Cities: Skylines review

Cities: Skylines takes first place because it gives a city planner the most to do for the least money. Paradox and Colossal Order describe a layered simulation where the mayor balances education, water, electricity, police, fire fighting and healthcare against a real city budget, with a detailed local traffic model borrowed from the studio's Cities in Motion games. Districts let you apply different policies to different neighborhoods, and a day and night cycle slows traffic and changes how zones work after dark. Steam Workshop support and a level editor let you import maps and buildings made by other players. The base game costs $29.99, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and 92% of 100,953 English Steam reviews are positive. The catch is the size of its add-on catalog: Steam lists 79 DLC, so collectors can spend many times the base price, and the 2015 graphics look dated next to the sequel.

Who it is for

Players who want a classic modern-city builder with the deepest mod library and modest hardware needs.

Price

$29.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

the city building experience. $29.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Balance education, water, electricity, police, fire, healthcare and the city economy
• Local traffic simulation built on the Cities in Motion series
• Districts with their own policies
• Day and night cycle that changes traffic and citizen schedules
• Steam Workshop and a level editor for maps and buildings

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 92% of 100,953 English Steam reviews are positive, the strongest record among the modern-city picks
• Strength: $29.99 base price, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
• Strength: Minimum spec asks for only 4 GB of storage and a GTS 450 class graphics card
• Weakness: Steam lists 79 DLC, so a full collection costs far more than the base game
• Weakness: Steam lists a broadband connection in the minimum requirements
• Weakness: Released in 2015, so visuals are older than Cities: Skylines II

Key facts

• Developer: Colossal Order
• Publisher: Paradox Interactive
• Released on Steam: March 10, 2015
• Minimum RAM: 8 GB
• English Steam reviews: 92% positive of 100,953

Where it ranks

Cities: Skylines is No. 1 in our Best City Builder Games verdict.