SimCity city-building game guide
Also known as: SimCity Classic, SimCity series
Learn SimCity, the classic city-building game: zoning, power, roads, taxes and services, plus practical tips for growing a city that keeps its citizens happy.
- Type
- Video game
- Players
- 1
- First released
- 1989
- Designed by
- Will Wright
- Developer
- Maxis
- Platforms
- Amiga, Macintosh
SimCity is a city-building simulation designed by Will Wright and released by Maxis in 1989. You play as the mayor of an empty piece of land and try to turn it into a working city. The game does not tell you when you have won; instead, it asks how big and how pleasant a city you can build. SimCity became the starting point of a whole genre of city builders and inspired many later games, including The Sims by the same designer. Several sequels followed, each adding more detail, such as water pipes, education and regional play. Teachers have often used it to show how traffic, pollution, taxes and public services affect each other in real towns.
Our verdict
SimCity is a calm, thoughtful game about cause and effect. Every decision has side effects, and learning to plan ahead is very satisfying. Watching a few houses grow into a busy skyline gives a strong sense of progress. It also shows, in a playful way, why real cities need planning, which makes it valuable for curious teenagers and adults.
What works
- Teaches planning and systems thinking without pressure.
- Very satisfying sense of growth.
- Open-ended play with no single correct solution.
What does not
- Slow pace may not suit players who want action.
- The original version looks and feels dated today.
How to play SimCity
You start with a budget and an empty map. First, you build a power plant and connect it with power lines. Then you mark areas as zones: residential zones for homes, commercial zones for shops and offices, and industrial zones for factories. You do not build each house yourself; citizens move in and construct buildings when the zones have power, road access and demand. Roads and later public transport connect the zones. As the city grows, you must add police and fire stations, parks and other services, or crime and fires will spread and people will leave. Each year you collect taxes and pay for maintenance, so you balance the budget by adjusting tax rates and spending. Pollution from industry lowers land value nearby. Optional disasters, such as floods, fires and monster attacks, test how well your city recovers.
Tips for new players
- Keep factories away from homes so pollution does not lower land value.
- Grow slowly; a city that expands faster than its budget soon runs into debt.
- Watch the demand indicator to see which zone type the city needs next.
- Add parks near homes to raise land value and attract more residents.
Good for
SimCity: common questions
Can you win SimCity?
Not in the usual sense. The main mode is open-ended, and you set your own goals, such as population size or a balanced budget.
Why are people leaving my SimCity city?
Common causes are high taxes, crime, pollution, traffic or a lack of jobs. Check the city reports to see which problem is worst.
Is SimCity educational?
Many teachers have used it to explain how city services, budgets and land use affect each other.
SimCity belongs to its owners. Playdonya is not connected to them and does not sell this game; the cover is our own illustration.
