30 Sandbox games like Cities: Skylines II that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

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We filtered the 41 games similar to Cities: Skylines II down to the 30 that fit the “Sandbox” category. House Flipper, Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Cities: Skylines II.

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GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

The best sandbox games like Cities: Skylines II

30 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Cities: Skylines II. Each one has been evaluated across 14 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1House FlipperClosest overall match

iRank75

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerRelaxingCasualNarrativeSandbox WorldOpen WorldManagementBase Building

Steam👍 94%· 109KRAWG👍 76%· 351MC62IGDB62· 4OC62· 27

Year 2018Dev Ultimate Games · PlayWayPlaytime ~7hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are city builders — sharing deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe relaxing

≠ Its own twist: visual first person and visual 3d, while skipping exploration and discovery

House Flipper is a unique chance to become the one-man renovating crew. Buy, repair and upgrade devastated houses. Give them a second life and sell at a profit! At your disposal is a collection of tools and parts.

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: visuals.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100World100Progression97Visuals0

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerCasualRelaxingNarrativeSandbox WorldManagementBase BuildingIsometric

Steam👍 91%· 72KRAWG👍 74%· 294MC83IGDB83· 12OC85· 58

Year 2016Dev Frontier DevelopmentsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, visual third person and visual 3d, while skipping open world exploration

Surprise, delight and thrill crowds as you build the theme park of your dreams. Build and design incredible coaster parks with unparalleled attention to detail and manage your park in a truly living world. Piece-by-Piece Construction: Planet Coaster makes a designer out of everyone.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Progression97World93Visuals68

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Steam

#3Planet ZooClosest on progression

iRank85

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldOpen WorldManagementBase BuildingExploration

Steam👍 91%· 95KRAWG👍 82%· 135MC81OC81· 67

Year 2019Dev Frontier DevelopmentsPlaytime ~5hOn PC

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping strong narrative focus

Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim, featuring authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Tone74

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Steam

#4TownscaperClosest on visuals

iRank86

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingNarrativeSandbox WorldOpen WorldBase BuildingExplorationIsometric

Steam👍 95%· 21KIGDB80· 1OC73· 16

Year 2020Dev Oskar Stålberg · Raw FuryOn Xbox · Android · PC

✓ Both are city builders — sharing sandbox freedom, deep simulation and vibe casual

≠ Its own twist: cozy, relaxing feel and procedural generation, while skipping multiplayer gameplay

Genre100Visuals100Progression81Tone80Game mode78World74

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerCasualSandbox WorldManagementBase BuildingIsometric

Steam👍 89%· 73KRAWG👍 72%· 587MC83IGDB81· 12OC80· 62

Year 2015Dev Double Eleven · Introversion SoftwarePlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, visual 2d and visual topdown, while skipping vibe relaxing

Prison Architect is a person construction and management simulator developed by Introversion Software. It is a two-dimensional top-down simulator where it is the player's responsibility to build new prison blocks, cells, facilities, manage the staff such as wardens, guards and so on.

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: tone and visuals.

It predates Cities: Skylines II by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Progression98World93Tone41Visuals41

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Steam GOG Epic

#6shapez

iRank96

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualSandbox WorldOpen WorldBase BuildingManagementExplorationIsometric

Steam👍 96%· 15K

Year 2020Dev Tobias Springer · PrismatikaOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Same family of city builders: sandbox freedom, deep simulation and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, procedural generation and crafting mechanics, while skipping vibe relaxing

Do you like automation games? Then you are in the right place! shapez is a relaxed game in which you have to build factories for the automated production of geometric shapes. As the level increases, the shapes become more and more complex, and you have to spread out on the infinite map.

Genre100World84Progression83Game mode78Visuals77Tone65

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Steam GOG Epic

#7Space Colony: Steam Edition

iRank78

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloNarrativeOpen WorldSandbox WorldBase BuildingManagementExplorationIsometric

Steam👍 80%· 658MC74IGDB77· 3

Year 2015Dev FireFly StudiosPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings cozy, relaxing feel, setting space and setting scifi, while skipping vibe relaxing

Half way across the galaxy with limited resources, a mega corporation looking over your shoulder and a ragtag crew expecting a pay cheque, it's up to you to survive and turn a profit. You have a base to build and hostile alien threats to neutralise, but ignore your crew and the colony is doomed.

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: tone.

It predates Cities: Skylines II by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100World100Progression100Game mode77Visuals67Tone32

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Steam GOG

#8Jurassic World Evolution

iRank80

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloNarrativeSandbox WorldOpen WorldManagementBase BuildingExplorationIsometric

Steam👍 87%· 55KIGDB74· 13OC71· 99

Year 2018Dev Frontier Developments · Universal PicturesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and setting scifi, while skipping vibe relaxing

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: tone.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals100Game mode78Tone27

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualNarrativeSandbox WorldManagementBase BuildingIsometric

Steam👍 91%· 4.4KRAWG👍 79%· 70IGDB90· 1

Year 2016Dev Raylight Games · Toplitz ProductionsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Where it differs: brings setting cartoon, crafting mechanics and visual topdown, while skipping vibe relaxing

BUILD UP YOUR OWN GAMES EMPIRE Form your own game studio in the early 1980s starting in a small garage. Develop your own game concepts, create a team and develop megahit video games. Research new technologies, train your staff, upgrade your offices, moving up to bigger and better locations.

Genre100World91Progression84Tone79Game mode78Visuals66

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Steam GOG Xbox

#10Tropico 5

iRank77

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerSandbox WorldBase BuildingExplorationManagementIsometric

Steam👍 79%· 14KIGDB72· 14OC76· 52

Year 2014Dev Haemimont Games · Kalypso MediaOn PS4 · Linux · PC

✓ Both are city builders — sharing deep simulation, sandbox freedom and sandbox world

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, historical setting and co op, while skipping vibe relaxing

It predates Cities: Skylines II by 9 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Visuals100World92Progression91Game mode66

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationBase Building

Steam👍 92%· 44KIGDB70· 10OC75· 70

Year 2019Dev Pathea Games · Team17On PS4 · Android · PC

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and survival mechanics, while skipping strong narrative focus

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: visuals.

Genre100World100Game mode78Tone62Progression56Visuals0

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Steam GOG Epic

#12Rusty's Retirement

iRank97

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldManagementBase BuildingIsometric

Steam👍 97%· 15K

Year 2024Dev Mister Morris GamesPlaytime ~18hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the city builders cluster, with deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with cozy, relaxing feel, fantasy world and setting scifi, while skipping strong narrative focus

Rusty's Retirement is an idle-farming simulator designed to sit at the bottom of your screen allowing you to work on other tasks while caring for your farm! Grow crops: Plant crops and watch Rusty get to work as he waters, nurtures, and harvests.

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: visuals.

Genre100Progression97World92Game mode77Tone68Visuals46

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Steam

#13Dyson Sphere Program

iRank93

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloOpen WorldSandbox WorldBase BuildingExplorationManagementEarly Access

Steam👍 98%· 91KRAWG👍 85%· 84

Year 2021Dev Youthcat Studio · Gamera GamePlaytime ~8hOn PC

✓ Same family of city builders: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and open world exploration

≠ Stands apart with setting space, setting scifi and visual 3d, while skipping vibe relaxing

Dyson Sphere Program is a sci-fi simulation game with space, adventure, exploration and factory automation elements where you can build your own galactic industrial empire from scratch. In the distant future, the power of science and technology has ushered a new age to the human race.

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: visuals.

Genre100World100Progression100Game mode72Visuals0

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Steam

#14shapez 2 - Factory

iRank97

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloCasualRelaxingSandbox WorldManagementBase BuildingEarly Access

Steam👍 97%· 14K

Dev tobspr Games · Gamera GamesPlaytime ~6hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Both are city builders — sharing deep simulation, sandbox freedom and vibe casual

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, procedural generation and setting space, while skipping strong narrative focus

Dive into a factory-building game where the focus is on just that — building huge factories! Construct sprawling multi-level factories and min-max your layouts without limits. Shapez 2 is tailor-made for enthusiasts who crave the thrill of optimizing production lines and perfecting automation.

Where it drifts furthest from Cities: Skylines II: visuals.

Genre100Tone93Progression80Game mode75World66Visuals0

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Steam

#15SimCity

iRank60

GenreStrategySubgenreCity Builder

SoloMultiplayerSandbox WorldBase BuildingIsometric

IGDB60· 13

Year 2013Dev Maxis · Electronic ArtsOn PC · Mac

✓ Nearly identical: deep simulation, sandbox freedom and sandbox world.

≠ Missing: vibe relaxing.

It predates Cities: Skylines II by 10 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100World92Progression68

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Complete list of sandbox games like Cities: Skylines II

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Cities: Skylines II, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.