Attention all mayors! There's a heck of a lot of city builders headed our way, and as luck would have it, a whopping eight of them are coming in September alone. In fact, there are two you can play right now (one is just a demo, but it's a demo you're gonna want to check out) and the month is only a couple of days old.
Plus, all these September city builders represent a nice mix of themes: there are a couple sci-fi builders, a couple more that take place in the past, and a few more set in fantasy realms. There's a cozy game, a couple puzzlers, and one with lots of combat, if that's what you're looking for. And if September doesn't have enough for you, I've tacked on a few more promising city builders planned for late 2025 and 2026.
Since these city builders sprawl across multiple genres, I've got a code I'll use below to identify what categories each these builders fit into: Sim ⚙️, Strategy ♟️, Survival 🍖, Puzzle 🧩, Cozy 🧸, Old Timey 👑, and Futuristic 🚀. If there's a demo available, I've also added a 📀.
Autarkis | September 1 | 🧩🚀
In pretty puzzler Autarkis you're building and managing a handful of futuristic settlements while hunting for the missing pieces of your spaceship so you can return to the mothership. Move supplies between your floating colonies using portals and survive hazards like meteor storms and floods. It's out now!
Anno 117: Pax Romana Demo | September 2 | ⚙️👑📀
Anno 117: Pax Romana isn't due out until November, but you can dive into the free demo now and play its sandbox mode until September 16. The demo gives you an hour of play per savegame, and will take you through the first two population tiers in two different regions.
Fata Deum | September 14 | 👑♟️⚙️
In city builders you're often not just a mayor but essentially a god, and Fata Deum leans into that. Command your mere mortal worshippers to harvest resources, grow crops, construct temples and monuments dedicated to you, and build a prosperous city. Guide them helpfully or punish them cruelly.
Town to City | September 16 | 🧸♟️📀
Start small and grow big. In Town to City you're free to place homes, shops, roads, and decorations anywhere in the gridless, voxel world. As you attract new citizens not only will your town grow but you can begin adding new towns, and develop the entire region into a big and bustling (but still cozy) city.
Pompeii: The Legacy | September 16 | ⚙️👑
Spoiler alert: things didn't end too well for Pompeii, but that's why it needs a new mayor so badly. In Pompeii: The Legacy, you'll take charge of the ruined city and create a new civilization from its ashes. Engage in politics with Rome, from alliances through marriage, and bring Pompeii into a new age of prosperity.
Mars Attracts | September 16 | ⚙️🚀📀
I wouldn't have guessed the 1996 comedy film Mars Attacks would abruptly get a videogame tie-in 29 years after it released, but why not? In Mars Attracts you're building a theme park-like city for abducted humans on the Red Planet, so your big-brained visitors can enjoy seeing humans in their natural habitat.
Super Fantasy Kingdom | Q3 2025 | 👑♟️📀
In roguelite city builder Super Fantasy Kingdom you're getting a mashup of exploration, kingdom management, and Vampire Survivors-like bullet heaven combat. Grow and cultivate your kingdom while using your handful of heroes to fend off huge mobs of enemies.
Meadowside Mayor | September 2025 |🧩
If you're up for a builder with a classic isometric look, Meadowside Mayor might fit the bill. In this puzzle builder you're dealt five tiles at a time and have to place them while respecting their rules and restrictions. With hundreds of buildings in your deck, the goal is to build the biggest city you can.
Beyond September & 2026
Beyond These Stars ♟️⚙️🚀 (2025): Build a city on the back of a cosmic whale swimming through the galaxy.
Tropico 7 ♟️⚙️ (2026): Bring prosperity you your nation as El Presidente in the newest entry of the long-running series.
Sintopia ♟️⚙️📀 (2026): Of course there's a city in Hell. Punish the damned and earn a profit in this management sim.
Surviving Mars Relaunched ♟️⚙️🚀(TBA): A remaster of 2018's strategy builder Surviving Mars that includes all its DLC.
DarkSwitch ⚙️👑🍖 (TBA): This vertical builder takes place in a giant tree living in a spooky fantasy realm.
Crowded ⚙️(TBA): In this avian city builder you're a crow designing a town of nests for your fellow birds.
Life Below ♟️⚙️📀 (TBA): Build an ecologically sustainable underwater city by reviving ecosystems and fighting pollution.
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