Looking for the best city building games on PC? There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting down for an afternoon of city building games with a hot drink. We’ve lost countless hours lining up buildings just how we like them or scrambling to save a population on the brink of collapse, and occasionally we’ve purposefully brought about that collapse just to see how our citizens would cope. Not very well as it happens.

Our list of the best city building games offers something for every management games fan, from hardcore town planners looking for a challenge, to entries that welcome genre newcomers with the promise of tutorials, stripped back interfaces, and few apocalyptic threats. As well as difficulty, we’ve included a mix of realistic city builders and sci-fi simulator games, in case you’re bored of laying out your urban expanses against a traditional backdrop.

Whether your aim is to regroup and repopulate Earth, conquer new planets, or defeat the commuter’s menace that is congestion, then this list of the best city building games on PC should serve you well.

Play free games for Mac. Big Fish is the #1 place to find casual games! Safe & secure. Free game downloads. Helpful customer service!

• Mar 20, 2020 With that in mind, we played through and evaluated a slew of games, and we’ve put together this updated list with the best free games for Mac. Of course, if you’re happy to simply buy your games, check out our comprehensive list of the 100 Best Mac games available today. For the freebies, read on.
• Although Anno 1404 was released all the way back in 2009, it still happens to be one of the best games in the Anno series. Like other city-building games, Anno 1404, also know as Dawn of Discovery, allows the player to create their own nation as they journey across the global to explore, trade and learn new technologies to help expand their empire.
• Feb 20, 2020 If you miss that sense of wonder, we’ve got good news: the best sandbox games capture this classic childhood experience and turn it into an exciting video game adventure. The best sandbox games feature open-world environments that are ripe for exploration, resource collection, and crafting.

Here are the best city building games on PC:

Cities: Skylines

Simplicity is the key to Cities: Skylines meteoric rise to success. Whether you’re a veteran town planner capable of handling practically any scenario, or a newcomer to the genre, Cities: Skylines is arguably the best city building game for either party.

Instead of spending aeons scrolling through building types and then carefully rotating and placing them in accessible spots, Cities: Skylines breaks down the bulk of its buildings into categories like residential, commercial, and industrial, letting you rapidly build a skeleton for your city before agonising over the small details. The skill is all in how you balance the many needs of your citizens and each district, making you think more like a mayor.

It’s not that Cities: Skylines is easy, that is far from true, it’s just easy to get your head around, and when things go wrong, which they inevitably will, you won’t feel defeated by the prospect of starting over again. As you’d expect from the studio behind Cities in Motion, Cities: Skylines also features a gloriously deep and complex mix of transit options, which means you get to spend countless hours trying to ensure your denizens are moving around as seamlessly and smoothly as possible.

For the hardcore players there’s also a still-thriving mod scene packed with scenarios, new buildings, and, er, traffic solutions so you can successfully recreate any city in the world or attempt to solve LA’s infamous traffic problem. Check out some of the best Cities: Skylines mods.

Tropico 6

El Presidente returns, this time to an archipelago where you can manage/rule over multiple islands simultaneously. This city building game charges you with building a city from the ground up, all while dealing with the economic demands of the island, the happiness of your citizens, and keeping paradise afloat on corrupt bargains with overseas allies.

Tropico 6 is all about finding balance in a city that can’t satisfy all factions and residents, as challenges arise from crooked government officials that you’ll need to complete in order to work towards your overall goal, which changes with each scenario.

As you’d expect from a dictatorial city builder, Tropico 6 gives you plenty of choice, but you can expect some brutal consequences if you make the wrong call. If a general election looms, you’ll have the choice to bend the figures or remain squeaky clean, but there’s a trade off between losing the election and having to restart the level or angering internal factions.

Tropico 6’s bombastic presentation belies just how much love and care you’ll need to devote to your regime to keep everyone happy, relatively speaking. Thankfully, the island setting makes it easy to keep tabs on your buildings and notifications whether that’s spotting rebels roaming the streets, or a group of shacks that has sprung up as a signal to build more homes for your citizens.

Aven Colony

Aven Colony transports the humble city builder to a different planet where you’ll face much more challenging obstacles than deciding where best to build your roads. For starters, you’ll have to factor in the challenges posed by all the terrifying new space biomes and the hostile atmosphere.

Instead of creating a new city to entice residents, your main objective is to rebuild humanity, a lofty goal indeed. In doing so, you’ll need to try to adjust to the atmosphere, battle against constant natural disasters, a lack of oxygen (pretty big deal, this one), and even alien lifeforms like gigantic sandworms.

You’ll start out as a governor and rise through the ranks to establish yourself as president of your colony as the rest of the game follows suit, expanding your toolset and testing your abilities by starting off with small goals like building a water pump and escalating all the way to manning a full-scale Starship Troopers-like army.

Aven Colony isn’t just a pure city-building game either, as it mixes in qualities from the best 4X games and strategy games. There’s some light combat and a neat expeditions system that lets you eventually uncover the planet’s history.

Frostpunk

Frostpunk is the kind of city builder that will make you question your own morality over and over again. Your job is to survive a premature ice age in a sheltered steampunk-powered city that was left unfinished before the big freeze took hold. As the leader of a group of survivors, your role is to rebuild the city around a giant heater that constantly needs fuel to keep your denizens safe and healthy.

Like in some of the best survival games, Frostpunk is all about managing resources effectively to keep the city going, and your main concern is keeping the furnace fueled. Unlike other city builders, Frostpunk is about surviving instead of ruling, and it’s a constant juggling act to keep your new citizens happy, while ensuring the city is stocked with food and the furnace is fully operational.

As you might have expected from one of the best apocalypse games Frostpunk isn’t exactly a light-hearted city building game. Death is inevitable in this harsh tundra and you face plenty of difficult decisions just to keep the city going – instead of worrying about structure placement and how everything looks, you need to make the laws that keep your citizens in order, gamble on risky expeditions, and occasionally make an example of a criminal.

Surviving Mars

Much like Frostpunk, Surviving Mars blends survival and city building, albeit on the barren red planet rather than a frozen hellscape. You’ll be armed with all the equipment you need to create a functional, happy city for colonists as you explore Mars’ dusty surface, searching for terrain that can be fertilised so you can continue expanding across the planet.

Unfortunately, there’s no scientist Matt Damon on standby to walk you through the whole process. You’ll be your own botanist, scientist, and city planner as you work to keep your flocking colonists fed and happy – but that’s the least of your problems. Surviving Mars is a little tougher to handle, it requires a lot of attention to ensure citizens have access to oxygen and are protected against impending natural disasters like dust storms and cold waves, but Surviving Mars does a great job at keeping you constantly informed of your city’s progress.

Research and exploration plays a huge role in this survival city builder, letting you massively improve the structures and facilities in your colony so that they match the Asimovian fantasy in your head. Plus, with a thriving mod scene there’s no end to the mad sci-fi colonies you can realise.

Anno 1800

Anno 1800 returns the city building series to its historical roots, positioning you as a company leader in the Industrial Revolution, as you trade and grow your empire from a couple of farms and warehouses to a thriving industrial metropolis that’s the envy of the world. Eventually, you can even attract tourists to one of your many museums or zoos as you transition to the modern world, navigating all the logistical and societal issues that come with such seismic change.

Anno 1800 offers many options on how to play across its campaign, multiplayer, and sandbox modes. Much like in the best 4X games, there are a variety of ways to win Anno 1800, ranging from accruing wealth and investors to attracting visitors and securing diplomatic ties. Pitted against other islands, you’ll need to keep a close eye on your rivals and their world decisions, as you figure out through diplomatic failings and trade how they operate and if they can be trusted.

Apart from monitoring your rivals, you’ll need to keep your workers happy, as you expand trade and grow your company town. There’s even a regular newspaper that makes the rounds affecting population happiness, spreading tales across the land of your city’s successes and failures. Details like this help bring the world of the Industrial Revolution to life, and while Anno 1800 definitely glazes over the grim reality of the era, it’s hard not to get drawn in by its picture perfect vistas and charm.

Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition

Instead of building a city to survive, to dictate, or repopulate, in Age of Empires 2 your main goal is to build your city as a base of operations for your army as you prepare to wage war through the ages. You pick from a number of historical civs and lean into their strengths in order to bring prosperity to your people.

Age of Empires II Definitive Edition reboots the original 1999 game, and although we were already treated to a HD edition in 2013, who says we can’t have even nicer things? If you have fond memories of playing Age of Empires, or if you’re new to the genre, there’s much more to this city builder, than just, er, building cities. Don’t let that put you off though, Age of Empires 2 has plenty of tutorials to aid you along the way.

Related: Check out everything we know about Age of Empires 4

The city building aspect of Age of Empires means creating towns, villages, and eventually morphing them altogether to form cities capable of withstanding the perils of war. It’s not enough to have your townspeople scavenging for supplies and farming the land to keep your civ afloat, you’ll also need to build watchtowers and barricades to defend against enemies, as well as training villagers for war. In Age of Empires 2, the results of creating a functional city reverberates through the ages. Few old games are as fun to play over 20 years later as AoE 2.

SimCity 4

The SimCity series has been around for a good while now, and you can see how much other city building games borrowed from – and in the case of Cities: skylines, improved upon – this incredibly popular city building series. SimCity 4 launched in 2003, and although the game doesn’t offer anything especially innovative to the genre, it’s still a satisfying and challenging contender.

Similar to Cities: Skylines, you’ll only really have one goal, creating your dream city. You have different zones of buildings you can lay down in a grid format, but you can also splash the cash to build intricate road systems or more advanced architecture, and even world wonders. You’ll get prompts as you expand your city, notifying you of your citizens needs as you gradually unlock new features and attract more residents. There’s not too much to think about when it comes to SimCity, but sometimes that can be just want you’re looking for in a city building game.

Mac isn’t a gamer’s go-to platform, due to obvious reasons. But, thanks to some awesome developers and publishing platforms like Steam, Mac users have a decent selection. So, even if you cannot enjoy GTA V on your brand-new MacBook Pro, there are some cool strategy games in Mac.

In this article, we have listed some of the best strategy games for Mac. While some of them are heavy with graphics, some work on low-end devices. We have also mentioned system requirements along with each of the titles.

Most of the games are available via Steam. However, if you are interested, you can find standalone versions as well. Shall we check out the list, then?

Read: 20 Best Simulation Games for Android (2018)

Best Strategy Games for Mac

#1 0 A D

Let’s start with something completely free. 0 A D is an open-source strategy game for Mac. When you start the game, you’re a leader who is up for the challenge. Using the resources around, you have to set up your civilizations and beat down enemies ahead. Quite interestingly, the game brings a battle between 2 different civilizations — one from 500AD and another one from 500BC. It’s still under development and there may be a few bugs. Still, 0 A D is a must-check out.

Price: Free, Open Source

System Requirement: You should have an Intel-based Mac released after 2006

#2 Democracy 3

Democracy 3 is a wonderful political strategy game for Mac. It’s available via Steam and it has lots of extra downloadable content too. One of the popular simulation games too, Democracy 3 wants you to be a leader. The story is set in a western industrialized nation and you have to address all sorts of issues, from crime to climate change. It has a wonderful User Interface that enhances the strategy gaming experience. In this game of politics, each of your decisions matters.

Price: Democracy 3 is priced at $24.99

Good Free Mac Games

System Requirement: 2Ghz Processor, 1GB RAM, 256MB Graphics and 500MB Storage space

#3 XCOM: Enemy Unknown

If you are looking for a strategy game with tactical gameplay, make sure you play XCOM: Enemy Unknown. As the head of a paramilitary organization, you have to protect the world from a potential alien invasion. A graphic-intensive game, you have to take part in on-ground combat, action and strategy. There are also some Role-Playing elements in the game, in case you are interested. The game features a huge number of missions you can keep playing.

Price: XCOM: Enemy Unknown is priced at $29.99

System Requirement: 2GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 20GB Storage, 256MB Video Memory

#4 Civilization V

Civilization V is where you become the ruler of a civilization that travels from old ages to the current one. As you guide the people, you will discover more people and technologies. You have to use your strategies when it comes to building your space as well as combat. It comes with an impressive UI that lets you manage your world easily. You can keep downloading new maps to explore so that you never get bored with Civilization V.

Price: Civilization V is priced at $29.99

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 8GB Storage Space, 256MB Video Memory

#5 StarCraft II

If you want to extend your game to an interstellar scenario, StarCraft II is one of the best strategy games you can get for Mac. Once you have constructed your base, you can start building the army. After that, you have to lead the army to beat the opponents and conquer the galaxy. There are three different races in the game, who play in different modes. It does not matter which one you choose, you need the right strategy to lead your team and win.

Price: StarCraft II is free to play

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, GeForce GT330M or ATI Radeon HD4670 or better, 4GB RAM, 30GB Storage space

#6 This War of Mine

This War of Mine is an awesome Mac game that wants both strategy and survival tactics. Instead of being a super-soldier with weapons, you are made a civilian. Making your way through radars and aimed snipers, it is your duty to protect you and others. The decisions are important here, because you have to keep everyone on the hooks. It comes with impressive graphics and one of the intriguing gameplay experiences. There is additional downloadable content too.

Price: This War of Mine is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo or later, 2GB RAM, 512MB Graphics

#7 Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition

Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition is definitely one of the best strategy games for Mac. It’s set during the early civilization of Rome, where you take up the role of the emperor. From political decisions to action-rich battles, you have to take decisions based on strategy. Versatility is one thing that gamers love about Total War series, and Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition offers better. Every decision matters, depending on what you build at the end of the day.

Price: Total War: Rome II – Emperor Edition is priced at $59.95

System Requirements: 1.7GHz Core i5 or better, 4GB RAM, 25GB Storage Space, 512MB Video Memory

#8 Sproggiwood

Even if you’re not an expert in Finnish mythology, you would love Sproggiwood. It has been packed with an awesome design and storyline. You start off as a farmer but you come across a spirit and a rivalling group of civilization. What happens next depends on your actions and decisions. Sproggiwood lets you nurture various classes and prepare them for battle. It’s a roguelike game and you have the standard features like looting as well as building options.

Price: Sproggiwood is priced at $14.99

System Requirements: 1GHz or faster, 512MB RAM, 350MB Storage Space, Any Graphics Card after 2004

#9 Mount & Blade: Warband

Are you ready to travel towards the throne of Calradia? To do that, you have to prepare your team for never-ending battles and combat. Mount & Blade: Warband is one of the most graphics-rich games for Mac, and it brings 64-player online gaming battles as well. Being a king, you have to take both personal and political decisions, even your marriage. In short, it has some impressive RPG elements too. You should consider this title if you are into high-end gameplays.

Price: Mount & Blade: Warband is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: 1GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8600M / ATI Radeon 2400 or better, 1GB Storage space

#10 Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG

Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG is the perfect combination of strategy and role-playing gaming. Just in case you wanted to be a savior for humanity, sorry. Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG wants you to be the leader of a revolution against humanity. You have to build a robot-based attack team and conquer the silly beings on the earth. Of course, you need to have a proper strategy; otherwise, you fail. The game comes with turn-by-turn tactics, online multiplayer and more.

Price: Robothorium: Rogue-Like RPG is priced at $13.49

System Requirements: 1.3GHz Processor, 2GB RAM and 1.2GB Storage Space

#11 Europa Universalis IV

Europa Universalis IV is a strategy game that takes you through a long period of time. You have to build your civilization and see how it survives the test of time. Compared to other strategy games, Europa Universalis IV offers more freedom for your decisions. As you progress through the large-enough map, you can get used to different systems like trading and commerce. It also offers cross-platform multiplayer games where your strategy and combat are important alike.

Price: Europa Universalis IV is priced at $39.99

System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 6750 / NVIDIA GeForce 320 / NVIDIA GeForce 9600 or higher, 2GB Storage space

#12 Total War: SHOWGUN 2

Another title from the Total War series, Total War: SHOWGUN 2 is set at a period when Japan is struggling through its hard time. You have to be the clan leaders and bring solace, through your political decisions and more. The clan will conquer places and extend the empire to other places, while you have to take the right decisions. Thanks to the larger community, you can play online multiplayer missions as well. This title has an impressive set of graphics and gameplay to offer.

Price: Total War: SHOWGUN 2 is priced at $29.99

Best Free Building Games For Mac Free

System Requirements: 1.8GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB Graphics, 25GB Storage Space

#13 The Banner Saga 2

The Banner Saga 2 is primarily RPG in nature. However, without the right strategy and tactics, you can’t win this game. It’s based on an epic story and each character has something behind the trail. As you move along the timeline, you have to engage in battle and take some worthy decisions. While making sure that Viking clans are completely safe, The Banner Saga 2 wants you to explore sub-plots as well. It’s actually about the story than the gameplay, you know.

Price: The Banner Saga 2 is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: 2GB RAM and 4GB available space

#14 RimWorld

RimWorld is still available as an early-access title on Steam. However, this does not mean that you have to compromise features or performance. When RimWorld starts, you have three characters — survivors — who are struck in an unknown world. Each of these three survivors have different stories to play, you know. That is the best part about RimWorld: it lets you change the story depending on the slight details. If you love a lot of stories that involve strategical playing, RimWorld would never bore you.

Price: RimWorld is priced at $29.99

System Requirements: Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB of RAM, 500MB Space Mac mini 2018 gaming reddit.

#15 Medieval II: Total War

We’d like to conclude this list with another title from the Total War series. Medieval II: Total War is set in a time when bloodthirsty battles were common. When it comes to gameplay, the graphics and choreography get better and better. You can also engage in multiplayer matches via Internet or LAN. One of the best things about this strategy game is its reach itself. You have a huge community of gamers to play with. And, nothing beats a strategy game with a large user-base, you know.

Price: Medieval II: Total War is priced at $19.99

System Requirements: 1.8GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB Graphics, 32GB Storage space

The Bottom Line

Most of these strategy games can work on the current Macs, subject to storage space and performance. So, you can focus on getting a game of your taste instead of worrying about compatibility. Also, if you think you know some other great strategy games for Mac, do let us know via comments.

Read: 20 Best Online Games for Android