City Building
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DEEPLANDERS – Beta Sign Up | Alpha Beta Gamer
DEEPLANDERS is a minimalist construction puzzle game where players build underground cities and help characters find homes. The game features gentle logic challenges, allowing for multiple solutions and replayability without combat or resource management. Beta sign-ups are currently open.
Steam Summer Sale Shows Strategy Games Are Competing With Backlogs, Not Just New Releases
The Steam Summer Sale highlights that strategy game players face immense competition not just from new releases but also from their existing backlogs. New strategy titles must offer a clear, compelling problem for players to solve and demonstrate unique system relationships to stand out amidst a mature market with deep discounts. Games like Mandate Order need to articulate why their specific blend of city-building, war, and management systems is worth the significant time investment required.
Grow your town with Go-Go Town on Switch and Switch 2 next week
Go-Go Town, the latest game from indie developer Prideful Sloth, is set to launch its version 1.0 on July 16 for PC and Nintendo Switch, with a dedicated, optimized version for Switch 2 also available. The game allows players to build and manage their own towns, featuring extensive customization, co-op gameplay, and a story mode. Prideful Sloth, known for Yonder and Grow: Song of the Evertree, has incorporated player feedback from Steam Early Access to refine the experience.
Bite Sized Reviews: Life Below
Life Below, developed by Megapop and published by Kasedo Games, offers a unique take on the city-building genre by focusing on reviving coral reefs and managing underwater ecosystems. While praised for its creativity, charming visuals, and gentle gameplay loop, the game may lack the depth some players seek in simulation-heavy titles. Ultimately, it succeeds in its goal of providing a refreshing and environmentally conscious twist on the genre.
Northgard Battlegrounds gets an Open Beta on Steam, starting July 9th
Northgard Battlegrounds, a new city-building auto-battler set in the Northgard universe, will launch an Open Beta on Steam from July 9th to July 15th. Developed by Funday Games and published by Shiro Unlimited, the game blends settlement management with automated tactical combat and features asynchronous PvP. The full Early Access release is planned for PC later in 2026.
Supercity celebrates 15 years with over $100M in revenue and 40M installs.
Playkot's city-building and life-simulation game SuperCity is celebrating its 15th anniversary, having surpassed $100 million in revenue and 40 million installs worldwide. The anniversary includes in-game gifts, a new Martian expedition, and quality-of-life updates. SuperCity is available for free on Browser and Facebook.
Apple Arcade Adds These New Games In July
Apple Arcade is adding six new games on July 2, including titles like Dungeon Clawler+, Creatures of the Deep+, Pocket City 2+, and Draw It+. The subscription service, priced at $7 per month, offers over 270 ad-free and in-app purchase-free games across Apple devices.
Copa City Review | TheXboxHub
Copa City is a football management simulator that focuses on the logistical aspects of matchday, such as stadium management and fan zone design, rather than player or team management. The game features licensed clubs like Arsenal and Bayern Munich, tasking players with satisfying different fan groups by building appropriate facilities. While the concept is original and the visuals are praised, the article notes that the controls can be unintuitive and frustrating, particularly when transitioning from PC to console.
Bellwright Review | TheXboxHub
Bellwright is an ambitious medieval life simulation and management game where players start from nothing and build a settlement, recruit villagers, and raise an army to rebel against those who framed them. While the game offers deep systems for survival, city building, and combat, it can feel rough around the edges with tricky menus and occasional graphical glitches. Despite its flaws, Bellwright provides a significant time investment for players seeking a comprehensive kingdom-building experience.
Steam Next Fest 之后，策略游戏需要的不只是更多系统，而是更清楚的战争理由
Following Steam Next Fest, the article argues that strategy games, particularly war simulations and city builders like Mandate Order, require clearer justifications for their complex systems rather than just more mechanics. Mandate Order, developed by Digital Sky, aims to connect city operations like farming and logistics directly to the necessity and execution of war, offering a model for how depth in strategy games can be achieved through causal relationships between systems.
Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust Adds A New City To Save – Or Lose
The Breach of Trust expansion for Frostpunk 2 is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. This new scenario introduces the city of New Edinburgh, facing political instability and a looming volcanic disaster. The DLC adds new mechanics, laws, buildings, and a Vote of Trust system to challenge players' leadership.
Mandate Order Announced
Chinese developer Digital Sky has announced Mandate Order, a city-building game set in ancient China. The title is currently in development for Windows.
Mandate Order Wants to Turn the City-Builder Into an Ancient War
Mandate Order is an upcoming ancient Chinese war city-builder from developer Digital Sky, set to launch in Q3 2026 on PC. The game challenges players to transform a small frontier settlement into a military stronghold by deeply integrating city-building mechanics with warfare, from resource management and logistics to conscription and battlefield formations.
You will never guess who turns up in this video about why you can't build British towns in SimCity 4
A video by YouTuber Chris Spargo explores why building British towns in SimCity 4 is problematic due to differences in governance and zoning compared to the US version. The video features an unexpected appearance by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who discusses devolution and local decision-making.
Cat Isle Is a Pixel-Art Management City Coming to Steam Next Month
Cat Isle, a pixel-art management and city-building game developed by indie team PixelDuckoo and DomkeGames, is set to launch on Steam for PC and Mac on July 20th, 2026. Inspired by Japan's Cat Islands, the game focuses on creating a thriving town for cats, managing shop supplies, and observing feline preferences.
After June’s Showcases, Strategy Games Need a New Battlefield
The article analyzes the recurring historical settings in strategy games, noting a reliance on familiar periods like Medieval Europe and World War II. It highlights the potential of less-explored settings, such as ancient China before the Three Kingdoms period, as demonstrated by the upcoming city-builder Mandate Order. The piece argues that deeper historical and systemic integration, rather than just novelty, can revitalize the genre.
Copa City is a sweet and sweaty mix of city-building and tycoon game in which you manage armies of football fans
Copa City is a new city-building and tycoon game where players manage football clubs by organizing matches, outfitting stadiums, and managing fan zones. The game, available on Steam, focuses on the management aspects surrounding football rather than the sport itself. The author expresses a personal dislike for football fandom, which colors their perspective on the game's mechanics.
Frostpunk 2 Breach of Trust Expansion Launches June 23 Across PC and Consoles | Invision Game Community
11 bit studios announced that Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust, the game's second major expansion, will launch on June 23 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. The DLC introduces a new scenario set in New Edinburgh, focusing on political and social crises, trust, and survival with new mechanics like Votes of Trust and environmental threats.
My Time at Evershine Gets New Trailer, Launching in 2027
Pathea Games and PM Studios have released a new trailer for My Time at Evershine, the next installment in the My Time series, set to launch in 2027. The game will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Players will take on the role of Governor, leading a settlement in a hopeful post-apocalyptic frontier, focusing on city-building and community growth alongside life simulation elements.
A deep city-building strategy game where civilizations evolve through multiple eras
Farom Studio has released a public demo for their upcoming PC city-building strategy game, Age After Age. The demo, available on Steam, allows players to experience the early stages of settlement management and core mechanics. The game features deep economic management, logistics, and multiple civilization development paths, with development emphasizing traditional methods over AI-generated art.