City builder games are the coolest, allowing users to build an entire civilization with their fingertips. It’s up to them how they build and where they build the city of their dreams.
City builder games are one of the most unique genres as gameplay is more about planning and plotting the right moves and solving some complex problems that keep players from building their ideal city.
The 2000s were the golden age when it came to city building games. There were just too many good city builder titles released one after the other in the late 90s and early 2000s.
It’s hard to pick the best, but here’s a list of a few that everyone should try at least once!
Five 2000s city building games that are evergreen classics
1) Civilization IV (2005)
Civilization IV was the fourth major title in the popular Sid Meier’s Civilization series. This particular city building game offers the Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate model, also known as the 4X model of strategy games.
The title gives users 18 different cultures to launch their campaigns. In Civilization IV, players start with a small settlement in 4000 BCE. Their goal is to transform the humble settlement into one of the most advanced realms as gamers progress through the ages into the future.
This particular city building game is much more advanced than the previous Civilization editions in terms of graphics and how the military units fight.
It has some pretty cool goals for the users to achieve. One of those great missions to achieve the cultural victory goal is to be the first civilization to send a spaceship to the Proxima Century star system.
All in all, Civilization IV is a fun turn-based strategy game where they can spend hours.
2) Sim City 4 (2003)
SimCity 4 is a city-building game in which players can be the mayor of a small town, with the task of expanding it and making it the bustling city of their dreams. Part of the fan-favorite SimCity series, it brought new gameplay possibilities to the city-builder genre, setting new standards for future city-builder games.
It’s been almost a few decades since the release of SimCity 4, and it’s still one of the best city-building games. It has an easy-to-use UI and the builder panel doesn’t feel like a complicated toolbox to handle as it often does in city building games.
SimCity 4 is one of the best titles for city builders to improve the planning and management skills of gamers. It is challenging enough and requires some troubleshooting as they go along to build the city of their dreams.
3) Anno 1404 (2009)
Anno 1404 is an underrated city builder game that has expanded small scale maps from older city builder games to the global scale. Players are initially given control of a small European fief, part of a larger empire. Their goal is to establish a stronghold within the greater nation.
The game is inspired by the social structure in Europe during the late Middle Ages. It is full of quests as users not only have to build a city but also enjoy cool side missions.
4) Zeus: Master of Olympus (2000)
Zeus: Master of Olympus is a unique city building game that takes the idea of gamers playing god and managing a city one step further. It takes place in ancient Greece where they have to build the strongest city.
The goal of the player is to protect the cities from occasional attacks from monsters and other gods of Greek mythology. Although it was released in 2000, Zeus: Master of Olympus was ahead of its time in terms of detail and graphics.
5) Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile (2000)
Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, developed by Breakaway Games, is the expansion pack of the popular city-building game Pharaoh (1998), released in 2000.
Pharaoh is a historical city building game as it was the first title in video game history to introduce the concept of building monuments. This mechanic later diversified and gave rise to various city building games of the future.
Just like in the original game, Pharaoh, in Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile, players evolve from low-ranking official to the pharaoh. The game introduces 15 new campaign missions in the original title.
This particular expansion pack of the fan-favorite city builder game introduced several new changes to the engine level, improving the overall experience of building monuments and transporting troops for users. It’s definitely one of the classic titles for city builders to try out this summer.
In addition to the release of some genre-defining city-building games, the 2000s were also an excellent decade for simulation games, as seen below.
Five simulator games of vices that will never grow old
1) Sims 2 (2004)
Sims 2 is a live simulation video game that has redefined the entire simulation genre. As a sequel to the first Sims game, players can customize their characters, create their families and homes, and micro-manage their lives.
Unlike its predecessor, Sims 2 offered an open ending to the story of each character designed. In the title, users have to manage their lifestyle and fulfill the desires and life goals of the Sim characters.
It’s a fun title where gamers can spend several hours micromanaging the Sim characters without getting bored.
2) Sims 3 (2009)
Sims 3 has everything in a simulation game for gamers who love micro-management. It is full of surprises and hundreds of interactive elements with other Sim characters are present which sets it apart from its competitors.
One of the features of the game is to customize almost any character that the player wants to create. It was so good that it beat its predecessor in almost all aspects of gameplay except for the graphics quality.
Sims 3 can easily go down as one of the best role-playing simulation titles ever made. Even though it’s been over a decade since its release, the title offers plenty of fun quests to revisit.
3) Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (2004)
The third installment in the Roller Coaster Tycoon series, Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 took the popular construction and management simulation franchise to the next level. It gave users cool features like CoasterCam, which allowed them to ride roller coasters.
Unlike previous editions of the Roller Coaster Tycoon series, guests come in specific groups, such as adults and teens. They have different requirements, and it’s up to the players to manage them on a micro level and keep them happy.
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 was really an advanced construction and management simulation title for its time as it gave gamers a full 3D view of their amusement parks, a feature not available in other business simulation games of the time.
4) Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004)
Developed by Blue Fang Games and published by Microsoft, Zoo Tycoon is a series of business simulation games that allow users to build, manage and expand an entire zoo from scratch. It allows them to bring and care for exotic animals from all over the world belonging to different wildlife habitats.
This particular simulation title was not only very easy to play and fun, but also very informative and educational.
After the huge success of the first Zoo Tycoon game, the franchise released Zoo Tycoon 2 in 2004. The franchise is all about keeping happy employees, taking care of wildlife and keeping them happy and entertained at all costs. zoo visitors.
Later in the decade, Zoo Tycoon 2 released several other interesting expansion packs, including Zoo Tycoon: Marine Habitat (2006), Son Tycoon: Extinct Animals (2009), and many more.
5) Euro Truck Simulator (2008)
Created by SCS Software, Euro Truck Simulator is a unique truck simulation game that allows players to drive through a huge open world inspired by the real geography of Europe.
The objectives of the game are simple enough: bring the cargo from point A to point B in the open world. Users start with a single truck and can initially only transport goods from the base country the users choose to start their campaign.
The Open World in Euro Truck Simulator includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
As the game progresses, gamers unlock better trucks and more playable lands where they can perform truck operations. It really manages to give an authentic experience of driving a truck, and the best part is that the game simulations maintain real distances.
Note: This article reflects the opinion of the author.
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