Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines: A city-building simulation centered on services, budgets, traffic, and district policies. Ranked #24 of 98 in PC Games by our editors (7.1/10); pricing: Paid; best for city-building and traffic simulation.
At a glance
- Editor score7.1 / 10
- PricingPaid
- Best forCity-building and traffic simulation
- Free planNo
- Supported OSMultiple
- Facts checked5 Oct 2026
Where it wins
- Balances public services with citywide economic management.
- Traffic and day-and-night simulations shape city activity.
- Steam Workshop supports sharing and downloading maps and structures.
Where it doesn't
- Single-player only, with no online multiplayer.
- Requires paid purchase; no free plan is offered.
- Focused on city construction and management rather than broader game modes.
Our verdict on Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is a single-player city-building and management simulation for players who want to plan urban growth while balancing public services and the economy. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, it lets players build a city from the ground up and manage education, water, electricity, police, fire, and healthcare. Its simulation also covers local traffic, citizen schedules, districts, policies, and a day-and-night cycle that affects activity.
The central draw is how several planning layers interact. Players need to balance the city economy while providing essential services, and local traffic adds another system to consider as the city develops. Districts and policies provide ways to organize and manage different parts of the city. The day-and-night cycle changes citizen schedules and city activity, so the simulation extends beyond laying out buildings and infrastructure. This focus suits players interested in ongoing city management as well as construction.
Steam Workshop adds a community-content path: players can import, share, and download maps and structures. The game is a paid desktop title, and Steam lists it as single-player with no online multiplayer. That makes it a better fit for someone seeking a solo simulation than for buyers looking for cooperative or competitive play. Choose it for city construction, service management, economic balancing, and traffic simulation; look elsewhere if multiplayer is essential or if you want a game centered on a different kind of play.
Cities: Skylines pricing
Cities: Skylines fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Genre | Simulation |
| Single-player | Yes |
| Online multiplayer | No |
| Controller support | Not verified |
| Mod support | Yes |
| Supported OS | Multiple |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Pricing | Paid |
| Website | citiesskylines.com |
| Facts checked | 5 Oct 2026 |
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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