Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines is a city-building simulation from Colossal Order. As mayor, you build a city from the first road to a metropolis. Residential areas, commerce, industry, transport routes and public services all interact. Whether your city grows depends not only on new buildings but also on finances, accessibility and supply.

Cities: Skylines was released for PC on Mar 10, 2015. The native console versions followed for Xbox One in April 2017, PlayStation 4 in August 2017 and Nintendo Switch in September 2018. On Feb 15, 2023, the technically enhanced Remastered Edition was released for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The standalone Expanded Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 was released on Oct 28, 2026. It expands the buildable area to 25 tiles and adds extra tools as well as ten included expansions and content packs.

The PC version runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Native console versions were released for Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, there is the standalone Remastered Edition.

Since Oct 28, 2026, the Expanded Edition is also available natively for Nintendo Switch 2. It differs from the older Switch version with 25 buildable tiles instead of nine, enhanced graphics options and additional planning tools. This is not just a backward compatibility feature.

You start by laying out roads and zoning residential, commercial and industrial areas. Then power, water, healthcare and waste disposal must work. As the population grows, new traffic flows, needs and funding questions emerge. The simulation responds to your planning and management instead of following a linear campaign.

The Cities: Skylines DLC library includes major game systems and smaller content. After Dark adds nightlife, Snowfall adds winter conditions, Industries adds production chains, and Airports lets you plan your own airport areas. There are also map packs, buildings created by community artists, and radio stations. The content included varies by platform and edition.

According to Steam, the Windows version requires at least 8 GB RAM and 4 GB of free storage. 16 GB RAM is recommended. Steam also offers Cities: Skylines for macOS and Linux.

A city only works if people and goods reach their destinations. Intersections, road hierarchies and connections to external transport routes affect traffic flow. Bus, tram and subway lines can also ease the pressure on private traffic. Traffic jams hold back not only commuters but also deliveries and city services.

Residential, commercial and industrial zones are designated along roads. Dividing the city into districts lets you manage different neighbourhoods separately. This way, residential areas, shopping streets and industrial zones can take on different roles. The specific planning affects routes, pollution and the city's growth.

Power and water are only the beginning. As the population grows, schools, healthcare, police, fire services, waste collection and other services become more important. Every facility needs space and funding. Poor access or a lack of capacity can slow a city's development.

On Feb 15, 2023, Cities: Skylines – Remastered was released natively on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Alongside improvements to graphics and controls, the buildable area was expanded from nine to up to 25 tiles. A map editor and additional tools are also included. The Remastered Edition should be distinguished from the older PS4 and Xbox One versions.

Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition has been available for Nintendo Switch 2 since Oct 28, 2026. The version developed by Tantalus Media offers 25 buildable tiles instead of nine, a map editor, mouse and keyboard controls and more precise placement tools. You can also adjust time of day, rain, fog and the environment's colour scheme.

You can choose between a performance mode with upscaling and a target of 60 FPS, or a mode focused on image quality with a target of 30 FPS. These figures are the manufacturer's targets and not independently measured frame rates.

The edition includes ten additional content packs, including After Dark, Snowfall, Green Cities, Sunset Harbor, Map Pack 3 and Match Day. Support for German on-screen text and TV, tabletop and handheld modes is listed on the Nintendo Store.

City finances combine taxes and operating costs. Budgets decide how much is spent on municipal facilities. Policies can apply to different districts and affect the development of individual neighbourhoods.

Bus, tram and subway lines can bundle commuter flows. The Mass Transit expansion adds further transport options such as ferries and monorails. Route planning and transfer points remain key tasks in transport planning.

On PC, the city-building simulation can be expanded with buildings, maps and mods from the community. Steam Workshop and Paradox's mod platform make sharing easier. Consoles do not offer the same free modding tools.