Welcome The Next Big City-Building Games

by

City building games are a classic genre, almost as old as gaming itself! Even with all the advances in technology and graphics over the years, they’re still incredibly popular. The basic idea – starting small and growing into a huge city – hasn’t changed much, but the details have been improved, giving players more freedom and control than ever before.

City-building games have become much more diverse recently. Developers are experimenting with fresh settings and concepts, letting players create cities in innovative and unexpected environments. As we approach the end of 2025, there are many promising new city-building games coming out, offering something for everyone – whether you’re eager for a sequel to a favorite or a completely original experience.

Anno 117: Pax Romana

Building Out The Roman Empire

As a huge fan of city-building games, I’m really excited about Anno 117: Pax Romana! It’s the next installment in a series that’s basically defined the genre for years. This time, we get to build a Roman empire, and it looks incredible. They’ve really focused on the details – everything from how much you tax people to keeping your citizens happy actually matters as you grow. And the graphics? Seriously stunning. The trees actually move in the wind, the water looks amazing, and the buildings have textures that make the whole world feel so real. I can’t wait to jump in!

The game offers a lot of strategic complexity beyond simply building structures. Players can unlock improvements that affect everything from how quickly resources are gathered to how effective their armies are. They can also choose a god to worship on each island, gaining unique benefits based on their choice. Visually and mechanically, this game is a significant improvement over previous installments and looks set to be the most polished and comprehensive Anno game yet.

Drownlight

Protect The Light At All Costs

  • Release Date: Coming Soon
  • Developer: Fathomlight
  • Platforms: PC

I’m really hooked on this game called Drownlight. It’s a city-builder where you’re trying to survive in a world completely covered in water! You start with just a lighthouse, and slowly build up a colony to try and save what’s left of humanity. It’s tough though – the weather is brutal, and there’s this constant darkness you have to fight against. What’s really interesting is that you have to make hard choices about who to help and who to sacrifice, because those decisions shape the future of your colony. It’s a lot about managing resources and deciding what kind of world you want to build.

The game shares similarities with city-builders like Frostpunk, particularly its focus on a central hub. Players must carefully balance expansion with maintaining a unified community. Success depends on both smart planning and difficult choices, as you’ll need to manage limited resources to ensure humanity survives. Sometimes, tough decisions will have to be made that may lead to citizen deaths, all in the hope of securing a better future for everyone else.

Citystate Metropolis

Bigger, Better, And More Detail Than Ever

  • Release Date: Q1 2026
  • Developer: Andy Sztark
  • Platforms: PC

Citystate Metropolis is the newest game in the Citystate series, and it’s designed to give players complete freedom to build the city they’ve always imagined. There are no building restrictions – you can reshape the land, build highways over water, and customize every detail of your structures. The game offers incredible customization options, letting you choose colors, textures, road types, and building materials. These choices even affect things like maintenance and construction costs, adding depth and complexity to the gameplay.

The people in these cities now feel incredibly lifelike thanks to improved AI, making the game world vibrant and believable instead of feeling empty. With a strong focus on realistic simulation and powerful new creation tools, Citystate Metropolis is shaping up to be not just the best game in the series, but also a standout city builder – one that genre fans will want to watch closely in the months ahead.

Tropico 7

El Presidente Is Back At The Helm

Tropico 7 brings back the popular strategy game, letting you build and govern your own island nation. While the game focuses on ruling – sometimes firmly – it’s actually quite challenging. You’ll need to balance the needs of your people and pursue grand ambitions to make your nation thrive. With more maps, scenarios, and a random map generator, Tropico 7 offers plenty of content and opportunities to live out your dictator dreams.

The Tropico series is known for its playful and satirical take on city-building, and the latest installment continues that tradition. Players have extensive control, allowing them to manipulate political opponents and rig elections to their advantage. The game emphasizes creativity, offering more customization options for both your capital city and your leader. This extends to gameplay, letting you embrace the role of an eccentric dictator in a way that’s truly unique among games.

Beyond These Stars

Creating A Civilization On The Back Of A Space Whale

  • Release Date: 2025
  • Developer: Balancing Monkey Games
  • Platforms: PC

Beyond These Stars is a stunning and detailed simulator where you journey through space riding on the back of a colossal whale. You begin with a dream: to build a thriving new civilization. To succeed, you’ll need to create a self-sufficient city that caters to the needs of its diverse population, providing everything from basic necessities to jobs and homes. The whale itself serves as a customizable world, letting you shape the landscape – forests, mountains, valleys, and plains – to perfectly match your vision.

I’m completely captivated by how this game’s city actually moves through space – it’s not static at all! As it travels, it opens up incredible new places to explore. You can even unlock nearby planets for resources and build whole networks of outposts for transportation. But here’s the thing: Kewa, this massive whale the city travels on, might just leave, and won’t come back. So, you really need to forge a strong bond with it if you want to survive the journey through the vast unknown. It feels so dynamic and a little bit urgent, which I love!

Read More

2025-11-11 23:06