City Builder
Ongoing coverage on City Builder.
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What are we all playing this weekend?
Several members of the RPS team are discussing their weekend gaming plans. Julian is playing the city builder Corsair Cove, Edwin is trying a solo journalling RPG, and Jeremy is working on guides and a review for a demanding but good game. James mentions playing STALKER 2.
Combolands is a roguelike city builder that fuses Balatro’s combo math with Cities: Skylines tile-laying
Combolands is a new roguelike city builder from Crux Games that blends the combo-math mechanics of Balatro with the tile-laying gameplay of Cities: Skylines. Players must strategically place tiles to maximize adjacency bonuses within a limited time frame to meet population milestones. The game is set to release on August 24 for PC via Steam.
The King is Watching revels in magic, menace and distraction
The King is Watching is a unique blend of city builder and tower defense where players must manage resources and defend their town from waves of enemies. The core mechanic involves directing a king's gaze to specific buildings to generate resources, forcing players to constantly prioritize actions. This clever and engaging gameplay loop, combined with roguelite elements, makes for a compelling experience that mirrors the distractions of modern life.
ShackStream: Indie-licious Episode 209 - Spiritstead
This article previews Spiritstead, a cozy rural village-building game developed by Turbo Dog Games. Players will use magic and spirits to develop a village, attract and keep villagers happy, and manage their needs. The game is set to release on PC on August 6, 2026.
This week in PC games: GoldenEye returns (sort of), plus janky arcade football, ballpoint cities, and a game about keeping the monsters inside Area 51
This week's PC game releases feature a variety of genres, including horror titles like T.W.I.R.L. and Homeostasis, alongside city builders such as Verde and factory games like Sandustry. Notable new entries include Agent 64: Spies Never Die, a spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007, and the quirky football sim Pro Jank Footy. The article also touches on the upcoming release of a highly anticipated game that has generated significant buzz among guides writers.
Best new mobile games on iOS and Android - August 2026 round-up
This August 2026 round-up highlights new mobile games for iOS and Android, including the medieval city builder Townsmen: A Kingdom Rebuilt, the tactical witch combat game Witchcraft!, and the cat-themed idle RPG Meow Knights. Other featured titles include Beat Hazard Arcade, Ringdown: Switchboard Puzzle, Tower Of Fortune: Pralaya, and the mining roguelite Voidloop, offering a diverse range of genres for mobile players.
Dynasty of the Sands – Beta Sign Up | Alpha Beta Gamer
Dynasty of the Sands is an upcoming survival city builder set in ancient Egypt, where players will guide a civilization along the Nile. The game features deep simulations of seasons, day/night cycles, weather, and individual villager needs. Players can sign up for a beta playtest to experience building their legacy.
New pirate city builder Corsair Cove embraces the beauty of chaos
Corsair Cove, a new pirate-themed city builder from Limbic Entertainment and published by Hooded Horse, is now available on Steam. The game emphasizes chaotic pirate whimsy over traditional order, featuring vertical building on islands and sending ships out to pillage. It offers players freedom to pursue notoriety, empire, seafaring, or wealth, with a launch discount available until August 14.
New pirate city builder Corsair Cove embraces the beauty of chaos
Corsair Cove, a new pirate-themed city builder from Limbic Entertainment and published by Hooded Horse, has been released on Steam. The game emphasizes chaotic pirate whimsy over traditional order, featuring vertical building on rocky islands and ship pillaging. It offers players freedom to pursue notoriety, empire, seafaring, or wealth, and includes mythical elements like krakens. A launch discount is available until August 14.
Oats, Cheese, Beef, and Mead: Manor Lords adds a veritable feast of new produce and 'advanced' buildings
An update for the medieval city builder Manor Lords, developed by Slavic Magic, introduces new mechanics including advanced buildings, seasonal animal breeding, and new produce like oats, cheese, beef, and mead. The patch also includes balance changes and an overhauled interface, accessible via the Steam beta branch.
Coming Out in gaming this week — August 3, 2026
This week's gaming releases include a variety of titles across multiple genres and platforms. Highlights include "Beast of Reincarnation," an action RPG with unique combat, and "Big Walk," a cooperative adventure from the creators of "Untitled Goose Game." Other notable releases are "Lies of P: Complete Edition" for the Switch 2, "Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls," and the roguelike FPS "Gunstoppable."
Corsair Cove Sets Sail On PC And Game Pass – Time To Build The Ultimate Pirate Haven
Corsair Cove, a PC-exclusive city builder and strategy game developed by Limbic Entertainment and published by Hooded Horse, has launched on PC and is available via Game Pass. The game challenges players to build a thriving pirate settlement on rugged terrain, manage resources and crew demands, and defend against enemy fleets while exploring surrounding islands.
Cosy City Builder and Life Management Game Spiritstead Brings Magic to PC Soon
Turbo Dog Games' debut title, Spiritstead, a cosy city-builder and life management game inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's films, will launch on PC via Steam on August 6th, 2026, for $9.99. Players will build a lively village, discover spirits with special abilities, and can choose between Adventure Mode or Creative Mode.
The King is Watching – And He Deserves Your Full Attention
The King is Watching, a unique blend of city builder, roguelite, and tower defense, has launched on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC for £12.49. The game requires players to constantly monitor their kingdom to maintain productivity, offering a frantic balancing act with roguelite elements ensuring replayability. The Xbox version includes the Volcano Update from day one, and the game has received a 5/5 review score.
Corsair Cove review
Corsair Cove is a vibrant and playful pirate-themed city builder that offers compelling logistical challenges. Developed by Limbic Entertainment and published by Hooded Horse, the game features vertical city building on a skull-shaped island, requiring players to manage resources and connect structures via bridges, ziplines, and elevators. The game also includes surprisingly involved seafaring adventures with card-based combat and stealth missions, all tied together by a unique progression system based on pirate principles.
Coming Out in gaming this week — July 27, 2026
This week's gaming releases include Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the original Halo campaign with updated visuals and new missions. Other notable titles launching are the strategy game Space Imperia 4X, the dark fantasy extraction ARPG Mistfall Hunter, and the anime-inspired driving game Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!. Additionally, Kusan: City of Wolves, Blue Reflection Quartet, Rita, The Relic: First Guardian, and Corsair Cove are also set to release across various platforms.
Game Demos
Clicky Islands is a PC game available on Steam that combines incremental gameplay, clicker mechanics, city-building elements, and resource management. Players take on the role of a governor managing resources and developing their city.
Next Week on XBOX: New Games for July 27 to 31
Xbox has announced a slate of new games arriving on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Game Pass between July 27th and July 31st. Titles include remakes like Halo: Campaign Evolved, new adventures such as Dispatch and Mistfall Hunter, and various other genres like city builders, RPGs, and puzzle games.
Storybook Norse-Inspired City Builder Thveit Announced for PC
Publisher Crytivo and developer Winter Cats Studios have announced Thveit, a new city-building game for PC inspired by Norse mythology. Players will manage settlers and build a community on a procedurally generated island, coexisting with creatures from folklore by studying their needs and potentially gaining their aid. The game also features exploration of nearby islands for resources and new settlers.
Thveit is a Norse citybuilder filled with folklore creatures where the changing seasons shape how you develop your village
Thveit is a new Norse folklore-inspired citybuilder where players manage a village and its inhabitants through changing seasons. The game features resource management, building, and interactions with mythical creatures like trolls and dragons, who can aid players if properly cared for. Thveit is planned for an early access release on PC, with a specific launch date yet to be announced.
