Now that Frostpunk 2, Manor Lords, and Cities: Skylines 2 are out, here's a look at what's on the horizon for the city builder genre.
In October 2023, three of the top five most wishlisted games on Steam were all city builders—pretty conclusive evidence that city builders aren’t a niche genre but a mainstream sensation. Exactly one year later, those big three city builders have all come out: Cities: Skylines 2 launched in late 2023, Manor Lords arrived in April (in early access), and Frostpunk 2 released just last month.
I guess the question is: what’s next? With those three heavy hitters now released, are there any games about the mundane thrills of urban planning and precision hedgerow placement left to look forward to?
I’ve been playing these games since SimCity, and I can’t believe how many are hitting Steam every year now—last year alone I played 20 of them. There are still a ton of interesting city builders on the horizon, and several of them are set to arrive before the end of 2024. Here are six city builders due out before the end of this year you should have on your radar, and a few more coming in 2025 and beyond.
Citadelum (October 17, 2024)
Can you build a city so great it will please the gods? That’s not a rhetorical question: in strategy city builder Citadelum the gods will visit your city in person, helping you out if they’re happy and smashing the place up if they’re not.
Nova Roma (TBA 2024)
There are gods in Nova Roma, too, and your city might get struck by lightning or flooded if you anger the wrong Roman deity. Manage complexities like supply chains and waterways while constructing colorful colosseums and basilicas in this beautiful builder.
Beyond These Stars (TBA 2024)
Not every city builder takes place on earth, or even a planet. In Beyond These Stars you’re constructing a civilization on the back of a giant space whale traveling the cosmos. You can explore planets and set up colonies during your journey, as well as manage your relationship with the whale you’re riding, which has its own interests and agendas.
Technotopia (TBA October 2024)
As a futuristic AI in city building card game Technotopia, your job is to build the perfect city. Draw cards, place buildings, and try to maintain a balance between the different factions vying for power. You’ll have to deal with disasters, hackers, and gangs while maintaining order and expanding your city.
Worshippers of Cthulhu (October 21, 2024)
Here’s a twist: instead of dealing with common urban issues like traffic jams, you’ll oversee systems like… well, human sacrifice. That’s because your city is built around the massive tentacles of a dark god you’re hoping to restore to power. Manage your citizens, oversee production chains, and try to create a city so great it’ll awaken the Old One in Worshippers of Cthulhu.
Microtopia (TBA 2024)
What is this? A city for ants? Well, yeah, Microtopia is a city for ants. Robot ants. Build a booming, bustling robot ant colony where instead of roads you lay down pheromones. Manage resources and supply chains, keep your mechanical queen happy, and develop new tech to expand your colony into new regions.
Airborne Empire (January 2025)
Build a massive floating city and explore a dangerous world while harvesting and managing resources. I got my hands on a build of Airborne Empire earlier this year and it’s a massive jump up in scale from Airborne Kingdom, with a much larger world to explore and aerial combat that includes fighter planes, cannons, and even tesla coils.
Kaiserpunk (February 2025)
Kaiserpunk takes the city builder format and merges it with grand strategy. As you build and manage your city, the production chains and supply lines you create will aid your efforts as you navigate a massive global conflict. You’ll need to be more than just a mayor as you use tactics, logistics, warfare, and diplomacy to succeed.
Whiskerwood (TBA)
The endless struggle of cats versus mice, in city builder form. In Whiskerwood you’re firmly on the side of mice, building a city, managing resources and production chains, and exploring the world to discover new islands. Deal with storms and freezing temperatures, lay pipelines and create automation systems, and navigate an uneasy trade relationship with your feline overlords.
Metropolis 1998 (TBA)
Don’t let the chunky retro looks fool you: there’s some serious simulation going on in Metropolis 1998. It’s a city builder where you don’t have to settle for simply placing buildings: you can design and decorate each and every one of them, inside and out. The dev also hopes to add interesting events like bank robberies and zombie outbreaks, and a mode where you can live in the city you build.
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