View source for Software:Cities: Skylines

{{Short description|2015 city-building video game}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Cities: Skylines
| image = File:Cities Skylines cover art.jpg
| caption = 
| developer = [[Company:Colossal Order|Colossal Order]]<!--Port developers not to be included in the infobox, per documentation-->{{efn|Ports for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia were supported by [[Company:Tantalus Media|Tantalus Media]].}}
| publisher = [[Company:Paradox Interactive|Paradox Interactive]]
| engine = [[Software:Unity (game engine)|Unity]]
| platforms = {{Unbulleted list|[[Software:Linux|Linux]]|[[Software:OS X|OS X]]|[[Software:Windows|Windows]]|[[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch]]|[[Engineering:PlayStation 4|PlayStation 4]]|[[Engineering:PlayStation 5|PlayStation 5]]|[[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]]|Xbox Series X/S|[[Software:Google Stadia|Google Stadia]]}}
| released = {{Unbulleted list|'''Linux''', '''OS X''', '''Windows'''|10 March 2015|'''Xbox One'''|21 April 2017|'''PlayStation 4'''|15 August 2017|'''Nintendo Switch'''|13 September 2018|'''Google Stadia'''|17 May 2022|'''PlayStation 5''', '''Xbox Series X/S'''|15 February 2023}}
| genre = [[Software:City-building game|City-building]], construction and management simulation
| modes = Single-player
| producer = Mariina Hallikainen
| designer = {{Unbulleted list|Karoliina Korppoo|Henri Haimakainen|Miska Fredman}}
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Antti Lehto|Damien Morello}}
| artist = Antti Isosomppi
| composer = {{Unbulleted list|Jonne Valtonen|Jani Laaksonen}}
}}

'''''Cities: Skylines''''' is a 2015 [[Software:City-building game|city-building game]] developed by [[Company:Colossal Order|Colossal Order]] and published by [[Company:Paradox Interactive|Paradox Interactive]]. The game is a single-player open-ended [[Software:City-building game|city-building simulation]]. Players engage in [[Engineering:Urban planning|urban planning]] by controlling [[Engineering:Zoning|zoning]], road placement, taxation, public services, and public transportation of an area. They also work to manage various elements of the city, including its budget, health, employment, traffic, and pollution levels. It is also possible to maintain a city in a [[Software:Sandbox game|sandbox]] mode, which provides more creative freedom for the player.

''Cities: Skylines'' is a progression of development from Colossal Order's previous ''[[Software:Cities in Motion|Cities in Motion]]'' titles, which focused on designing effective transportation systems. While Colossal felt they had the technical expertise to expand the ''Cities'' gameplay into a more full-featured city simulation game, their publisher Paradox Interactive initially held off on the idea, fearing the market dominance of the ''SimCity'' series. However, they reconsidered after the critical failure of the [[Software:SimCity (2013 video game)|2013 ''SimCity'' game]], which provided an opportunity for Paradox to establish a competing franchise. Colossal's goal was to create a game engine capable of simulating the daily routines of nearly a million unique citizens, while presenting this to the player in a simple way, allowing the player to easily understand various problems in their city's design. This includes realistic traffic congestion, and the effects of congestion on city services and districts. Since the game's release, various [[Software:Expansion pack|expansions]] and other [[Software:Downloadable content|DLC]] have been released for the game. The game also has built-in support for [[Software:Video game modding|user-generated content]].

The game was first released for the [[Software:Linux|Linux]], [[Software:OS X|OS X]], and [[Software:Windows|Windows]] operating systems in March 2015. Console ports by [[Company:Tantalus Media|Tantalus Media]] were released for the [[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]] and [[Engineering:PlayStation 4|PlayStation 4]] game consoles in 2017, for the [[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch]] in September 2018, and for [[Software:Google Stadia|Google Stadia]] in May 2022. A remastered edition, also by Tantalus, was released for the [[Engineering:PlayStation 5|PlayStation 5]] and Xbox Series X/S in February 2023. The game received favourable reviews from critics, and was a commercial success, with more than twelve million copies sold on all platforms as of June 2022. A sequel, ''[[Software:Cities: Skylines II|Cities]]'', was released on 24 October 2023.

== Gameplay ==
[[File:Cities skylines zoning screenshot.jpg|thumb|left|''Cities: Skylines'' allows for construction of cities, buildings, and a variety of transportation options.]]
The player starts with a plot of land – equivalent to a {{convert|2|x|2|km|adj=on}} area<ref name="wired interview">{{Cite magazine |last=Kamen |first=Matt |date=23 September 2014 |title=How 'Cities: Skylines' aims to dethrone SimCity |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-09/23/cities-skylines-interview |url-status=live |magazine=Wired.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519080016/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-09/23/cities-skylines-interview |archive-date=19 May 2015 |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> – along with an interchange exit from a nearby highway, access to a body of water, as well as a starting amount of in-game money. The player proceeds to add roads and residential, industrial and commercial [[Engineering:Zoning|zones]], and basic services like power, water and sewage, to encourage residents to move in and supply them with jobs.

As the city grows beyond certain population tiers, the player unlocks new city improvements, including schools, fire stations, police stations, health care facilities and waste management systems, tax and government edicts, mass transit systems, and other features for managing the city. One such feature enables the player to designate parts of their city as districts. Each district can be configured by the player to restrict the types of developments permitted or to enforce specific regulations within the district's bounds, such as only allowing for industrial sectors devoted to agriculture, offering free public transportation for the district to reduce traffic, raising or reducing taxes for the various classes of development, or, with the ''Green Cities'' DLC, discouraging fossil-fuel vehicles from entering a district while not discouraging electric vehicles, reducing noise pollution caused by traffic.<ref name="Dean" />

Buildings in the city have various development levels that are met by improving the local area, with higher levels providing more benefits to the city. For example, a commercial store will increase in level if nearby residents are more educated, which in turn will allow it to hire more employees and increase tax revenue for the city. When the player has accumulated enough residents and money, they can purchase neighbouring plots of land, each equivalent in size to the starting land area, allowing them to build up eight additional parcels out of 25 within a {{convert|10|x|10|km|adj=on}} area.<ref name="wired interview" /> The parcel limitation is to allow the game to run across the widest range of personal computers, but players can use Steam Workshop modifications to open not only all of the game's standard 25-tile building area, but the entire map (81 tiles, {{convert|324|km2|abbr=off|disp=or}}).<ref>{{Cite web |last=E. Aralov |title=81 Tiles Modification |url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=576327847 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221050359/http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=576327847 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |access-date=28 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="pcgamer review" />

[[File:Cities skylines tile shift screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|The game is rendered using tilt shift effects to give an impression of scope for the simulation.]]
The game also features a robust transportation system based on Colossal Order's previous ''[[Software:Cities in Motion|Cities in Motion]]'', allowing the player to plan out effective public transportation for the city in order to reduce traffic congestion and generate transit revenue.<ref name="wired interview" /> Roads can be built straight or free-form, and the grid used for zoning adapts to the shape of the adjacent roads; cities need not follow a square grid plan. Roads of varying widths (up to major freeways) accommodate different traffic volumes, and variant road types (for example, avenues lined with trees or highways with sound barriers) offer reduced [[Physics:Noise pollution|noise pollution]] or increased property values in the surrounding area at an increased cost to the player.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haimakainen |first=Henri |date=24 September 2014 |title=Cities: Skylines – Dev Diary 1: Roads |url=http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/content.php?1986-Cities-Skylines-Dev-Diary-1-Roads&s=70e5d91bd717106ca782adc610eeedbd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928002125/http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/content.php?1986-Cities-Skylines-Dev-Diary-1-Roads |archive-date=28 September 2014 |access-date=24 September 2014 |website=Paradox Interactive Forums}}</ref> The road system can be augmented with various forms of public transportation such as buses, taxis, trams, trains, ferries, and metro systems.

[[Software:Mod (video gaming)|Modding]], via the addition of user-generated content such as buildings or vehicles, is supported in ''Cities: Skylines'' through the Steam Workshop. The creation of an active content-generating community was stated as an explicit design goal.<ref name="Dean" /><ref name="announcement" /> The game includes several pre-made terrains to build on, and also includes a map editor to allow users to create their own maps, including the use of real-world geographic features. Mods are also available to affect core gameplay elements; pre-packaged mods include the ability to bypass the aforementioned population tier unlock system, unlimited funds, and a higher difficulty setting.

== Development ==
Finnish developer Colossal Order, a thirteen-person studio at the time ''Cities: Skylines'' was released,<ref name="gamasutra traffic">{{Cite web |last1=Lehto |first1=Antti |last2=Morello |first2=Damien |last3=Korppoo |first3=Karoliina |date=27 March 2015 |title=Game Design Deep Dive: Traffic systems in Cities: Skylines |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/239534/Game_Design_Deep_Dive_Traffic_systems_in_Cities_Skylines.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002010234/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/239534/Game_Design_Deep_Dive_Traffic_systems_in_Cities_Skylines.php |archive-date=2 October 2019 |access-date=27 March 2015 |publisher=Gamasutra}}</ref> had established its reputation with the ''[[Software:Cities in Motion|Cities in Motion]]'' series, which primarily dealt with constructing transportation systems in pre-defined cities. They wanted to move from this into a larger city simulation like the ''SimCity'' franchise, and in preparation, developed ''[[Software:Cities in Motion 2|Cities in Motion 2]]'' using the [[Software:Unity (game engine)|Unity game engine]] to assure they had the capability to develop this larger effort.<ref name="pcgamesn political" /> They pitched their ideas to their publisher, [[Company:Paradox Interactive|Paradox Interactive]], but these initial pitches were focused on a political angle of managing a city rather than planning of it; the player would have been mayor of the city and set edicts and regulations to help their city grow. Paradox felt that these ideas did not present a strong enough case as to go up against the well-established ''SimCity'', and had Colossal Order revise their approach.<ref name="pcgamesn political">{{Cite web |last=Peel |first=Jeremy |date=18 May 2017 |title=How Cities: Skylines was nearly a political sim |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/cities-skylines-paradox-con |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402075712/https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/cities-skylines-paradox-con |archive-date=2 April 2020 |access-date=18 May 2017 |website=PCGamesN}}</ref>

The situation changed when the [[Software:SimCity (2013 video game)|2013 version of ''SimCity'']] was released, and was critically panned due to several issues. Having gone back and forth with Colossal Order on the city simulation idea, Paradox used the market opportunity to greenlight the development of ''Cities: Skylines''.<ref name="pcgamer interview">{{Cite web |last=Livingstone |first=Christopher |date=19 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines greenlit "after what happened to SimCity" |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-greenlit-after-what-happened-to-simcity/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331151727/http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-greenlit-after-what-happened-to-simcity// |archive-date=31 March 2017 |access-date=19 March 2015 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref name="pcgamesn political" />

One goal of the game was to successfully simulate a city with up to a million residents.<ref name="gamasutra traffic" /> To help achieve this goal, the creators decided to simulate citizens navigating the city's roads and transit systems, to make the effects of road design and transit congestion a factor in city design.<ref name="gamasutra traffic" /> In this, they found that the growth and success of a city was fundamentally tied to how well the road system was laid out.<ref name="rps design" /> Colossal Order had already been aware of the importance of road systems from ''Cities in Motion'', and felt that the visual indication of traffic and traffic congestion was an easy-to-comprehend sign of larger problems in a city's design.<ref name="rps design">{{Cite web |last=Wiltshire |first=Alex |date=10 February 2017 |title=Why road-building in Cities: Skylines is a pleasure |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/10/cities-skylines-roads/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214134011/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/10/cities-skylines-roads/ |archive-date=14 February 2017 |access-date=10 February 2017 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref>

To represent traffic, Colossal Order developed a complex system that would determine the fastest route available for a simulated person going to and from work or other points of interest, taking into account available roads and public transit systems nearby. This simulated person would not swerve from their predetermined path unless the route was changed mid-transit, in which case they would be teleported back to their origin instead of calculating a new path from their current location.<ref name="gamasutra traffic" /> If the journey required the person to drive, a system of seven rules regulated their behaviour in traffic and how this was shown to the user, such as skipping some rules in locations of the simulation that had little impact while the player was not looking at those locations.<ref name="rps design" /> This was done to avoid cascading traffic problems if the player adjusted the road system in real time.<ref name="gamasutra traffic" /> The city's user-designed transportation system creates a node-based graph used to determine these fastest paths and identifies intersections for these nodes. The system then simulates the movement of individuals on the roads and transit systems, accounting for other traffic on the road and basic physics (such as speed along slopes and the need for vehicles to slow down on tight curves), in order to accurately model traffic jams created by the layout and geography of the system.<ref name="gamasutra traffic" /> The developers found that their model accurately demonstrates the efficiency, or lack thereof, of some less common roadway intersections, such as the single-point urban interchange or the diverging diamond interchange.<ref name="rps design" />

== Release ==
''Cities: Skylines'' was announced by publisher [[Company:Paradox Interactive|Paradox Interactive]] on 14 August 2014 at Gamescom.<ref name="O'Connor">{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Alice |date=15 August 2014 |title=Simulated Urban Area – Cities: Skylines Announced |work=Rock Paper Shotgun |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/08/15/simulated-urban-area-cities-skylines-announced/ |url-status=live |access-date=21 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317082815/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/08/15/simulated-urban-area-cities-skylines-announced/ |archive-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> The announcement trailer emphasized that players could "build [their] dream city," "mod and share online" and "play offline"<ref name="announcement">{{Cite press release |title=The Sky is Not the Limit in a New City-building Simulator from Colossal Order |date=14 August 2014 |publisher=Paradox Interactive |url=http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/content.php?1955-Paradox-Interactive-Breaks-Ground-on-Cities-Skylines-for-PC-Mac-and-Linux |access-date=21 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311182146/http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/content.php?1955-Paradox-Interactive-Breaks-Ground-on-Cities-Skylines-for-PC-Mac-and-Linux |archive-date=11 March 2015}}</ref>—the third feature was interpreted by journalists as a jab at ''[[Software:SimCity (2013 video game)|SimCity]]'', which initially required an Internet connection during play.<ref name="Dean" /><ref name="Stoneback">{{Cite web |last=Stoneback |first=Robert |date=14 August 2014 |title=Cities: Skylines Revealed by Cities in Motion Creators at Gamescon |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/136849-Cities-Skylines-Revealed-by-Cities-in-Motion-Publisher-at-Gamescon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301201553/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/136849-Cities-Skylines-Revealed-by-Cities-in-Motion-Publisher-at-Gamescon |archive-date=1 March 2019 |access-date=21 September 2014 |website=The Escapist |publisher=Defy Media}}</ref> ''Skylines'' uses an adapted [[Software:Unity (game engine)|Unity]] [[Software:Game engine|engine]] with official support for [[Software:Video game modding|modding]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Munthe |first=Jacob |date=20 August 2014 |title=We are Colossal Order & Paradox Interactive, the developers and publishers of the upcoming hardcore city builder game Cities: Skylines -- AMA |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2e3uku/we_are_colossal_order_paradox_interactive_the/cjvv4hx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424084702/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2e3uku/we_are_colossal_order_paradox_interactive_the/ |archive-date=24 April 2016 |access-date=21 September 2014 |website=Reddit}}</ref> The game was released on 10 March 2015, with Colossal Order committed to continuing to support the game after release.<ref name="Dean" />

[[Company:Tantalus Media|Tantalus Media]] assisted Paradox in porting the game to the [[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]] console and for [[Software:Windows 10|Windows 10]], which was released on 21 April 2017. This version includes the ''After Dark'' expansion bundled with the game, and supports all downloadable content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dryus |first=Oscar |date=16 February 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines Xbox One Edition Coming This Year |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-xbox-one-edition-coming-this-year/1100-6447924/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302024705/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-xbox-one-edition-coming-this-year/1100-6447924/ |archive-date=2 March 2019 |access-date=16 February 2017 |website=GameSpot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=16 February 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines building to Xbox One, Windows 10 release |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-16-cities-skylines-building-to-xbox-one-windows-10-release |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522115913/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-16-cities-skylines-building-to-xbox-one-windows-10-release |archive-date=22 May 2019 |access-date=16 February 2017 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=4 August 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines is headed to Xbox One first |url=http://www.polygon.com/2015/8/4/9094763/cities-skylines-xbox-one-exclusive-first-console-premier-gamescom |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322011408/https://www.polygon.com/2015/8/4/9094763/cities-skylines-xbox-one-exclusive-first-console-premier-gamescom |archive-date=22 March 2017 |access-date=4 August 2015 |website=Polygon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Faller |first=Patrick |date=3 April 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines Xbox One Release Date Revealed |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-xbox-one-release-date-revealed/1100-6449151/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114130714/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-xbox-one-release-date-revealed/1100-6449151/ |archive-date=14 January 2018 |access-date=3 April 2017 |website=GameSpot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=MacLeod |first=Riley |date=21 April 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines is now available on Xbox One |url=http://kotaku.com/1794528067 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424020812/http://kotaku.com/1794528067 |archive-date=24 April 2017 |access-date=21 April 2017 |website=Kotaku}}</ref> Tantalus also ported the game and the ''After Dark'' expansion for [[Engineering:PlayStation 4|PlayStation 4]], released on 15 August 2017. Both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions received physical release versions distributed by Koch Media.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nunneley |first=Stephanny |date=21 June 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines will be released on PlayStation 4 in mid-August |url=http://www.vg247.com/2017/06/21/cities-skylines-will-be-released-on-playstation-4-in-mid-august/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624041906/http://www.vg247.com/2017/06/21/cities-skylines-will-be-released-on-playstation-4-in-mid-august/ |archive-date=24 June 2017 |access-date=21 June 2017 |website=VG247}}</ref> Tantalus also ported the game for the [[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Switch]], which was released on 13 September 2018 and included the "After Dark" and "Snowfall" expansions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Colin |date=13 September 2018 |title=Cities Skylines Coming To Switch Today |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/09/13/cities-skylines-coming-to-switch-today |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914031821/http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/09/13/cities-skylines-coming-to-switch-today |archive-date=14 September 2018 |access-date=13 September 2018 |website=IGN}}</ref>

The game was built from the ground up to be friendly to [[Software:Mod (video gaming)|player-created modifications]], interfacing with Steam Workshop. Colossal Order found that with ''Cities in Motion'', players had quickly begun to modify the game and expand on it. They wanted to encourage that behaviour in ''Cities: Skylines'', as they recognized that modding ability was important to players and would not devalue the game. Within a month of the game's release, over 20,000 assets had been created in the Workshop, including modifications that enabled a first-person mode and a flying simulator.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Colin |date=8 April 2015 |title=HOW CITIES: SKYLINES TOOK A GREAT BIG SLICE OF SIMCITY |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2015/4/8/8340665/cities-skylines-simcity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519125834/https://www.polygon.com/features/2015/4/8/8340665/cities-skylines-simcity |archive-date=19 May 2019 |access-date=8 April 2015 |publisher=Polygon}}</ref> As of February 2020, over 200,000 user-created items were available. Many of these fans have been able to use crowd-funding services like Patreon to fund their creation efforts. Paradox, recognizing fan-supported mods, started to engage with some of the modders to create official content packs for the game starting in 2016. The first of these was a new set of art deco-inspired buildings created by Matt Crux. Crux received a portion of the sales of the content from Paradox.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newhouse |first=Alex |date=24 August 2016 |title=Cities: Skylines' Next Official DLC Was Made by Community Modder |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-next-official-dlc-was-made-by-comm/1100-6442977/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525140025/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-next-official-dlc-was-made-by-comm/1100-6442977/ |archive-date=25 May 2019 |access-date=24 August 2016 |website=GameSpot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Joe |date=3 March 2017 |title=How two Cities: Skylines modders turned hobbyist work into life-changing careers |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/how-two-cities-skylines-modders-turned-hobbyist-work-into-life-changing-careers/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307125220/http://www.pcgamer.com/how-two-cities-skylines-modders-turned-hobbyist-work-into-life-changing-careers/ |archive-date=7 March 2017 |access-date=6 March 2017 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>

An educational version of ''Cities: Skylines'' was developed by Colossal Order in conjunction with the group TeacherGaming and released in May 2018. This version includes tutorials and scenarios designed for use in a classroom, as well as a means for teachers to track a student's progress.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wawro |first=Alex |date=29 May 2018 |title=Teachers can now access an educational version of Cities: Skylines |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/319027/Teachers_can_now_access_an_educational_version_of_Cities_Skylines.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804081948/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/319027/Teachers_can_now_access_an_educational_version_of_Cities_Skylines.php |archive-date=4 August 2018 |access-date=30 May 2018 |website=Gamasutra}}</ref>

=== Remastered edition ===
A remastered version of ''Cities: Skylines'' was released exclusively for [[Engineering:PlayStation 5|PlayStation 5]] and Xbox Series X/S on 15 February 2023. The upgraded version includes a building area of up to 25 tiles, performance enhancements and other quality of life improvements. The upgrade released as a free download to players who previously owned the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cities: Skylines Remastered Revealed For PS5 And Xbox Series X{{!}}S |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-remastered-revealed-for-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-s/1100-6511317/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208235216/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-remastered-revealed-for-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-s/1100-6511317/ |archive-date=8 February 2023 |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== VR version ===
A [[Virtual reality|virtual reality]] adaptation of the game titled ''Cities: VR'', developed by Fast Travel Games, was released for [[Engineering:Meta Quest 2|Meta Quest 2]] on April 28, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wales |first=Matt |date=April 1, 2022 |title=Cities: Skylines' VR adaptation arrives on Meta Quest 2 later this month |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/cities-skylines-vr-adaptation-arrives-on-meta-quest-2-later-this-month |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407094146/https://www.eurogamer.net/cities-skylines-vr-adaptation-arrives-on-meta-quest-2-later-this-month |archive-date=7 April 2022 |access-date=April 7, 2022 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref> and released on [[Engineering:PlayStation VR2|PlayStation VR2]].

== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| title = Reception
| MC = (PC) 85/100<ref name="metacritic">{{Cite web |title=Cities: Skylines |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/cities-skylines/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911091405/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/cities-skylines |archive-date=11 September 2019 |access-date=10 March 2015 |publisher=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(PS4) 81/100<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cities: Skylines – PlayStation 4 Edition |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/cities-skylines/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316050225/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/cities-skylines---playstation-4-edition |archive-date=16 March 2020 |access-date=8 January 2019 |website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(XONE) 81/100<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cities: Skylines – Xbox One Edition |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/cities-skylines/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316050503/https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/cities-skylines---xbox-one-edition |archive-date=16 March 2020 |access-date=8 January 2019 |website=Metacritic}}</ref><br />(NS) 67/100<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/cities-skylines/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316050642/https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/cities-skylines---nintendo-switch-edition |archive-date=16 March 2020 |access-date=8 January 2019 |website=Metacritic}}</ref>
| 1UP =
| Destruct = 9/10<ref name="Destructoid">{{Cite web |title=Review: Cities: Skylines – Destructoid |url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-cities-skylines-288859.phtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311214445/http://www.destructoid.com/review-cities-skylines-288859.phtml |archive-date=11 March 2015 |access-date=12 March 2015 |website=destructoid.com}}</ref>
| EuroG =
| Edge =
| IGN = 8.5/10<ref name="ign_review">{{Cite web |date=10 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines Review |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/10/cities-skylines-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730052741/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/10/cities-skylines-review |archive-date=30 July 2019 |access-date=11 March 2015 |website=IGN}}</ref>
| GI= 8.75/10<ref>{{Cite web |title=Building Toward Something Meaningful – Cities: Skylines – PC – www.GameInformer.com |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/games/cities_skylines/b/pc/archive/2015/03/10/cities-skylines-game-informer-review.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717000538/https://www.gameinformer.com/games/cities_skylines/b/pc/archive/2015/03/10/cities-skylines-game-informer-review.aspx |archive-date=17 July 2017 |access-date=11 March 2015 |website=www.GameInformer.com}}</ref>
| GSpot = 8/10<ref name="GSpot">{{Cite web |last=Todd |first=Brett |title=Cities: Skylines Review |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cities-skylines-review/1900-6416062/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316063037/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cities-skylines-review-in-the-zone/1900-6416062/ |archive-date=16 March 2020 |access-date=13 March 2015 |website=GameSpot}}</ref>
|GSpy =
| PCGUS = 86/100<ref name="pcgamer review">{{Cite web |date=10 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316063201/https://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-review/ |archive-date=16 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2015 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>
|rev1 = ''The Escapist''
|rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Escapist">{{Cite web |date=10 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines Review – Modern City Building Made Easy – Reviews – The Escapist |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/13603-Cities-Skylines-Review-Modern-City-Building-Made-Easy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315025655/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/13603-Cities-Skylines-Review-Modern-City-Building-Made-Easy |archive-date=15 March 2015 |access-date=11 March 2015 |website=The Escapist}}</ref>
}}

Upon release, ''Cities: Skylines'' received "generally positive" reception from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.<ref name="metacritic" /> IGN awarded the game a score of 8.5 and said "Don’t expect exciting scenarios or random events, but do expect to be impressed by the scale and many moving parts of this city-builder."<ref name="ign_review" /> ''[[Social:Destructoid|Destructoid]]'' gave the game a 9 out of 10 with the reviewer stating, "''Cities: Skylines'' not only returns to the ideals which made the city-building genre so popular, it expands them. I enjoyed every minute I played this title, and the planning, building, and nurturing of my city brought forth imagination and creativity from me like few titles ever have."<ref name="Destructoid" /> ''The Escapist'' gave ''Cities: Skylines'' a perfect score, noting its low price point and stated that despite a few minor flaws, it is "the finest city builder in over a decade."<ref name="Escapist" />

Much critical comparison was drawn between ''SimCity'' and ''Cities: Skylines'', with the former seen as the benchmark of the genre by many, including the CEO of Colossal Order.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Livingston |first=Christopher |title=Cities: Skylines greenlit "after what happened to SimCity" |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-greenlit-after-what-happened-to-simcity/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331151727/http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-greenlit-after-what-happened-to-simcity// |archive-date=31 March 2017 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> When the game was first announced, journalists perceived it as a competitor to the poorly received, 2013 reboot of ''[[Software:SimCity (2013 video game)|SimCity]]'', describing it as "somewhat ... the antidote to Maxis' most recent effort with ''SimCity''"<ref name="Parrish">{{Cite web |last=Parrish |first=Peter |date=14 August 2014 |title=Cities: Skylines announced at Paradox fan event |url=http://www.incgamers.com/2014/08/cities-skylines-announced-at-paradox-fan-event |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404203340/http://www.incgamers.com/2014/08/cities-skylines-announced-at-paradox-fan-event |archive-date=4 April 2015 |access-date=21 September 2014 |website=IncGamers}}</ref> and "out to satisfy where ''SimCity'' couldn't."<ref name="Dean" /> A ''Eurogamer'' article touched upon "something of a size mismatch" between developer Colossal Order (then staffed by nine people) and [[Company:Maxis|Maxis]], and their respective ambitions with ''Skylines'' and ''SimCity''.<ref name="Dean">{{Cite web |last=Dean |first=Paul |date=14 September 2014 |title=Cities: Skyline is out to satisfy where SimCity couldn't |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-04-cities-skyline-is-out-to-satisfy-where-simcity-couldnt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906171419/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-04-cities-skyline-is-out-to-satisfy-where-simcity-couldnt |archive-date=6 September 2014 |access-date=11 February 2014 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref> Critics generally considered ''Cities: Skylines'' to have superseded ''SimCity'' as the leading game of the genre,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dean |first=Paul |date=4 September 2014 |title=Cities: Skyline is out to satisfy where SimCity couldn't |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-04-cities-skyline-is-out-to-satisfy-where-simcity-couldnt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417084308/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-04-cities-skyline-is-out-to-satisfy-where-simcity-couldnt |archive-date=17 April 2015 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dingman |first=Hayden |title=Cities: Skylines is more like SimCity than SimCity |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2860755/cities-skylines-is-more-like-simcity-than-simcity.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122202220/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2860755/cities-skylines-is-more-like-simcity-than-simcity.html |archive-date=22 January 2017 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=PC World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maiberg |first=Emanuel |title=The 'SimCity' Empire Has Fallen and 'Skylines' Is Picking Up the Pieces |url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/maxis-is-dead-but-this-game-is-better-than-simcity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426131417/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/maxis-is-dead-but-this-game-is-better-than-simcity |archive-date=26 April 2015 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=Motherboard|date=17 March 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tassi |first=Paul |title='Cities: Skylines' Succeeds Where EA's 'SimCity' Failed |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/03/14/cities-skylines-succeeds-where-eas-simcity-failed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522045137/https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/03/14/cities-skylines-succeeds-where-eas-simcity-failed/ |archive-date=22 May 2019 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=Forbes}}</ref> with ''The Escapist'' comparing the two on a variety of factors and finding ''Cities: Skylines'' to be the better game in every category considered.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Shamus |title=SimCity vs. Cities: Skylines – Who Wins? |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/13674-Comparing-SimCity-to-Cities-Skylines-Provides-an-Obvious-Winner |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626215210/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/13674-Comparing-SimCity-to-Cities-Skylines-Provides-an-Obvious-Winner |archive-date=26 June 2015 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=The Escapist}}</ref> However, some critics did consider the absence of disasters and random events to be something that the game lacked in comparison to ''SimCity'', as well as a helpful and substantial tutorial.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hargreaves |first=Roger |date=19 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines review – the real SimCity |url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/19/cities-skylines-review-the-real-simcity-5110522/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521030834/https://metro.co.uk/2015/03/19/cities-skylines-review-the-real-simcity-5110522/ |archive-date=21 May 2019 |access-date=20 April 2015 |website=Metro}}</ref> Disasters were added to the game in the aptly titled ''Natural Disasters'' DLC, as well as special buildings for detecting and responding to them.

The city government of [[Place:Stockholm|Stockholm]], where Paradox's headquarters are located, used ''Cities: Skylines'' to plan a new transportation system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nutt |first=Christian |date=11 March 2016 |title=Did you know Stockholm used Cities: Skylines for urban planning? |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/267926/Did_you_know_Stockholm_used_Cities_Skylines_for_urban_planning.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313110947/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/267926/Did_you_know_Stockholm_used_Cities_Skylines_for_urban_planning.php |archive-date=13 March 2016 |access-date=11 March 2016 |website=Gamasutra}}</ref> The developer of ''Bus Simulator 18'' planned out the roads and highways of the game's world map through ''Cities: Skylines'' before recreating it within their game to provide a seemingly realistic city and its facilities for the game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peel |first=Jeremy |date=27 June 2018 |title=Bus Simulator 18 devs mapped out the game's world in Cities: Skylines |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/bus-simulator-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627175744/https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/bus-simulator-18 |archive-date=27 June 2018 |access-date=27 June 2018 |website=PCGamesN}}</ref> A Polish YouTuber recreated an interchange which was due to be built near Kraków in the game, showcasing its issues such as causing congestion and multiple lane-switching. In response, the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Highways ordered additional analysis, which confirmed the issues and the interchange was redesigned.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adamus |first=Agnieszka |title=Cities: Skylines uratowało Kraków przed budową wadliwej obwodnicy |url=https://www.gry-online.pl/newsroom/cities-skylines-uratowalo-krakow-przed-budowa-wadliwej-obwodnicy/z421d94 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015151107/https://www.gry-online.pl/newsroom/cities-skylines-uratowalo-krakow-przed-budowa-wadliwej-obwodnicy/z421d94 |archive-date=15 October 2022 |access-date=15 October 2022 |publisher=GRYOnline |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Waluś |first=Monika |date=9 May 2022 |title=Wadliwy projekt łącznika S7 i Północnej Obwodnicy Krakowa. GDDKiA zleciła przeprojektowanie węzła Mistrzejowice |url=https://krakow.wyborcza.pl/krakow/7,44425,28419208,wadliwy-projekt-lacznika-s7-i-polnocnej-obwodnicy-krakowa-gddkia.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015145604/https://krakow.wyborcza.pl/krakow/7,44425,28419208,wadliwy-projekt-lacznika-s7-i-polnocnej-obwodnicy-krakowa-gddkia.html |archive-date=15 October 2022 |access-date=15 October 2022 |website=Wyborcza.pl Kraków |publisher=Gazeta Wyborcza |language=pl}}</ref>

In 2020, ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' rated ''Cities: Skylines'' the fourth best management game on the PC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Graham |date=2020-11-24 |title=The best management games on PC |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/24/best-management-games-on-pc-2020/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202011651/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/24/best-management-games-on-pc-2020/ |archive-date=2 December 2020 |access-date=2020-11-29 |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |language=en-US}}</ref> During the 19th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated ''Cities: Skylines'' for "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2016&idGameAwardType=129 |title=2016 Awards Category Details Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |website=interactive.org |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>

=== Sales ===
''Cities: Skylines'' has been Paradox's best-selling game. Within 24 hours, 250,000 copies had been sold;<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines Sells 250,000 in First 24 Hours |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/12/cities-skylines-sells-250000-in-first-24-hours |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520220505/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/12/cities-skylines-sells-250000-in-first-24-hours |archive-date=20 May 2019 |access-date=12 March 2015 |website=IGN}}</ref> within a week, 500,000 copies;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hillier |first=Brenna |date=17 March 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines has doubled its day one sales |url=http://www.vg247.com/2015/03/17/cities-skylines-500k-sales-record/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318114629/https://www.vg247.com/2015/03/17/cities-skylines-500k-sales-record/ |archive-date=18 March 2020 |access-date=17 March 2015 |website=VG247}}</ref> within a month, one million copies;<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Futter |first=Mike |date=14 April 2015 |title=Paradox Builds Up 1 Million Cities: Skylines Sales |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/04/14/paradox-builds-up-1-million-cities-skylines-sales.aspx |url-status=live |magazine=Game Informer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728234109/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/04/14/paradox-builds-up-1-million-cities-skylines-sales.aspx |archive-date=28 July 2019 |access-date=14 April 2015}}</ref> and on its first anniversary, the game had reached two million copies sold.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nunnely |first=Stephany |date=10 March 2016 |title=Cities: Skylines has sold over 2M copies, 76,000 pieces of mod content created |url=http://www.vg247.com/2016/03/10/cities-skylines-has-sold-over-2-million-copies-76000-pieces-of-mod-content-created/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728234112/https://www.vg247.com/2016/03/10/cities-skylines-has-sold-over-2-million-copies-76000-pieces-of-mod-content-created/ |archive-date=28 July 2019 |access-date=10 March 2016 |website=VG247}}</ref> By its second anniversary, the game had reached 3.5 million sales.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oxford |first=Nadia |date=10 March 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines Turns Two, Free DLC Incoming |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/cities-skylines-turns-two-free-dlc-incoming |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728234111/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/cities-skylines-turns-two-free-dlc-incoming |archive-date=28 July 2019 |access-date=10 March 2017 |website=US Gamer}}</ref> In March 2018, it was revealed that the game had sold more than five million copies on the PC platform alone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Chris |date=8 March 2018 |title=Cities: Skylines has sold 5M copies on PC alone |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/315350/Cities_Skylines_has_sold_5M_copies_on_PC_alone.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216105355/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/315350/Cities_Skylines_has_sold_5M_copies_on_PC_alone.php |archive-date=16 February 2021 |access-date=8 March 2018 |website=Gamasutra}}</ref> On the game's fourth anniversary in March 2019, Colossal Order announced that ''Cities: Skylines'' had surpassed six million units sold across all platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGregor |first=Judy |date=8 March 2019 |title=Cities: Skylines has sold six million copies |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-has-sold-six-million-copies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413102127/https://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-has-sold-six-million-copies/ |archive-date=13 April 2019 |access-date=8 March 2019 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref> In June 2022, it was announced that the game had sold 12 million copies on all platforms.<ref>{{Citation |title=Cities: Skylines {{!}} Celebrating 12M Copies Sold |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4c09dYBnGQ |access-date=2022-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622114124/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4c09dYBnGQ |url-status=live |language=en |archive-date=22 June 2022}}</ref> It is the best-selling Finnish-developed game to date.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2023 |title=Suomipeli Cities: Skylines II ilmestyy tänä vuonna |url=https://www.pelit.fi/artikkelit/suomipeli-cities-skylines-ii-ilmestyy-tana-vuonna/ |access-date=12 March 2023 |website=Pelit |publisher=Fokus Media Finland |language=Finnish}}</ref>

=== Research ===
Research has examined using ''Cities: Skylines'' as a potential teaching tool for many different academic subjects, including real estate,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Haahtela |first=Pyry |date=2015 |title=Gamification of Education: Cities Skylines as an Educational Tool for Real Estate and Land Use Planning Studies |url=https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi:443/handle/123456789/17843 |language=en}}</ref> environmental sciences,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fernández |first1=Paz |last2=Ceacero-Moreno |first2=Matías |date=January 2021 |title=Study of the Training of Environmentalists through Gamification as A University Course |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=2323 |doi=10.3390/su13042323 |issn=2071-1050 |doi-access=free |hdl=10481/68792 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> urban planning,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Khan |first1=Tayyeb Ahmed |last2=Zhao |first2=Xin |title=Responsible AI and Analytics for an Ethical and Inclusive Digitized Society |chapter=Perceptions of Students for a Gamification Approach: Cities Skylines as a Pedagogical Tool in Urban Planning Education |date=2021 |editor-last=Dennehy |editor-first=Denis |editor2-last=Griva |editor2-first=Anastasia |editor3-last=Pouloudi |editor3-first=Nancy |editor4-last=Dwivedi |editor4-first=Yogesh K. |editor5-last=Pappas |editor5-first=Ilias |editor6-last=Mäntymäki |editor6-first=Matti |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-85447-8_64 |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |volume=12896 |language=en |location=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |pages=763–773 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-85447-8_64 |isbn=978-3-030-85447-8|s2cid=237309587 }}</ref> and journalism.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Sergeyeva |first1=Olga |last2=Bogomiagkova |first2=Elena |last3=Orekh |first3=Ekaterina |last4=Kolesnik |first4=Natalia |title=Electronic Governance and Open Society: Challenges in Eurasia |chapter=Gamification as a Trend in the Development of Civic and Political Participation |date=2020 |editor-last=Chugunov |editor-first=Andrei |editor2-last=Khodachek |editor2-first=Igor |editor3-last=Misnikov |editor3-first=Yuri |editor4-last=Trutnev |editor4-first=Dmitrii |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-39296-3_10 |series=Communications in Computer and Information Science |volume=1135 |language=en |location=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |pages=125–137 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-39296-3_10 |isbn=978-3-030-39296-3|s2cid=213599316 }}</ref> The game has also been used in psychology research as an assessment of complex problem-solving ability.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hedrih |first=Vladimir |date=2023-04-23 |title=Scientists use "Cities: Skylines" video game to shed light on the link between personality disorders and complex problem-solving ability |url=https://www.psypost.org/2023/04/scientists-use-cities-skylines-video-game-to-shed-light-on-the-link-between-personality-disorders-and-complex-problem-solving-ability-77793 |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=PsyPost |language=en-US}}</ref>

The marketing behind Cities: Skylines encouraged people to view it as an educational tool in part through its video series "city builders",<ref>{{Citation |title=Episode 4: Get People Thinking - Justin "DoNotEat" {{!}} City Builders {{!}} Cities: Skylines |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lskXJ3_Jybo |access-date=2023-06-06 |language=en}}</ref> which also promoted Justin Roczniak's educational series, which uses Cities: Skylines as visual aid.

== Downloadable content packs ==

''Cities: Skylines'' has received several paid and free [[Software:Downloadable content|downloadable content]] packs since its release in 2015, and multiple types of content packs have been released: [[Software:Expansion pack|expansion pack]]s, cosmetic packs, content creator packs, flavour packs, music packs, and map packs. Downloadable content for the game was previously developed and released for the [[Engineering:Personal computer|PC]] versions of the game first before being released on consoles a few months later. Newer DLC has since been released simultaneously on both PC and consoles.

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
=== Expansion packs ===

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 95%;"
! width="16%" | Name
! Release date / pack summary
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''After Dark'''''
| 24 September 2015
|-
| Adds new unique buildings, including a casino and a luxury hotel, and settings for expanded tourism and leisure specializations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matulef |first=Jeffrey |date=6 August 2015 |title=Cities: Skylines reveals After Dark DLC |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-06-cities-skylines-reveals-after-dark-dlc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808202936/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-06-cities-skylines-reveals-after-dark-dlc |archive-date=8 August 2015 |access-date=6 August 2015 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref> Alongside the DLC, a free update was released that adds a day-night cycle into the game, as well as a few features that take the day-night cycle into account.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 August 2015 |title=Cities Skylines: After Dark release date, price detailed |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-20-cities-skylines-after-dark-release-date-price-detailed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204163145/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-20-cities-skylines-after-dark-release-date-price-detailed |archive-date=4 December 2015 |access-date=17 December 2015 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Snowfall'''''
| 18 February 2016
|-
| Adds snow and other winter-themed elements, as well as [[Engineering:Tram|tram]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Angus |date=19 January 2016 |title=Cities: Skylines Snowfall expansion announced |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-snowfall-expansion-announced/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120093657/http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-snowfall-expansion-announced/ |archive-date=20 January 2016 |access-date=19 January 2016 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Angus |date=3 February 2016 |title=Cities Skylines: Snowfall release date revealed |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-snowfall-release-date-revealed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205073808/http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-snowfall-release-date-revealed/ |archive-date=5 February 2016 |access-date=3 February 2016 |website=PC Gamer |publisher=Future}}</ref> Alongside the DLC, a free update introduced a theme editor that allows players to create visually different worlds, such as an alien landscape. These customized game maps could then be uploaded to the Steam Workshop for download by other players.
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Natural Disasters'''''
| 29 November 2016<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 2016 |title=Latest News – Cities: Skylines Issues a Disaster Warning for November 29 |url=https://www.paradoxplaza.com/news/cities-skylines-natural-disaster-release-date/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306053834/https://www.paradoxplaza.com/news |archive-date=6 March 2021 |access-date=27 November 2016 |publisher=[[Company:Paradox Interactive|Paradox Interactive]]}}</ref>
|-
| Introduces natural disasters to the game, in addition to new disaster response and recovery services that the player could add to their city. A free update released alongside this DLC added new features such as a scenario editor and in-game radio stations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Purchase |first=Robert |date=18 August 2016 |title=Natural Disasters are coming to Cities Skylines in a new expansion |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-08-18-natural-disasters-are-coming-to-cities-skylines-in-a-new-expansion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819002706/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-08-18-natural-disasters-are-coming-to-cities-skylines-in-a-new-expansion |archive-date=19 August 2016 |access-date=18 August 2016 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Mass Transit'''''
| 18 May 2017
|-
| Introduces more diverse options for the game's mass transit systems, such as ferries, cable cars, blimps, monorails and improved commuter hubs, among other additional assets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacLeod |first=Riley |date=28 February 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines will get a mass transit expansion |url=https://kotaku.com/1792819730 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314210934/https://kotaku.com/1792819730 |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=28 February 2017 |website=Kotaku}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Faller |first=Patrick |date=14 April 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines Mass Transit Expansion Gets New Trailer And Release Date |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-mass-transit-expansion-gets-new-tr/1100-6449360/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419055311/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-mass-transit-expansion-gets-new-tr/1100-6449360/ |archive-date=19 April 2017 |access-date=14 April 2017 |website=GameSpot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newhouse |first=Alex |date=18 May 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines DLC Out Today, Lets You Make A New Mass Transit System |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-dlc-out-today-lets-you-make-a-new-/1100-6450146/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314210726/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cities-skylines-dlc-out-today-lets-you-make-a-new-/1100-6450146/ |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=18 May 2017 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> A free update released alongside the DLC added things such as the ability to set custom names for individual streets in the game, and the ability to manage intersections by toggling traffic lights and [[Engineering:Stop sign|stop sign]]s.
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Green Cities'''''
| 19 October 2017
|-
| Allows the player to implement principles related to [[Sustainable development|sustainable development]] to cities, such as solar panel rooftops, electric cars, and other ecological improvements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scott-Jones |first=Richard |date=22 August 2017 |title=Go vegan with the Cities: Skylines Green Cities expansion |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/cities-skylines-green-cities-expansion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314212134/https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/cities-skylines-green-cities-expansion |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=22 August 2017 |website=PCGamesN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Liguori |first=Alice |date=19 October 2017 |title=Cities: Skylines – Green Cities does an excellent job of spreading the vegan cause |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/cities-skylines-green-cities-vegan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306053832/https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/cities-skylines-green-cities-vegan |archive-date=6 March 2021 |access-date=19 October 2017 |website=PCGamesN}}</ref> A free update released alongside this DLC overhauled how noise pollution works on roads, and added new trees and electric cars.
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Parklife'''''
|24 May 2018
|-
|Concentrates on building amusement parks, nature reserves, zoos, and city parks. Using the park area tool, the player can create large expanses of customizable parks and can also place various buildings along and close to pathways, not just on roads.<ref name="parklife">{{Cite web |last=Tarason |first=Dominic |date=18 April 2018 |title=Cities: Skylines aims to please all the people in Parklife |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/18/cities-skylines-aims-to-please-all-the-people-in-parklife/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511034024/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/18/cities-skylines-aims-to-please-all-the-people-in-parklife/ |archive-date=11 May 2018 |access-date=10 May 2018 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref> New district and area policies, new assets, and sightseeing tours were also added.<ref name="parklife2">{{Cite web |last=Wales |first=Matt |date=18 April 2018 |title=Cities Skylines' next expansion lets you build your own theme parks, zoos, and more |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-18-cities-skylines-next-expansion-lets-you-build-theme-parks-zoos-and-more |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520015805/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-18-cities-skylines-next-expansion-lets-you-build-theme-parks-zoos-and-more |archive-date=20 May 2019 |access-date=10 May 2018 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Industries'''''
| 23 October 2018
|-
| Enhances the industries in a player's city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 October 2018 |title=Cities: Skylines Industries Announcement Trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Z6OQ8kJ5A |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014081805/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Z6OQ8kJ5A |archive-date=14 October 2018 |access-date=11 October 2018 |website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}</ref> It allows players further customisation of the industrial aspects of their city by letting players micro-manage more parts of the industrial zoning. It also utilized resources a lot more allowing for more levels of resource specialisation and unique industrial buildings exclusive to the DLC. All of the new buildings are ploppable and are intertwined between each other whilst managing to function collaboratively.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 October 2018 |title=Industry Areas with TwoDollarsTwenty - Cities: Skylines Industries Tutorial Part 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06d7qASrteQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014084822/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06d7qASrteQ |archive-date=14 October 2018 |access-date=22 October 2018 |website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}</ref> A free update released alongside this DLC added things such as [[Engineering:Toll road|toll booths]].
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Campus'''''
| 21 May 2019
|-
| Allows players to zone university campuses with the campus area tool. Players can create three different types of campus – [[Social:Vocational school|trade schools]], liberal arts colleges, and [[Organization:University|universities]]. Other additions include museums, varsity sports facilities (e.g. baseball, basketball, swimming arenas) and academic works.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Alison |date=9 May 2019 |title=University Is Coming to Cities: Skylines |url=https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/university-is-coming-to-cities-skylines/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314204233/https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/university-is-coming-to-cities-skylines/ |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=9 May 2019 |website=Invision Game Community}}</ref> A free update released alongside this DLC added public libraries and [[Organization:School bus|school bus]]es, the latter of which works as a regular city bus.
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Sunset Harbor'''''
| 26 March 2020
|-
| Adds a new fishing industry, intercity buses, trolleybuses, transport hubs, helicopters, and several new buildings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 March 2020 |title=Cities: Skylines Sunset Harbor Announcement Trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5J9DrVruoU |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320035306/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5J9DrVruoU |archive-date=20 March 2020 |access-date=19 March 2020 |website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}</ref> A free update released alongside this DLC overhauled the metro system, allowing it to be above-ground.
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Airports'''''
| 25 January 2022
|-
| Introduces the ability to design and build custom airports. It was the first major DLC to be released for the game in nearly two years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 December 2021 |title=The Cities: Skylines Airports DLC will help your city take to the skies |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/cities-skylines-airports-dlc-announcement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211024515/https://www.windowscentral.com/cities-skylines-airports-dlc-announcement |archive-date=11 December 2021 |access-date=10 December 2021 |website=Windows Central}}</ref> A free update released alongside this DLC added new trees by modder MrMaison, as well as the ability to change the trees on roads with them.
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Plazas & Promenades'''''
| 14 September 2022
|-
| Introduces support for building pedestrian zones<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 August 2022 |title=Cities: Skylines Plazas & Promenades Announcement Trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Q8RN9ut4s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823010447/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Q8RN9ut4s |archive-date=23 August 2022 |access-date=23 August 2022 |website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}</ref> and adds high-capacity service buildings and schools, as well as wall-to-wall specializations. A free update was released alongside this DLC that added many new roads and one-way metro tracks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 September 2022 |title=Cities: Skylines Plazas & Promenades - New Expansion Features & Free Content |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3-fohe_w4I |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910001007/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3-fohe_w4I |archive-date=10 September 2022 |access-date=10 September 2022 |website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}</ref> Final major expansion for ''Cities: Skylines''.
|}
{{col-2}}

=== Cosmetic and flavor packs ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
! style="width: 15%;" | Name
! Release date / description
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Match Day'''''
| 9 June 2016
|-
| Free DLC released for players that adds a football stadium and allows players to host sporting events.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=10 February 2016 |title=Cities: Skylines free update adds theme editor, weather effects, and hats |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-free-update-adds-theme-editor-weather-effects-and-hats/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110151108/https://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-free-update-adds-theme-editor-weather-effects-and-hats/ |archive-date=10 January 2021 |access-date=10 February 2016 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Pearls From the East'''''
| 22 March 2017
|-
| ''Pearls From the East'' is a free cosmetic pack that was announced on 10 March 2017. Official description: 'Pearls from the East will bring a splash of style to your city, inspired by Chinese architecture and design! Give your residents some new attractions (and pandas!) to visit with three original buildings, each ready to become a unique part of your skyline.' <ref>{{Cite web |date=8 April 2017 |title=Pearls from the East – Cities: Skylines Wiki |url=https://skylines.paradoxwikis.com/Pearls_from_the_East |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626032144/https://skylines.paradoxwikis.com/Pearls_from_the_East |archive-date=26 June 2019 |access-date=26 June 2019 |publisher=[[Company:Paradox Interactive|Paradox Interactive]]}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Concerts'''''
| 17 August 2017
|-
| Mini-expansion. Adds the ability for players to place an event venue for concerts and festivals, and enact laws and regulations relating to these. Not released on console editions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Joe |date=17 August 2017 |title=Turn your city into a stage with Cities: Skylines' Concerts expansion |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/turn-your-city-into-a-stage-with-cities-skylines-concerts-expansion/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818042532/http://www.pcgamer.com/turn-your-city-into-a-stage-with-cities-skylines-concerts-expansion/ |archive-date=18 August 2017 |access-date=17 August 2017 |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Financial Districts'''''
| 13 December 2022
|-
| Introduces a new "investment" feature and allows various tweaks to a city's tax system, letting players use their funds to invest in the best industries for their population. It also adds a new district specialization with its own visual style and 104 new assets, including bank buildings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Graham |date=8 November 2022 |title=Cities: Skylines is getting financial districts, South Korean-inspired buildings and more |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/cities-skylines-is-getting-financial-districts-south-korean-inspired-buildings-and-more |access-date=9 March 2023 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wales |first=Matt |date=8 November 2022 |title=Cities: Skylines getting 10 bits of globe-trotting DLC starting next week |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/cities-skylines-getting-10-bits-of-globe-trotting-dlc-starting-next-week |access-date=9 March 2023 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | '''''Hotels & Retreats'''''
| 23 May 2023
|-
| Adds a variety of new unique hotel buildings, along with a new feature that allows players to manage their hotels.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-15 |title=After 8 years of DLC, Cities: Skylines' final content release arrives in May |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer.net |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/after-8-years-of-dlc-cities-skylines-final-content-release-arrives-in-may |access-date=2023-05-28}}</ref> Final DLC for ''Cities: Skylines''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-15 |title=Prepare yourselves, the final Cities Skylines DLCs have been revealed |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/cities-skylines/dlc-final |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolens |first=Joshua |date=2023-03-15 |title=Cities: Skylines puts out its final DLC roadmap before it goes away for good |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/cities-skylines-puts-out-its-final-dlc-roadmap-before-it-goes-away-for-good/ |access-date=2023-05-28}}</ref>
|}
{{col-end}}
{{clr}}

== Sequel == 
{{main|Software:Cities: Skylines II}}
Paradox Interactive announced a sequel to ''Cities: Skylines'' in March 2023, titled ''Cities: Skylines II''. The game was released on 24 October 2023 for Windows, and is scheduled for release in Q2 of 2024 for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Logan |last=Plant |date=2023-06-11 |title=Xbox Games Showcase 2023: Everything Announced |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-games-showcase-2023-everything-announced |access-date=2023-06-11 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://skylines.paradoxwikis.com/Cities:_Skylines_Wiki Official wiki]


[[Category:City-building games]]
[[Category:Linux games]]
[[Category:MacOS games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Transport simulation games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Cities: Skylines}}