Cities: Skylines (2015)

Developer: Colossal Order Ltd.
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 4.6 of 5, 290,401 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 35 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Building and managing a city from scratch feels creative and methodical, with a relaxing pace that lets you tinker without pressure.

relaxingcreativemethodicalcasualsandboxreal-time with pausemoddablefamily friendly

What players say

Players praise the base game's creative freedom and the vast modding community, though many say it feels bland without DLC and criticize the price of expansions. Some are frustrated by required account logins and the Paradox launcher, but most agree it runs well on older hardware and remains a benchmark for city builders.

Screenshots

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More by Colossal Order

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.