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Cities: Skylines
Simulation
Strategy
Single-player
Steam Achievements
Steam Trading Cards
Steam Workshop
Steam Cloud
Includes level editor
Remote Play on Tablet
Family Sharing

Cities: Skylines is a modern take on the classic city simulation. The game introduces new game play elements to realize the thrill and hardships of creating and maintaining a real city whilst expanding on some well-established tropes of the city building experience.

Developers: Colossal Order
Publishers: Paradox Interactive
Release Date: Mar 10, 2015
Price (USD): $29.99
Current Players: 7k

Links:  Steam Store  SteamDB

Very Positive(93%)
fantastic city-building
engaging gameplay
replayability
strong graphics
modding community
modding necessary
complexity
updates break mods
expensive DLCs
technical issues
poor optimization
traffic management
lack of tutorials
Players generally appreciate Cities: Skylines for its depth, creativity, and engagement in city planning and management. Despite the criticism about the widespread DLC practices, which many find costly and critical for full enjoyment, the game still maintains a strong player base who enjoy its replayability and customization options provided by the modding community. Many players find the game's complexity and necessary reliance on mods to be both an attraction and a barrier, depending on their experience level. Performance issues are a common complaint, highlighting the need for better optimization and stability.

Positive Points

  • Most players find Cities: Skylines to be a fantastic city-building simulation with a great amount of depth and freedom for creativity.
  • Many reviews praise the game's graphics, city management system, and how engaging the gameplay is for city-building enthusiasts.
  • The modding community is a significant highlight with players mentioning that mods significantly enhance the game, offering virtually limitless customization.
  • Players enjoy the sandbox aspect of the game, which allows them to design their dream city and control various aspects of city life, making it addictive for many.
  • The game's longevity and replayability are frequently noted; several players have logged hundreds or even thousands of hours.

    • Negative Points

  • The biggest criticism is towards the numerous DLCs, which many players consider expensive and necessary for accessing the full game experience.
  • Technical issues are frequently mentioned, including poor optimization and performance problems, especially in large cities or on certain platforms like Mac and Linux.
  • Players often criticize the game's traffic management and AI, citing that managing traffic becomes tedious and is not always intuitive.
  • Several reviews mention that the game can be challenging or overwhelming for new players due to a lack of tutorials and in-game guidance.

    • Mixed Points

  • Many players find the game enjoyable but note that it requires mods to fully enjoy, as the base game feels limited without them.
  • The modding community is both a savior for improving gameplay experience and a source of frustration when updates break mod compatibility.
  • The game's complexity is appreciated by experienced players but can be daunting for newcomers, leading to a mixed experience depending on user familiarity.

    • Common Themes

  • The game is addictive, with many players losing track of time while playing.
  • Cities: Skylines provides a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when managing and growing a city successfully.
  • Many reviews compare the game to the SimCity series, generally favorably.
  • The game struggles with technical performance, especially when heavily modded or with large save files.
  • Updates and DLC practices receive criticism for breaking mods and being seen as a revenue strategy that devalues the base game.
    • Updated 5/1/2026, 12:01:57 AM UTC
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