will need to sew a lot of warm things, and you should also worry about the houses in advance - so that there are a lot of them, and that there is something to heat them with.

Also, you will have to remember many details that will decide the fate of your wards.

Although the toy looks like a small city-building simulator, it is very difficult. And only one developer created it - Luke Khodorovich. And this deserves respect.

9. Emperior - Rise of the Middle- Kingdom

Popular Series

City planning simulators, sometimes, are created one of a kind, and sometimes come out in whole series. Emperior - Rise of the Middle-Kingdom - represents exactly the second type. Its story began almost 25 years ago, and since then we have received ten excellent game simulators in the series.

Emperior - Rise of the Middle-Kingdom tells about China, namely its Ancient era. And this, you see, is not common. The historical basis practically ends there: the entourage of Ancient China creates the necessary atmosphere - the rest is almost identical with other simulators.

In the game, you need to constantly make sure that the inhabitants of the city do not starve, that they constantly work, and the gods whom the population worships receive their offerings on time and do not get angry.

In addition, in the game you will need to trade, fight if enemies suddenly attack, and also get the resources necessary for construction.

8. City life

City Life is a city-planning simulator that is very similar to the very famous game Sim City 4. Sometimes they can even insult, calling this project a clone of the above. But no, it’s wrong.

First, all city building simulators are somewhat similar. Secondly, City Life was created by French developers from the Monte Cristo company, and they released a complete and independent thing.

The developers have worked well on the social levels of the population and their role in the life of the city. So it will be important to monitor the relationship between each group, avoiding conflicts between them. There are also many infrastructure processes that can be performed in the game.

Well, how can we go without it - we need to make sure that the entire population is satisfied, without spending a lot of money.

7. CivCity - Rome

Ancient Rome is a popular setting in the city-building simulation genre

Pretty much everyone knows about games like Civilization and Stronghold. So, for the sake of creating this game, the developers of both projects began to work together. This is how a city-planning simulator appeared, which combines the best aspects of the above games.

From Stronghold CivCity - Rome received huge garts, tasks related to the conduct of the battle, as well as the external design and style of locations. But Civilization got seven wonders of the world, seventy-five special units, a little over a hundred buildings, about 70 different achievements of technology that can be researched.

And although critics did not welcome the novelty too warmly, gamers rated this game positively.

6. Caesar

Not all city building simulators offer huge maps and limitless city sizes. There are such as the game on the tenth line, or, like this - Caesar.

This city building well demonstrates to the public that you can not really bother with the plot or make huge changes with each new part of the series. So, for example, all games after the second part received light cosmetic improvements, but the game still hasn't diminished its fans.

And the reason is that Ancient Rome is so captivating that you don't want to stop running your beloved city.

This toy has a small map, so after reaching a certain level of development, you will not be able to find a place to create new buildings. You will only monitor the state of what has already been built. War and sometimes trade also became a minus.

If you ignore these three components, you will definitely like the way the Caesar series works: here you can create religion and have fun with the gods. Also, gamers like to manage colonial settlements and so on.

5. Tropica

Tropica: settle your island

Sometimes city-building simulators deal with topics that are important to society. For example, the game Tropica touches upon the Cold War and the relationship between two warring countries: the USA and the USSR.

You will become the ruler of a country on an island located near the coast of Latin America.

This city building simulator combines politics, economics and construction. It also has a good storyline and an interesting multiplayer mode.

There are also situations here that arise from time to time in order to influence the process of the game - they can suddenly change the course of your story.

Initially, you will settle in a vacant lot, which must be turned into a lively area. Monetary resources are scarce, so you need to properly dispose of them. In some cases, you will build incomprehensible shacks - but all this in order for the population to somehow exist.

You will receive the first profit from the sale of resources, of which you have a lot. Also, the source of income will be the USA or the USSR (depending on which one you make friends with).

4. Cim City

The first part of the game is already 30 years old!

City-building simulators became famous as a genre precisely because of this toy. It appeared about 30 years ago, and gradually won its place on the shelves of the then gamers. However, the game gained real popularity after the release of part 4 - at that time, Sim City 4 became a very complex strategy with many details. It also had a beautiful visual component.

There are 3 modes in the game that you can change - you can even be a god in one of them, in the power of which to modify any area on which you will build afterwards. You can also send Godzilla against those who do not like you or who disobey orders. And then watch the death of the characters.

There is a mayor mode in which you will prove yourself as the real master of the town. You will decide what and where to install, with whom to interact, etc.

3. ANNO

Anno appeared in 1998, and takes fans of the series to the islands in the Pacific Ocean. You can trade, establish diplomatic relations with others, and even fight battles - although more of the game is aimed at the economy and everything connected with it.

Your colonies need to be constantly developed in order to capture the islands in the neighborhood - otherwise, at one moment you can look around, and other territories will be occupied. And you will have to huddle in a very limited area of \u200b\u200bthe island.

2. Settlers

This game differs from others in that the units do everything themselves - you only provide them with the required number of buildings that you need, and also give the required amount of resources.

Also, a huge role belongs to the economy - this city-planning simulator is provided "from and to" with all the possibilities for the development of the economy in any direction.

1. Stronghold

Stronghold: Build a medieval stronghold!

In this medieval strategy, the main place in the game belongs to the city building, which has a lot of advantages. There are a lot of elements here that cannot be easily described - they are all part of the development of a medieval settlement. You will have to pay attention to the economic component: build houses, sawmills and quarries, store food, and also protect all this by erecting various fortifications.

So choose your city building simulator and create the metropolis of your dreams!

So the glorious hour has come to voice the coolest urban planning strategies that make you feel like a great ruler, architect and generally a significant man in every possible way. Or a girl - as anyone.

We will not insert representatives of the same series of games into the rating several times - instead, each series will be represented by the brightest and most popular of its parts. Since one way or another there will be someone who will start whining: "Oooh, what about the Settlers, I love him so much, he is so good that I decided to name my son after him ...", then let's clear up the situation right away - it was interesting only the very first Settlers. All the rest are bullshit. Therefore, whoever wishes to name his son in honor of this game, at the same time, he can also name his daughter in her honor: Tufta. Sorry for being rude, but this is the truth.

10 best city building simulators

Pharaoh has become an alternative development branch of the popular Caesar series of city-building simulators, also owned by Impression Games. The essence of the game logically follows from the name: starting with a tiny settlement on the banks of the Nile, the player will have to gradually move from the daily problems of feeding / drinking the peasants to creating the capital of an ancient empire. The game also does not disregard the issue of building defensive structures, which will come in turn in one of 38 missions. Later, the Cleopatra add-on was released, containing additional stages of the game.

Bonus point: the Egyptian theme of the design can be traced in the menu and various tools of the game, so fans of old strategies and authenticity will be pleased. Although the game started in English back in 1999, the Russian version was introduced only in 2004.

P.S. Over time, I had to give up under the set of the surrounding reality and add the very successful Cities: Skylines, which was released in early 2015. Accordingly, "Pharaoh", who was in the tail according to the results of our poll, dropped out of the TOP-10. But we will not delete it: maybe, after a couple of months, loyal fans of Egypt will be able to raise its rating in the voting? All in your hands.

10th place. Caesar III

Although Caesar IV is good, Caesar III is better: and the point is not that eternity was more solid before, and the grass is greener. User polls and ratings from gaming publications in most cases relentlessly exalt the third over the fourth. Of course, such recommendations should be heeded only if gameplay is much more important to you than graphics. Otherwise, it is better to pay attention to the fourth "Caesar 4."

The essence of the game is quite consistent with the name: the player will be able to see the glory of the great Roman Empire and contribute to its development. Building towns in different parts of the Empire and passing missions, you can get acquainted with the history of Roman conquests and make a career from a simple clerk to Caesar.

"Caesar III" was released in 1998, and "Caesar IV" was released in 2006 - just 2 months after the release of CivCity: Rome, which was mentioned above. Nevertheless, Caesar was more to the liking of gamers, having won the coveted position from a competitor.

9th place. Stronghold

Stronghold was good. For 2001, she was not that good, but a masterpiece. The castle siege mode immersed you in the exciting battles of the Middle Ages, allowing you to feel, if not Robin Hood, then at least Ivanhoe or Sir Nigel. But besides the combat, the economic part was adequately implemented in the game. The next game in the series, Stronghold Crusader, featured more sophisticated multiplayer, new buildings and units, and slightly improved graphics. This helped her to gain fame as a good one.

Nevertheless, our rating is dedicated to urban planning strategies - and there is no mistake here. Stronghold had a separate economic campaign in which there was no need to fight (except with wolves and robbers). The player had to fully focus on the economic development of the settlement and solving various problems. There were no such campaigns in Stronghold Crusader, but the sandbox mode was still available, in which you could select one of the maps and try to build a city or a castle among the sands of the desert.

The economic part of the game is quite thought out and is not like any other strategies of that time: your actions directly affect the mood of the inhabitants. You can regulate taxes and the daily diet, try to make your subjects happy or intimidated. At the same time, if at some point they feel unhappy and they have no reason to stay, the city will quickly become empty.

8th place. CivCity: Rome

The creators of CivCity were inspired by the grandeur and beauty of the Roman Empire. Missions traditionally give the player both economic and military tasks. You don't have to relax - fires and riots can bring a lot of trouble, and to provide your settlement with everything you need, you will have to work hard on trade and communication routes.

The essence of this game is the development of one settlement from a miserable village to a majestic city. The housing of the townspeople is gradually improving, but for this you will have to fulfill various requirements. The military part is present in the game, but in a primitive and simplified form, which cannot be called interesting. But the urban planning and economic part is quite entertaining, although it does not reach the level of the grandees of this genre.

7th place. Banished

Year of issue: 2014

Initially, this game, like everything new, alarmed the old clumsy conservatives with outdated hardware and views. Therefore, her rating was underestimated, and the fans were offended. But over time, as Comrade Stalin bequeathed, life became better, life became more fun: Banished was recognized and exalted. Simply put, the update to this ranking of economic strategies has raised this game from 10th position to 7th.

In Banished, you will have to get food, take care of clothes, firewood for the winter and wait with horror for frost - if you spend the winter, consider half the victory in your pocket. The developers promise a lot of thoughtful little things: workers can become exhausted and tired, animals can be completely exterminated as a result of hunting, and travelers from distant countries will bring not only an increase in the population, but also overseas diseases.

6th place. City life

The game was released in 2006, eventually gaining a wide variety of buildings thanks to several additions in 2008. It famously implements the interaction of social groups of different incomes: state employees, the poor, the intelligentsia, white and blue collars, as well as the elite. They are all engaged in different types of activities and have different income levels. Each group has its own likes and dislikes: for example, the elite will never get along with the poor. This will have to be taken into account during the settlement of the city in order to avoid social unrest.

The graphics are inferior to the same SimCity 2007 ("City with character"), but the strong side of the picture in City Life is the high level of detail. Many gaming publications rated Urban Life approximately 7.5 out of 10.

5th place. Cities XL

Cities XL is the brainchild of the developers of the same game City Life. Although Cities XL is not a sequel, previous experience has undoubtedly been taken into account. The game was released in 2009 and was recognized by the publication "Igromania" as the best representative of the urban genre of that year. All the basic canons set by SimCity have been observed: housing, industry and shops are being built up by sectors, the interface is also familiar and understandable.

Excited by Electronic Arts' 2007 "City of Character," those gamers who craved SimCity quite quickly switched to Cities XL - paradoxically, but this game at the time was much more like SimCity than SimCity Societies. Therefore, for fans of Rush Hour, this game until 2013 was the main consolation (until SimCity 2013 was released).

4th place. Tropico 5

Tropico is a prime example of a game that gets better every time. Although both the third and fourth installments were highly rated, the Tropico 5 managed to outperform its predecessors. Finally, the gameplay has become more interesting: now you can forget about the banal construction of a dozen enterprises, schools and the gradual earning of untold wealth. Indeed, in the fifth part, the player starts in times far from modern times - in front of him lies a colonial island, used exclusively as a springboard for countless plantations.

In principle, there is no social or educational sphere from the outset - you still need to live up to all this and grow up. The island's governor will have to earn the trust and affection of the inhabitants so that they believe in their leader and want to declare independence. Income from enterprises in the new part has been reduced by 3-4 times: this makes it necessary to seriously take up trade with other states.

Each era is fraught with its own characteristics and novelties. The gameplay itself received many minor but useful improvements. For example, now rebellious residents can not only be bribed, intimidated or shot, but (who would have thought?), It turns out, you can ask what they want - and it is corny to satisfy their demands. Also, there was a technology tree a la "Civilization" - now there is something to research and improve. Also, a constitution appeared that allows you to regulate military duty, religious issues, suffrage, and more.

Ratings of popular gaming publications: 8 out of 10.

3rd place. Cities: Skylines

At the request of readers, as well as obeying an elementary sense of justice, we had to update our rating to make room for the new 2015 Cities: Skylines. Despite the relatively recent release, it is already clear that this urban planning strategy is an undoubted win.

Such evidence is based on the delight of various gaming publications that love the new toy: high-quality graphics, friendly gameplay, the pleasure of creating your own city - it seems that all the obvious goodies that you expect to see in such a game have finally come together. In this case, there were no obvious jambs. Someone may blame the lack of a script, but this is far from an obligatory attribute of the genre.

The development company Colossal Order initially aimed to knock the genre's bison like SimCity and Cities XL off the top with a nimble kick. It seems like it's time to admit that they have done a lot: Skylines wins over with its well-balanced gameplay. Instead of having a real brainstorming session to create a successful city, as in SimCity, in this game everything happens a little easier, in a comfortable relaxed atmosphere. Nevertheless, certain complex challenges will still appear in front of the player, so the city-planning simulator will definitely not get bored in an hour.

I won't be surprised if in a few months our vote will raise Cities: Skylines to the first place in this TOP: we'll see soon.

2nd place. Anno 2070 / Anno 1404

Of course, such a rating could not do without ANNO: the only question is which version of the game was the most successful for the developers, Anno 1404 or Anno 2070? The names do not conceal any special secrets and are quite consistent with the years of the era in which you have to play: so everything is for an amateur.

Anno 1404 was recognized by "Gambling" as the best strategy of 2009, and the subsequent addition "Venice" added not only new missions, but also multiplayer. It was intuitive, after passing through a non-burdensome training, you could safely enjoy the gameplay, which was facilitated in every possible way by the convenient interface. Another important plus inherent in both games: the ability to play the game several times with the same pleasure.

Anno 2070 takes us to the future, where we have to play the role of a manager - all the main features of the game about colonial times have been transferred, not without new products. True, in the future it is a little more difficult to figure it out than with the problems of the 15th century - if it was clear what was necessary for the functioning of a particular building, or how to solve any problem, then in the future you will have to spend some time on mastering and understanding the basic principles of the game.

“Gambling addiction” gave both parts of the game 8.5 out of 10. To say that one game is clearly superior to the other would be dishonest - it all depends solely on personal preferences and the era in which it is more interesting to equip cities and settlements.

1st place. SimCity 4: Rush Hour

It is not for nothing that the name Sim City has become a household name, sometimes used as a synonym for the concept of "city planning simulator". It is this game, which both young and old know about, was given the branch of the championship of our rating. Although the series is sometimes forced to bend under the onslaught of competitors, it still has not ceased to attract fans around the world: old-school fans and, of course, will never remove SimCity 4: Rush Hour (2003) from the screw, and those who do not able to come to terms with unpretentious graphics, they prefer either "City with character" (2007), or, who has a more powerful PC, SimCity (2013).

It is worth noting that City with Character is not at all like the classic games in the series and is undoubtedly simpler - although the Tourist Paradise add-on poses some challenges for the player. After experimenting with innovations in this part, SimCity lost its primacy in the urban planning genre, giving way to competitors.

What cannot be taken away from "City with Character" is its pleasant graphics

It is logical that in the next version of 2013, the developers decided to go back to basics, making a product for fans of the classic SimCity. Nevertheless, at the moment, SimCity 4: Rush Hour is considered the pinnacle of the evolution of the series - the subsequent parts were not so welcomed by critics and admirers, being content with ratings of 6-7 out of 10.

The very first SimCity came out into the world back in 1989, when, to be honest, not everyone knew about the existence of computers in our country. Despite the fact that even that game is not recognized as the founder of the series, connoisseurs argue that the very first ancestor of Sim City was the game "Hamurapi", which appeared on slot machines in 1968.

In any case, the first version of SimCity was accepted by the people with sincere love, for which it received adaptation for various consoles and OS, as well as a logical continuation that evolved over time in SimCity 4: Rush Hour - perhaps the only city-planning strategy with elements of street racing 😉

To the delight of all strategy lovers, we are publishing another TOP, this time dedicated to such a rather narrow topic as city-planning simulators or strategies about building cities!

10. Banished

The tenth place was taken by a relatively recently released construction simulator. In a sense, the game can be called the smallest city-planning simulator in our TOP. After all, we are not dealing with a city, but rather with a village.

You control a group of exiled settlers who are starting a new life in the picturesque wilderness of the taiga. There are 18 different crafts in the game, from farming and hunting to blacksmithing, teaching and healing.

There is no universal strategy in the game, the amount and ratio of resources on the cards is generated randomly. Surviving cold winters is one of the main and most difficult tasks for the player. To keep the settlers from freezing, your tailors will have to sew a lot of clothes, and the builders will have to build houses and prepare firewood.

You also have to constantly keep a lot of small details and nuances in your head, on which it depends whether your settlement will survive or die.

Although the game is ranked last, it is a great example of a rather complex simulator, especially considering the fact that it was made by only one person - the programmer Luke Khodorovich. Although the gameplay Banishd over time, it begins to pall, you will definitely experience the pleasure of the next winter you have gone through.

9. Emperior - Rise of the Middle-Kingdom

One of the representatives of the so-called city-building series, which began back in 1993. Since then, ten games have come out, including add-ons.

"Emperor: Dawn of the Celestial Empire" - is the only representative of the series covering the territory of ancient China, which is already interesting.

However, otherwise the difference between "Emperor" and the rest of the strategies of the series are not so great - we make sure that the inhabitants are well fed and employed, and the gods are happy with alms.

You will also have to deal with the production of resources and trade, as well as manage the defense in the event of an attack by invaders.

8. City Life

A game that is often compared to the infamous Sim City 4, and not just compare, but even call them the offensive word "clone". However, this is not quite true.

The development of the French company Monte Cristo, although it repeats the concept of other games in the genre of city-planning simulators, is an absolutely independent project.

In addition to the presence of an extensive social system of socio-cultural groups and the relationship between them, City Life can offer players a standard set of production infrastructure tasks. As usual, we will have to satisfy the whims and needs of citizens and at the same time try not to empty the city treasury ahead of time.

In general, this is another entertainment for more than one evening for lovers of construction and management.

7. CivCity - Rome

Imagine what could happen if the authors of the cult Civilization and no less cult Stronghold unite to create a kind of crossover between Stronghold and Civilization.

So, from Stronghold, the game got the entourage, the scale of the maps and the choice of military or peaceful missions. Legacy from Civilization CivCity wonders of the world and a whole palette of tokens, including 75 unique units, 115 buildings and 70 technologies available for research.

And although the game did not find solid assessments, many still liked the idea of \u200b\u200bsuch a mix.

6. Caesar

Another series of city building games. The third Caesar is a great example of how a franchise, having squeezed the most out of the concept, is content with only cosmetic changes. At the same time, it cannot be said that the game came out mediocre - on the contrary, despite many shortcomings, the feeling of running an ancient Roman city is incredible.

From the disadvantages of the game, one can single out the small size of the map - from a certain moment there is simply nowhere to build, all that remains is to observe the stagnation of the city and improve the attractiveness of the already attractive areas. The second minus is the military component, although on some maps it is the threat of invasion that makes us completely reconsider the course of the settlement's development. Finally, trade has not always been adequate.

The rest of the game is just gorgeous. Here you have religion with blessings, and curses of powerful gods, many resources, goods and buildings. In the end, where else will we be entrusted with the management of the Roman colonies, entrusting the mission of making a city out of a desolate plain worthy of Caesar.

The fourth part of the game came out more impressive in terms of graphics, but the features remained the same.

5. Tropica

According to the plot, the player takes control of a small island state somewhere in Latin America. Everything happens during the height of the Cold War.

The game has economic, political and urban planning, as well as interesting companies and multiplayer.

The addition of such innovations as random events that influence the course of what is happening and additional sectors of the industry made it possible to breathe new life into the series.

Your construction begins with an empty plain and almost zero plot. At first, there will be enough money only for the most necessary things for the country, and even the people will have to live in makeshift shacks for some time.

You can make money by selling valuable natural resources right and left and receiving handouts from the USSR or the United States, depending on which of the countries you support politically. Over time, it will be possible to deal with tourism and infrastructure.

Recently released Tropico 5, offering many innovations and a modern graphics engine.

4. Cim City

The representative of, perhaps, the most famous series of the genre of city-planning simulators, which determined its high place in this TOP. It was Sim City, released by Maxis in 1989, that formed the classic type of city-planning simulators and a number of mechanics that later became the standard.

The fourth part brought true success to the game. The game turned out to be a rather complex and detailed strategy with very schematic, but nice graphics.

You have three modes to choose from, including the god mode, which allows you to transform the selected area of \u200b\u200bthe region, where the city will then be built. This mode also allows players to create natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and others. Even in the first games of the series, players were amused by the opportunity to send a gadzilla or an earthquake to an unwanted city and watch how everything collapses and dies.

In the mayor's mode, the planning, construction and maintenance of the city's economy is carried out. The construction of roads, streets, metro lines, bus stops, railway stations will fall on your shoulders. You will also have to deal with the exchange of resources with neighboring cities, garbage disposal, medicine, and so on.

However, the fifth part of the game came out damp and in many ways did not meet the expectations of the fans.

3. ANNO

The first game in the series called Anno 1602 was released back in 1998 / The series also includes Anno 1503, Anno 1701, Anno 1004, Anno 2070.

The first game in the series takes place in a new era. Under your control is given the construction of colonies and resource management on the archipelago of small islands of the new world.

There is an opportunity for research, trade, diplomacy, but to a greater extent the game is focused on the economic component, and you won't have to fight a lot there. But you will have to constantly increase income and expand to neighboring islands. What did you expect? Enemies do not sleep, and the faster your colony reaches a certain level of population, the more opportunities and unique tasks will open to you.

These and other features made the game memorable and unlike other representatives of the genre, which allowed Anno acquire an army of loyal fans and pave the way for the game in the now popular online.

The last part of the game, which went online and became completely free, uses the concept of the classic first part. But thanks to the Internet, the possibilities of the game have increased - now players can wage trade wars among themselves, compete in the level of development of their colonies, and much more.

The game is now completely free, you can play it right in your browser. More about the game Anno Online read in my review.

2. Settlers

In the second part of the most popular series of city-planning simulators, the authors have polished the gameplay and improved the graphics many times over in comparison with the debut project that came out many years earlier.

The game made a splash with several innovative gameplay elements. Units don't need to be told what to do. Instead, the player's task is to provide the required amount of buildings and resources.

Needless to say, the economic model in Setlers is many times more detailed and deeper than that of other representatives of the genre, providing multi-level production chains, executed with German pedantry. The Setlers game even laid the foundation for the so-called economic strategy of the German school. It also includes "Anno" and "Patrician".

All this, as well as multiplayer battles, make this meditative strategy worthy of your attention and guarantee it a place in the hall of heroes of fame.

Read more about the game Setlers Online in my review.

1. Stronghold

Besides the obvious military component, an important part in the games of the series Stronghold is the economy and the balance of many factors. So popularity is very important in the game. The more the settlers trust you, the faster the number of peasants increases. When popularity drops below half, your residents begin to flee, and there is no one to work in the fields. Popularity can be increased by reducing taxes, expanding the diet, erecting temples and taverns.

Almost all of these actions have at the same time a negative effect - the devastation of the treasury, barns and even drunkenness, which reduces labor productivity. Of course, it is always possible to build a gallows and other visual structures to motivate the population to work better and faster. But then the popularity will also fall, so a dilemma arises that can be solved in various ways.

Still, the game is not about that, but about the garden and defense. Troops can take positions on towers and move along walls, firing at the enemy below.

The player can also organize a fire or epidemic in the enemy country. Thus, we have at our disposal the broadest arsenal of tactical and strategic capabilities. How to achieve victory depends only on you!

Not so long ago, following modern trends, Stronghold moved online, becoming shareware. Read more about this game in my review.

We present a selection of different city-planning simulators that allow the player to build and take control of a modern metropolis, a medieval settlement, a tropical and even a Martian colony.

31. Ymir

30. Depraved

29. The Colonists

A colonist simulator developed on the basis of the same name. Arriving in the wild lands of a new planet as a first settler, the player will have to turn this place into a flourishing and comfortable settlement for life, using his mind, local resources, as well as a team of funny robots, which are both the main helpers and the only inhabitants. The developers say that when creating their project, they were inspired by such popular games as The Settlers and Anno. And certain elements of The Colonists really evoke associations with these masterpieces. The Colonists has both a campaign with increasingly difficult missions and a light-hearted mode that allows you to slowly get acquainted with all the features of the game.

28. Rise to Ruins

Rise to Ruins is a good mix of god simulator and wrapped city building. Starting from scratch with a handful of inhabitants, the user must gradually create a reliable and well-defended settlement that can save its inhabitants from the hardships of the outside world. But you will have to worry not only about external, but also about internal problems. I would like to note the rather high complexity of the gameplay, the presence of several modes (survival, sandbox, and so on), as well as the presence of special "divine" abilities, with which the player can make the life of his charges a little easier.

27. ISLANDERS

A fun city-building strategy game on a variety of procedurally generated islands. ISLANDERS offers a fascinating mix of crude minimalist graphics and deep building mechanics with a huge number of available buildings, which depend on the features of the city planner. And there are an infinite number of varieties of islands, since, as already noted, they are randomly created by the system.

26. Planetbase

A city-planning simulator dedicated to the colonization of a new planet. New world - new difficulties and trials. Therefore, the base of the space pioneers must be perfectly balanced and ready for any surprises. Take care of a sufficient number of living modules and power plants adapted to the new conditions, about sources and storage of food and water, about research and mining buildings. At the same time, one should not go headlong into engineering and construction work and forget about the colonists, whose condition, mood and, finally, the quantitative composition of which must be constantly monitored. After all, it will not be good at all if there are only doctors and guards among the population of the station, but at the same time there will not be a single worker and engineer.

25. Kingdoms and Castles

A city-planning simulator with bright minimalistic graphics and surroundings, allowing the player to become the ruler of both a small village and a large medieval city with a chic castle as a residence. Take care of the needs of your subjects and do not forget about the need to expand living space for future generations and permanent settlers. Count on resources and strength for the ever-changing seasons. Finally, do not forget that the Middle Ages is a very dangerous time, and the city can suddenly be hit by a variety of and often unpleasant events: an attack by barbarians, plagues, wolves bred in the area, or even a real fire-breathing dragon.

24. Rise of Industry

A simulator for an aspiring industrialist who decides to revitalize his entrepreneurial streak in the ever-growing and developing world of the early 20th century. The game is very similar to Transport Tycoon, developing the concepts inherent in it and adding your own successful ideas to this business. The resulting hybrid mechanics of antiquity and novelty Rise of Industry transfers into a full-fledged sandbox: the cities around them also grow and develop unpredictably, inevitably changing their needs and offers. And the player needs to adjust all the capacities and capabilities of his enterprise to this dynamics, building new production buildings and workshops, paving new paths, hiring equipment, and so on.

23. Dawn of Man

A game at the intersection of the genres of a city-planning simulator and survival, which sends the user back to those distant times when the first representatives of humanity were just beginning to take their timid steps towards the future greatness in a huge wild world full of the unknown and dangerous. Become the leader of a tribe of primitive people and help them survive and develop for more than 10,000 years - from the ancient Stone Age to the beginning of the Iron Age. The construction and arrangement of settlements, and gathering, the transition to a manufacturing economy and the invention of new types of tools - all these and many other activities will become pleasant and exciting worries for the player in the game Dawn of Man.

22. Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic

21. They Are Billions

20. Anno 1800

A city-building simulator from Ubisoft, which takes place in the 19th century - at the dawn of the industrial era caused by the Industrial Revolution. In the player gets at the disposal of not one city, but a huge territory, stretching from the European continent to the tropical jungles of South America. By gradually discovering new lands and subjecting them to their influence, the player in Anno 1800 can become the head of a powerful new empire, reshaping history in a new way.

19. Tropico 6

In March 2019, a new part of the Tropico series was released. The player in the role of El Presidente takes control of the island state of Tropico, which this time fits into the whole archipelago, and tries to rule so that all residents are contented and happy. Otherwise, you can forget about re-election for a new term of office. The elements of urban planning and management occupy a key place in Tropico 6: the development of urban infrastructure, zoning, the strengthening of industry, and so on.

18. Frostpunk

An icy hell descended on Britain, plunging all life into an eerie kingdom of cold and snow. It would seem that people have no chances of survival in such conditions, but there is no - the notorious human thirst for life here helped them to adapt. At a temperature of -100 degrees, they began to erect huge steam generators, serving as a source of heat and energy at the same time, and around them to build the rest of the buildings and all the accompanying infrastructure. Of course, survival in such a new world required from people radical changes in the worldview system and abandonment of many values \u200b\u200band moral attitudes that had become irrelevant and even dangerous. And all these chores - economic, technological, legislative, moral, research - fall on the shoulders of the player.

17. Northgard

A fascinating strategy pro who went in search of new lands and discovered the amazing Nordgard, where they eventually decided to settle. The game is a fusion of traditional RTS with some elements that are not always characteristic of the genre: important here is given, first of all, to the competent development of your settlement, as well as survival and exploration of the surrounding world. Which, by the way, is based on Scandinavian mythology and has a light, but very expressive visual style.

16. Life is Feudal: Forest Village

Forest Village is dedicated to building and surviving in the dark Middle Ages, with the developers from Mindillusion trying to make the chosen setting as realistic as possible, both in terms of graphics and design, and in terms of gameplay. A huge selection of all kinds of buildings and improvements for them, many resources, an extensive system of crafts and various other activities for settlers, taking into account a dozen factors that affect the life of the settlement, and much more.

The ability to terraform the landscape is important in Forest Village: it can be used to prepare a site for the construction of new buildings, create a garden or arable field, lay a system of roads, and so on. Very convenient in the game is the view system, which allows you to inspect your possessions from a bird's eye view, or switch to a view "from the eyes" of any settler. And the last advantage of Forest Village is the system of events and the constantly changing ecosystem, which requires the player to be prepared for the inevitable emergence of new challenges: hunger, cold, drought, epidemic, fire, and so on.

15. Caesar IV

Caesar IV is a city-building simulator in a not very familiar setting of the era. The problems then faced the steward, on the whole, similar to those encountered by the mayors of later times: building roads, establishing a supply of resources, and ultimately getting a pleasant trickle from taxes coming to the treasury.

The truth is, you have to build and rebuild in this city-planning simulator wisely and planning your actions in advance. If the lower and middle classes will arrange the streets somehow paved, then the upper society, which will bring the lion's share of taxes, is much more demanding of the beauty of the environment. Therefore, strategy in Caesar IV is far from an empty word.

All this makes the game, as expected, difficult, but also allows you to get a lot of pleasure from solving the tasks. But what a modern gamer can evaporate pleasure is the technical execution of the project. And if the graphics are still bearable, then in the form of the Steam version, the game is one big problem. Therefore, by launching it, you will no longer be afraid of the intrigues of the grumbling Romans.

14. Grand Ages: Rome (The Great Ages. Rome)

A game from Haemimont Games, released in 2009 and combining the features of not only a city-planning simulator, but also a traditional real-time strategy, the setting of which is dedicated to the era of the Roman Empire.

The player will have to build and develop cities, go on epic military campaigns, fight the tribes of barbarians, in general, do everything to ensure that the empire expands and flourishes.

There are two single player modes and one mode in Grand Ages: Rome. Mode "Career" will allow the player to go through four dozen exciting missions, including both construction and military operations, during which the player will be able to take control of eighteen different types of combat units of the Roman army.

The next mode - "Free play", allows you to develop your empire on one of the selected maps without any specific tasks.

Finally, "Multiplayer" contains 6 additional modes with certain conditions, allowing you to test your skills as a city governor and commander in confrontation with other players.

13. City Life (2008)

2008 building simulator from Monte Cristo, with great detail and animation for its venerable age (10 years, after all, anniversary). It is very gratifying that the game, which is the perfect representative of the genre of city-building simulators for weak PCs, is capable of showing such majestic and picturesque city panoramas.

However, the wonderful visuals are far from the only plus of City Life. The classic mechanics of urban planning, where the player is invited to take care of a mediocre town and gradually turn it into a large prosperous metropolis, is successfully complemented by a deeply worked out economic and social model. For example, in the game there are several different groups of the population, each with its own needs and socio-cultural characteristics, which must be taken into account in order not to provoke social conflicts that threaten to turn into a full-scale civil war.

Pleasantly pleased with the very convenient construction tools, arranged according to the modular principle. It is distinguished by its ease of use, while providing great freedom for creativity in the implementation of the most daring and unexpected architectural and construction ideas.

12. Cities XL Platinum

Cities XL Platinum is another representative of the classic series of city building simulators. The time-tested formula of SimCity 4 is adjacent to what could later be seen in SimCity 2013. Namely, the division of cities into roles corresponding to each type of development.

In addition, almost the entire planet is available for the construction of a settlement in Cities XL Platinum, which makes the landscapes more diverse. Tired of the familiar green background? The snowy Alps or the hot desert sands await you. This brings much more variety to the routine life of virtual mayors.

The technical part of the game is also pleasing: the picture is beautiful, the sounds are of high quality, the views of the cities are pleasing to the eye. But owners of weaker PCs should definitely think about purchasing Cities XL Platinum, because the project is not the best.

11. Lethis - Path of Progress

Skyscrapers from the future and the present and Roman landscapes are certainly interesting, but city-planning simulators are not limited to this. The flourishing of intustria allowed the genre to move further, far beyond the usual framework of settings. For example, the authors of Lethis - Path Of Progress brought the action of their game into a steampunk world.

In this world, a very valuable resource was discovered, in connection with which the player's state experienced an incredible economic growth. As you might guess, this growth will not only have to be tamed, but also directed in the right direction, building up 20 campaign missions with Victorian houses.

Of course, the game's world isn't the only feature of Lethis - Path Of Progress. All micromanagement is turned inside out. Are you accustomed to the fact that “warehouses” are the main ones, where all your production loads resources? Well, you can safely forget about this, because here all the services for the townspeople are looking for ways to their abodes by themselves. Both the road layout and direction signs are designed to regulate the flow of artists and bakers with rolls. The picture is completed by pleasant graphics and music, which create a true atmosphere of relaxation.

10. Tropico 5

The fifth part of a very unusual city-planning simulator on PC, where the player will have to become the dictator of a tropical island for a long time and lead it through several eras, developing and rebuilding everything on it at his own discretion.

In addition to ennobling and arranging the island's territory, players have access to many other areas of activity that determine the direction and pace of development of the subordinate state: trade, science, diplomacy, religion, culture, and so on.

The game traditionally pleases with a wonderful graphic design, pleasant musical accompaniment in the Latin style, and a rich, interesting story campaign, divided into fifteen episodes.

9. Aven Colony

Perhaps one of the most unusual city-building simulations on our list. The fact is that here you will have to equip a distant planet called Aven Prime, gradually transforming it from an unfamiliar and deadly dangerous land at the other end of the universe into a cozy home for colonists from Earth.

The game map Aven Colony is a huge open area, divided into a large number of different biomes, fraught with dozens of various surprises and dangers for the newly arrived colonists. Therefore, you will have to be very careful when choosing a site for construction.

The strength and reliability of the settlements being built will be experienced not only by the local destructive climatic phenomena, like powerful thunderstorms and sandstorms, but also by representatives of the local megafauna, and even some of the most aggressive plant species.

Also, the player will have to protect the colonists from unknown types of diseases and hunger, fight crime, establish communication between the settlements, provide them with air (the local atmosphere is very poor in oxygen) and electricity, monitor the morale and employment of their wards. In general, there will be a lot of things to do.

But if successful, the reward will be appropriate: immeasurable gratitude and respect of the colonists, which will allow you to rise from the position of an ordinary manager of a colony to the post of a new galactic civilization!

8. SimCity 2013

Naturally, EA was reluctant to write off a brand as famous as SimCity, even after Societies failed. Therefore, in 2013, the last attempt to date took place to return the king of city-building simulators to its rightful place. Over the years since the release of the game, many have already forgotten the hysteria that occurred due to problems with the servers. And, of course, the game only benefited from the time.

And servers and their stability are indeed a critical part of the latest incarnation of SimCity. The whole core of the gameplay revolves around "specializations" for cities, which are now designed to coordinate with each other. For example, one settlement is engaged in garbage disposal, while neighbors finance such a landfill, earning money from tourism.

At the same time, you can establish connections not only between your own cities, but also with the megacities of other players. This makes SimCity 2013 suitable even for playing with friends and planning a full ecosystem. In general, both the return to the foundations of SimCity 4 and the introduction of network features have benefited the successor of the series, making it fun and worthy of attention even today.

7. The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom

A wonderful game from Blue Byte, which combines elements of a city-planning simulator and a military RTS and differs from all other games in our top by a rather high level of difficulty.

The Settlers 7 provides the player with the opportunity to grow their own huge and powerful kingdom from a small seedy village. Moreover, success can be achieved here in three different ways: military, commercial or scientific.

Each successful action in any of the chosen fields will bring special points, the number of which will determine the winner. At the same time, as already mentioned, the game is distinguished by a serious level of complexity, achieved due to the presence here of a dynamic, incredibly smart AI that takes into account the player's actions and, depending on this, changes its own tactics.

The game has multiplayer, which allows you to play online against another player, or together with him against the AI.

I would like to note the excellent design and graphics of The Settlers 7, as well as the presence of a level editor that allows you to create your own maps.

6. Banished

The game from the independent studio Shining Rock Software, warmly received by fans of urban planning and urban management, despite a very unusual, one might even say, risky concept at the time of release - the inclusion of a tangible element of survival in the gameplay.

Today Banished is rightfully included in the top city-planning simulators, precisely because of its uniqueness: the main resource here is not wood, gold, oil or stone, but people. Outcasts who, after long wanderings, decided to settle on a wild land that has not yet been inhabited by anyone.

Probably, it would be more correct to call Banished a simulator of the first settlers. The player will have to take care of the construction of the initial rough and uncomfortable dwellings and the extraction of food, the establishment of trade with other settlements, the arrangement of arable fields and the distribution of occupations (the game has an extensive system of crafts).

At the same time, there are no strict classes and specializations in the game: any action (production, mining, construction, etc.) can be assigned to any inhabitant, provided that there are the necessary resources for this.

5. Surviving Mars

Another game that combines the principles of urban planning and survival on an alien planet. This time, players are encouraged to build their own colony on.

4. SimCity 4

The game is far from new (it was released in 2003), but it is still madly loved by fans of the genre.

The level of freedom in SimCity 4 would be envied even by many modern games about the construction and arrangement of cities: a huge number of different buildings, the possibility of terraforming and dividing the city into certain zones (industrial, commercial, and so on), control over city finances, transport and social security - that's just a small list of available to players. In addition, the fourth part contains the dynamically changing time of day and the environment.

Another game from Blue Byte with a more or less real story-oriented setting (Dawn of Discovery takes place in the 15th century), which goes beyond ordinary city-planning simulators and provides ample opportunities in terms of diplomacy, trade, economics, as well as, which is very atypical for the genre, it pays a lot of attention to sea travel and battles.

Dawn of Discovery has an interesting story mode in which the player will have to travel by sea, discover new trade routes and unexplored islands, and then colonize them, building and populating them at their discretion. Many of the story missions are related to the already mentioned elements of diplomacy and trade.

Finally, there are various military courts here, allowing you to abandon diplomacy and peaceful coexistence and resolve differences with other powers by force.

In addition to the story campaign, there is also a multiplayer mode and a free play mode.

2. Anno 2205

1. Cities: Skylines

To date, according to the reviews of players, the city-building simulator on the PC, released in 2015, is, that is, relatively new.

The game offers classic city-building mechanics, brought to perfection. The player gets the opportunity to literally create the city of his dreams from scratch, and then continue to take care of it and all its inhabitants already in the role of mayor. He will be responsible for the financial and tax system, transport, education, healthcare, emergency services and much more.

Also in Cities: Skylines, the influence that many constant and random factors have on the city is well implemented: environmental pollution, traffic flow, employment of the population and its level of well-being, sanitary and hygienic conditions, social factor, and so on. All this leads to the constant formation of various unique game situations, which are incredibly interesting to untangle.

Cities: Skylines has a built-in system that allows you to easily add your own modifications to it, which will delight modding fans and allow the game, which is already rich in content and mechanics, to make it even more diverse.