PC has its fair share of city-building games, but if you swear by your console, you might be looking for the best games for Xbox or even the PS5. Today, we focus on the former. Fortunately, a lot of options exist that make it worth your time. So if you’re looking for the best city building games for Xbox, keep reading to know them all here!
1. Frostpunk
- Developer(s): 11-bit Studios
- Release Date: October 11, 2019
The first and probably one of the best city building games on Xbox is also one of my selections for for the best city-builder games for PC. Frostpunk is a post-apocalyptic city-building game where you lead a settlement through extreme cold weather conditions.
With resources scarce and people dying from frostbite, your goal is to keep your settlement warm by running the steam engine at all times. However, the real horror comes from the fact that you’ll have to make some cruel decisions as the ruler to ensure your colony’s survival. This includes passing vicious orders, and deciding who gets to live and die. So for one of the best and harshest city building games on Xbox, consider Frostpunk.
2. Tropico 6
- Developer(s): Limbic Entertainment
- Release Date: March 31, 2022
Tropico 6 is an island ruler simulator-slash-city building game where you play as the president of an island country. Think Cuba, but instead, it is a fictional island. The game’s goal is simple – create your island empire, connect it with the rest of the world through trading, and grow it to a mega empire. How you rule it all is on you.
You can either be a ruthless dictator or the people’s president. Without a doubt, Tropico 6 will keep you busy and deserves its spot in our best Xbox City builder games list.
3. Surviving Mars
- Developer(s): Haemimont Games
- Release Date: March 15, 2018
Surviving Mars taps into the unique sub-niche of gamers who have always dreamed of conquering the planet Mars. Surviving Mars allows you to live your Mars Colonist dreams if you are a sci-fi fan.
The game lets you choose from various structures, creating multiple zones, and each playthrough holds secrets to uncover across the planets. For players who love the works of Asimov and retrofuturism, you’ll surely dig this city building game for Xbox.
4. Endzone: A World Apart
- Only Available on Xbox Series X/S
- Developer(s): Gentlymad Studios
- Release Date: May 19, 2022
Post-apocalyptic city-building games are still a minor sub-genre among the broad city-building games. However, when Endzone arrived, it tried to shake things up, becoming one of the best city builders to try this on PC and even on consoles like Xbox.
The goal is straightforward – you’ve left your bunker with other settlers after a post-apocalyptic fallout, and now it is up to you people to revive the earth. Create a thriving settlement and survive through various seasons of drought, toxic rains, sandstorms, etc. To be fair, it does give off some Fallout TV Show vibes, doesn’t it?
5. SteamWorld Build
- Developer(s): The Station
- Release Date: July 25, 2017
The SteamWorld universe is a relatively long-running indie project that has spawned some of the best games. We’ve had tactical turn-based shooters and a platforming digging game. Finally, we received an old-west-inspired city building in the guise of SteamWorld Build!
You create your bustling old-west town, managing resources while digging underground for riches. There’s also some light tower defense, so if you enjoy these features, you should give SteamWorld Build a chance. Who knows, you just might find it to be one of the best city building games for your Xbox console.
6. Aven Colony
- Developer(s): Mothership Entertainment
- Release Date: November 22, 2021
Another sci-fi city-builder, Aven Colony, requires you to build a futuristic city on Aven Prime. With various biomes and aliens roaming the planet, it is up to you to fend off the troubles of this alien planet and create a thriving colony for humanity. The game also features a complete day/night and season cycle to amp up the pressure!
7. Before We Leave
- Developer(s): Balancing Monkey Games
- Release Date: December 1, 2023
Set in a relatively comfortable corner of the universe, Before We Leave lets you build your dream city after the settlers finally emerge on the surface, leaving the underground. You do the usual tasks a typical city-builder world requires while protecting your citizens from ancient beings guarding the galaxy. It is one of the coziest entries on this Xbox City builder list, and I hope you try it.
8. Kingdoms and Castle
- Developer(s): Lion Shield
- Release Date: March 16, 2023
A medieval city building game, Kingdoms and Castles, is about growing your humble town into a grand kingdom rife with sprawling cities and castles. You design your town to improve your peasant’s happiness and keep progressing from that point onwards. In a dynamic world, fortify your village from outside interference and keep growing it to its glory moments.
9. Anno 1800
- Only available on Xbox Series X/S
- Developer (s): Ubisoft Blue Byte
- Release Date: April 14, 2023
The latest entry in the long-running Anno series, Anno 1800, puts you in the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, letting you create your thriving settlement through any means possible. You can become a conqueror or someone who liberates others.
You can either be an innovator, develop a flourishing settlement of rich ideas, or be someone exploiting others. The decision is yours to make, and while you make it, you can enjoy your visually impressive settlement.
10. Urbek City Builder
- Developer(s): Estudios Kremlinois
- Release Date: July 13, 2022
Urbek is the final entry on our list of the best Xbox City building games. We’ve featured it in our PC builder list, like a few others here. It is what you’d expect from any old city building. You can zone regions, gather resources, build towns, and build education centers to advance your city.
It is a solid, simple city builder for people wanting to enter this genre. While not the most advanced among the lost, that’s exactly where it appeals like and we love it for that!
And these are the city building games for Xbox you must play right now! Have more recommendations for us? Let us know in the comments below!
