For some people, one of the best aspects of a game is the ability to shape the world within the game. The actions that the player takes, whether it's as a character or as themselves, impact the game world in some way, sometimes for the better and other times for the worse.
That's part of the reason that city-builder games are so popular, it allows anyone to create their own little society from the ground up and choose just about every aspect of it, from the buildings to its citizens. At first glance, city-builders might seem a little too complicated, but there are several titles that are perfect for anyone just starting out.
6 Anno 1800
Anno is a historical city-building series with players setting up colonies and expanding into the New World. Each title is a standalone game and for a brief time, the Anno series deviated from being set in the past to set in the future with Anno 2070 and Anno 2205. But the lasted game in the series takes Anno back to its roots with Anno 1800. Taking place during the dawn of the Industrial Age, Anno 1800 introduces several new things like tourism and the effects of industrialization.
Players have to build factories to keep up with the needs of their citizens, but each factory built affects the city's 'attractiveness rating' and raises its pollution. Balancing industrialization with keeping their cities places that will make both citizens and tourists happy provides an interesting challenge. Still, with the new blueprint mode, both beginner players and pros can plan out the construction of their city without wasting materials or money. The blueprint will even stay on their city map for later construction if the player doesn't have enough resources to begin construction.
5 Frostpunk
For those that want a city-builder that's a little more serious and with greater stakes, Frostpunk might be the game for them. A survival city builder, Frostpunk takes place in a world of eternal snow and cold. The player is tasked with building the last city on Earth and caring for the giant generator that's at the heart of the city, that is also integral to everyone's survival. Every choice, no matter how big or small, could change the course of survival for the city and its people, so players must think wisely.
Establishing the law of the land and deciding whether to be a benevolent or ruthless ruler will shape the player's city. Frostpunk has an Endless Mode that has three different ways to play; Builders, Serenity, and Endurance. Endurance puts players in the harshest conditions to test their skills and decision-making, while Builders doesn't give the players the generator, giving them a challenge right off the bat. And Serenity is a "peaceful" mode where players can just focus on and enjoy building without any pressure.
4 Tropico 6
Tropico 6 is the newest installment in the popular city-builder series. Tropico has always been a bit more humorous and lighthearted, even with the huge political component of the games. That continues in Tropico 6 as players can decide what type of "El Presidente" they want to become. For the first time in the series, players can manage large archipelagos by using different infrastructures, and different means of transportation to connect their islands.
Players can decide whether they want to be benevolent leaders or ruthless dictators as they create and grow their islands through four different eras. There are tons to do from managing citizens to sending agents out to raid foreign lands for treasures, beginners to the game genre will find themselves spending several hours per session. And, despite the game's depth, beginners will have an easy time building their regimes from the ground up with the helpful in-game guide to missions.
3 Surviving Mars
For beginners who want to get into city builders but aren't interested in the typical real-world setting of this genre of game, Surviving Mars might be the game for them. Instead of being set on Earth in the past or modern times, players are tasked with colonizing the planet Mars in this sci-fi city-builder. Players have to build domes and infrastructures that are vital to surviving on Mars as any mistakes made could make the difference between life and death for the colonists.
But building the infrastructures for the colonies is fairly simple; tubes are used to transport water and oxygen, power lines are needed to power the dome, tunnels can connect domes that are close to one another and shuttles can be used to allow colonist to travel to further destinations. The game also has an in-depth tutorial that's worth actually playing through.
2 Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is probably one of the most well-known city builders around. Some fans of it will even say it is the city-builder game of city-builders. As the major of the city, the player has the freedom to build it in any way they want. They can place just about whatever they want, where ever they want with little to no consequences or restrictions to how they want their city to run.
And for players who find themselves wanting something different from the usual gameplay, there are several DLCs available to buy that will bring in new gameplay, like Cities: Skylines - Natural Disasters that brings in several different catastrophes for players to see their city through.
1 Banished
Banished is probably the best city-builder game for beginners. Controlling a group of exiled travelers, players are in charge of starting their new life in a new land. Where other city builders have skill trees to worry about and finances to manage, Banished has neither of those. The primary resource of the game is the townspeople.
The key to creating a successful territory is to ensure that they are healthy and happy and that they provide goods and services that make the town succeed. There are many different ways to play as each map is different and certain resources might be more scarce than others. Banished is a great jumping point for a beginner as they can figure out what aspect of city-building games they like and find others based on those preferences.