City Builder

About the game

City Builder is a simulation and strategy game you play in the browser, where you build a city from scratch. On a 32 by 32 tile map with land and water, you lay out roads, set residential, commercial and industrial zones, connect power and water and watch the population grow.

The city responds to your choices. Each zone type has its own demand, buildings only grow with a road next to them and power coverage (and water, for homes), traffic can clog the streets and industry pollutes. Schools, parks, police stations and fire stations, unlocked as the population grows, raise residents' happiness.

Money comes from the taxes on each zone, which you set from 0% to 30%, and goes out on upkeep for roads and services. There is no end and no defeat: your score is the number of residents, and the city passes milestones that run from Campsite to Metropolis.

If you enjoy growing a realm at a relaxed pace, also see Realms and other simulation games.

How to play

1. Pick a tool from the bar and click or drag on the map. Road, zones and Bulldoze accept dragging; services are placed with a click.
2. Lay roads and zone the plots next to them as residential, commercial or industrial. Buildings grow by themselves over time, up to three levels.
3. Place a Power plant and a Water station next to a road. They cover houses within a radius of 12 tiles, and each one serves up to 150 built tiles.
4. Follow demand, happiness, money and alerts in the panel, and adjust taxes with the three sliders.
5. Use Inspect to see what is on each tile, and the speed (pause, 1x, 2x, 3x) to speed up or think calmly.
6. Use Save to keep the city and Continue where I left off to return to it. New city generates another map.

Game modes

• 1 player. A single-player game with no set ending: you build and tune the city at your own pace, with pause and three speeds, and you can save and continue later.

Tips

• Start with short roads, a few homes, a power plant and a water station. Zones without power (or without water, for homes) do not grow.
• Commerce and industry create jobs and homes create workers. If jobs run short, happiness falls, so balance the zones by watching demand.
• Industry pollutes within a radius of 4 tiles. Parks reduce pollution around them, so place them between the factories and the homes.
• Schools, parks, police stations and fire stations unlock at 100, 100, 250 and 400 residents, respectively.
• If the treasury goes negative, happiness drops. Raise taxes gradually or cut expensive services before the city stops growing.

Frequently asked questions