Timberborn review

Timberborn is the most inventive builder on the list and the best reviewed: 96% of 24,599 English Steam reviews are positive. Mechanistry sets it after humanity has gone, with beaver colonies surviving wet, dry and toxic seasons. You choose between two factions, the nature-friendly Folktails or the industrious Iron Teeth, each with its own buildings and technology. The standout system is 3D water physics: you build dams, floodgates and aqueducts, dig canals and tunnels with explosives and reshape the land to store water for droughts. Space is tight, so lodges and workshops stack vertically, linked by platforms, ziplines and tubeways, and later sensors and relays let you automate dams and factories. A map editor and official mod support extend it. It costs $34.99 and runs on Windows and macOS. It sits third because its focus is engineering and survival more than running a human city.

Who it is for

Engineering-minded players who enjoy water management, terraforming and automation.

Price

$34.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

terraforming. Contains high amounts of wood. $34.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Two beaver factions, Folktails and Iron Teeth, with their own buildings and tech
• 3D water physics with dams, floodgates, aqueducts and canals
• Vertical architecture with stacked buildings, platforms, ziplines and tubeways
• Automation with sensors, relays and counters
• Map editor and official mod support

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 96% of 24,599 English Steam reviews are positive, the highest on this list
• Strength: Runs on Windows and macOS with 3 GB of storage
• Strength: Water and terraforming systems give planning puzzles no other pick here has
• Weakness: Beaver colonies, not human cities, which some players will not want
• Weakness: Only one DLC listed on Steam
• Weakness: Seasonal droughts and toxic waves punish loose planning early on

Key facts

• Developer: Mechanistry
• Publisher: Mechanistry
• Released on Steam: March 12, 2026
• Minimum RAM: 8 GB
• English Steam reviews: 96% positive of 24,599

Where it ranks

Timberborn is No. 3 in our Best City Builder Games verdict.