Summary
City-building is a broad and varied genre of video game, with roots in classics such asSimCity. These games are usually concerned with the managing of economies, happiness, expansion, and the overall construction of a city.
Luckily, for fans of city-builders and indie games alike, there is an abundance of indie titles that fit into the city-building genre. Fromcute and colorfulminimalist games such asMinami Lane, all the way to city-building roguelikessuch asAgainst The Storm, there’s a variety of indie city-builders on offer.
TheSteamWorldgamesare known for their quirky Steampunk setting and iconic robotic characters. Like manySteamWorldgames,SteamWorld Buildis distinctively different from other titles in the franchise.
SteamWorld Buildalso stands out as a city-builder with its dual-layered design. InSteamWorld Build, players must build a frontier Steampunk western town, expanding and managing their industries while balancing resources. However, players must also excavate the ground beneath their town to construct a rocket to leave the planet.
This cute and colorful miniature city-builder takes place on a single street, tasking players with creating a fun and wholesome place for people to live and hang out.MinamiLaneisn’t packed with complexities and hours of content, but the short but sweet experience it offersis consistently cozy.
Minami Laneis a fairly straightforward experience, featuring a mission-based structure that tasks players with completing various objectives. Players will have to pay attention to the wants and needs of their people, butMinami Laneisfrequently relaxing to play, and rarely asks much of the player.
This low-polycastle-building gametasks players with building and managing a burgeoning kingdom. However, players will have to defend it from frequent dragon attacks and Viking raids. These entirely different raid types force players to ensure they’re prepared for both, with no catch-all solution available.
Dragons breathe fire down on vulnerable buildings, which can spread throughout the city without proper fire control. However, Vikings will break in and slaughter the population, even going as far as to kidnap people as they raze the city. When they’re not defending from raids, players will have to worry about their economy, happiness, and even the health of their people.
This combination of city-building and colony-simulation is in Early Access at the time of writing, but already features a variety of mechanics and features that make it worth trying out.Going Medievaltasks players with building and expanding a fortress city as they defend it from various raids.
Going Medievalallows players to build strongholds with ease, featuring intuitive 3D terrain tools that allow for multi-story buildings and terraforming. Players can even redirect the flow of water to create moats, or accidentally flood their own settlement.
This beaver-themed city-builder features two playable factions that encourage different playstyles. What’s unique aboutTimberbornis its focus on vertical construction, water physics, and river control. In fitting with its theme,Timberbornis massively focused on building dams and storing water to prevent drought.
With no enemy factions to worry about defending from,Timberbornis much more focused on creating sustainable cities.Timberborn’s gameplay is deep, but very easy to learn, and the win-lose conditions are clear and easy to understand. This makesTimberborna great city-builder for newcomers and veterans alike.
This old-school-inspired city-building strategy game features unforgiving winters and a focus on battling the elements and harsh environments of its world. Unlike many city-builders,Banisheddoesn’t feature currency or research trees of any kind, instead offering players a stripped-back, resource-focused experience.
Banishedis an extremely unforgiving game, giving players little hand-holding and not being afraid to kick the player while they’re down. The quiet, heavily strategic gameplay ofBanishedwon’t be for everyone, but it’s a consistently rewarding city-builder for those that stick it out.
This dark fantasy city-builder combines classic city-building gameplay with a roguelite structure, perfectly capturing the exciting initial phase of city-builders.Against The Stormdistills the city-builder genre into fast-paced, objective-based missions that task players with building various settlements.
Against The Stormfeatures a distinctive art style that’s somewhat reminiscent ofWarcraftand a streamlined gameplay loop that’s easy to learn but hard to master.Against The Stormcan be unforgiving, but its roguelite structure ensures that players almost always make a little progress.
DotAGEtakes heavy inspiration from resource management and worker-placement tabletop games. The game features a research tree, cute pixel art, and a solid turn-based gameplay loop that rewards strategic thinking.
DotAGEis more of a survival game than an army-buildingor base-defense game, tasking players with building village settlements that are capable of withstanding catastrophic events. The game’s roguelite nature also ensures players experience new mechanics and content on each playthrough, adding a great deal of replay value to the game.
