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 Cytopia. 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, CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer, Citystate 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 Free, Open Source, 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. Cities: Skylines icon

    Cities: Skylines

     37 likes

    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

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Steam
    • Playstation
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Xbox
    Cities: Skylines screenshot 1
     
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    4
    Cities: Skylines vs SimCity Comments
    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

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

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

    Best alternative! Beautiful.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    • Cities: Skylines is Paid and ProprietarySimCity is also Paid and Proprietary
  2. Tiny Glade icon

    Tiny Glade

     10 likes

    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

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Steam
    • SteamOS
    Tiny Glade screenshot 1
     
  4. Lincity-NG icon

    Lincity-NG

     9 likes

    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.

    12 Lincity-NG alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Lincity-NG screenshot 1
     
  5. Cytopia icon

    Cytopia

     3 likes

    Cytopia is a free, open source retro pixel-art city building game with a big focus on mods. It utilizes a custom isometric rendering engine based on SDL2.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Cytopia screenshot 1
     
  6. CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer icon

    CSM - Cities: Skylines Multiplayer

     3 likes

    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)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cities: Skylines
     
  7. Citystate icon

    Citystate

     1 like

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Steam
    Citystate screenshot 1
     
  9. Micropolis icon

    Micropolis

     9 likes

    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...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    Micropolis screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Micropolis vs SimCity Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    It is the original source code ported into Java.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Micropolis is Free and Open SourceSimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  10. SimCity BuildIt icon

    SimCity BuildIt

     10 likes

    Build, craft, and control! SimCity BuildIt is an all-new SimCity game designed just for mobile.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    SimCity BuildIt screenshot 1
     
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    1
    SimCity BuildIt vs SimCity Comments
    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 BuildIt is Freemium and ProprietarySimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  11. Dino Island icon

    Dino Island

     2 likes

    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

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  12. Citybound icon

    Citybound

     6 likes

    Citybound is a city building game with a focus on realism, collaborative planning and simulation of microscopic details.

    38 Citybound alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Citybound screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Citybound vs SimCity Comments
    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

    • Citybound is Free and Open SourceSimCity is Paid and Proprietary
  13. Citytopia icon

    Citytopia

     Like

    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
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Citytopia screenshot 1
     
  14. Designer City icon

    Designer City

     1 like

    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.

    33 Designer City alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Designer City screenshot 1
     
12 of 19 SimCity alternatives