SimCity (Series) AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Simulation Games

The best Simulation Games alternative to SimCity is Cities: Skylines. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Lincity-NG or CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to SimCity and 19 are Simulation Games so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Simulation Games alternatives to SimCity are Tiny Glade, Citystate, Cytopia and Micropolis.

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SimCity alternatives are mainly Simulation Gamess, but if you're looking for City Building Games or Sandbox Games you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux and Android. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to SimCity.
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Alternatives list

  1. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    30 Cities: Skylines alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Steam
    • Playstation
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Xbox
     
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    33
    Comments about Cities: Skylines as an Alternative to SimCity
    Guest
    Positive
    3

    It's got the core mechanics(building, zoning, stats) down flat, and the graphics make it easy for any ole granny to get into it. The graphics are pretty intensive though

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    its just better than simcity

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Citirs: Skylines is not just a alternative to SimCity. In my opnion, it is better! =)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 4 comments
    SimCity Icon
    Cities: Skylines icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Cities: Skylines is a great SimCity alternative.

    • Cities: Skylines is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to SimCity.

    • Cities: Skylines is the most popular commercial alternative to SimCity.

    • Cities: Skylines is Paid and ProprietarySimCity is also Paid and Proprietary
  2. Tiny Glade icon
     10 likes
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    Tiny Glade is a relaxing free-form building game. Tap into the joy of making something pretty with no management, no combat, or wrong answers — just kick back, doodle some castles, and turn forgotten meadows into lovable dioramas.

    36 Tiny Glade alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Steam
    • SteamOS
     
  3. Lincity-NG icon
     9 likes
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    Lincity is a construction and management simulation game, which puts the player in control of managing a city's socio-economy. Its name is a play on the title of the original city-building game, SimCity, and it was released under the GNU General Public License.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    11
    • Almost everyone thinks Lincity-NG is a great SimCity alternative.

    • Lincity-NG is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to SimCity.

    • Lincity-NG is Free and Open SourceSimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  4. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    CSM is a multiplayer mod for Cities: Skylines. This mod aims to provide a simple client-server experience where users can play and build together in a single game. Initially, resources such as money, costs demand will be synced between clients.

    26 CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cities: Skylines
     
    • CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to SimCity.

    • CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer is Free and Open SourceSimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Citystate icon
     1 like
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    Combining the classic city building game experience with advanced macro-economics, Citystate aims to be the most realistic urban simulator ever made. Build the cities of a new Nation and bring about your vision of the ideal society.

    31 Citystate alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Steam
     
  6. Micropolis icon
     9 likes
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    Micropolis is a open city-building simulator game and is based on the original source code of SimCity , which was donated to the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project by Electronic Arts as free and open source software under the terms of the...

    41 Micropolis alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
     
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    1
    Comments about Micropolis as an Alternative to SimCity
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    It is the original source code ported into Java.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    SimCity Icon
    Micropolis icon
    • Micropolis is Free and Open SourceSimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  7. SimCity BuildIt icon
     10 likes
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    Build, craft, and control! SimCity BuildIt is an all-new SimCity game designed just for mobile.

    34 SimCity BuildIt alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    1
    Comments about SimCity BuildIt as an Alternative to SimCity
    Lateefat Mohammed
    0

    If you are not willing to pay to play, forget about this game. You start with a low budget and hardly any way to improve that. It is a great game if you are willing to p2p.

    SimCity Icon
    SimCity BuildIt icon
    • Some users think SimCity BuildIt is a great SimCity alternative, some don't.

    • SimCity BuildIt is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to SimCity.

    • SimCity BuildIt is Freemium and ProprietarySimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  8. Dino Island icon
     2 likes
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    Dino Island (also known as Dino Tycoon) is a PC business simulation game developed by Hasbro Interactive and published by Monte Cristo and PopTop Software.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  9. Citybound icon
     6 likes
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    Citybound is a city building game with a focus on realism, collaborative planning and simulation of microscopic details.

    38 Citybound alternatives

    Cost / License

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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    1
    Comments about Citybound as an Alternative to SimCity
    DGMurdockIII
    Positive
    2

    it still in develpment but open source and if it live up to what dev have set up to do will be very very good game

    SimCity Icon
    Citybound icon
    • Citybound is Free and Open SourceSimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  10. Citytopia icon
     Like
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    Design, build and grow your town into the most extraordinary Citytopia®. Open card packs to build and upgrade all aspects of the city, from buildings to vehicles to the roads themselves. Master the supply chain to transform your city into a thriving metropolis!

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  11. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Create a thriving metropolis by building houses, condos, apartments and skyscrapers to attract residents. Construct businesses and industries for them to work. Add bars, restaurants, theaters, stadiums and more to keep residents happy.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
12 of 19 SimCity alternatives