city skylines
Cities: Skylines is a city-building game developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive. Released in March 2015 for Microsoft Windows, the game allows players to build and maintain a city, zoning areas for residential, commercial and industrial development. The game also features a transport system spanning various modes of transport, from roads and trains to ferries and airports.
The game excels at giving players a tremendous amount of options and freedom in how to build and develop their cities. Players can choose from a wide variety of zones, road types, public services and transit options to create their ideal city layout. The transport system is robust, allowing for efficient or aesthetically pleasing designs, depending on player preference. The simulation mechanics are deep, modeling traffic, utilities, education, pollution and other factors that impact a city’s development.
The interface is user-friendly, guiding players through the major aspects of city management without getting overly complex. The simulation runs quickly, even as cities grow quite large. The visuals, while not photorealistic, provide aesthetic details and visual interest.
The areas for improvement would be more disasters or challenges to liven up the late game, more unique buildings and monuments to decorate cities, and expanded policy or economic systems for players seeking more complexity. But for a casual city-building experience with depth, accessibility and nearly unlimited creative potential, Cities: Skylines stands out as an excellent choice in the genre.