Game types and city rules

Open Build: a free sandbox

Open Build gives you the whole map and every building tool from the start. There are no fixed goals or report cards; shape the city at your own pace. Open Build is free. Saving is a separate purchase if you want to keep a city and return to it. See the current purchase details and prices.

Scenario: build through four eras

In Scenario, found a city around one of three anchors: a port, a university or a hospital. Begin in 1900 and guide the city through The Rail Era, The Motor Era, The Service Era and The Logistics Era. Report cards in 1930, 1970 and 2010 grade how the city developed.

Scenario eras are sold separately and played in order, beginning with The Rail Era. Ultimate includes every current and future era.

City rules: choose the pressures

Everyone can inspect eleven conditions before founding a Scenario city. Ultimate lets you choose Relaxed rules or make a Custom set by switching conditions on or off. Standard is the default: accidental fires and the other existing city conditions apply, while river fires and earthquakes start off. Relaxed switches off accidental building fires, crime, noise and building aging; river fires and earthquakes stay off. The rules are fixed when the city is founded and remain with it after saving and restoring. You can inspect a city's rules later in its overview.

• Disasters: accidental building fires, river fires and earthquakes.
• Environment: air pollution, water pollution, ground contamination and noise.
• City pressures: crime and building aging.
• Infrastructure: power capacity limits and water capacity limits.

Challenges: recover an established city

The Challenges menu offers eleven established cities with fixed rules and recovery goals. Everyone can inspect the cities and their rules for free; starting one requires Ultimate. Each challenge suggests two approaches, while you decide how to reach its goals.

The River That Burned begins beside an industrial waterfront fire. Flames on the water burn out on their own and cannot be extinguished; fire crews can still put out fires in buildings and protect nearby structures. Aftershock gives a working city a primary earthquake followed by an aftershock. Quakes can damage or destroy buildings. Clearing debris has a charge of $50 per damaged tile or $100 per destroyed tile, plus normal demolition and tree-removal costs. New fire and earthquake artwork makes these events visible on the map.

Ultimate: the complete set

Ultimate includes Saving, every current and future Scenario era, city-rule choices when founding a city, and the ability to start all eleven challenges. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription. See the current Ultimate price.