The Best City-building Games for Nintendo Switch

Update : Japan Train Models - JR Kyushu Edition added at rank #30.
1

Townscaper (2020)

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95
Review score
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PC Windows Mac OS IOS iPhone Xbox Series X Xbox One Android Nintendo Switch

Townscaper is a relaxing and creative town-builder game that lets you design your own picturesque floating towns with ease. With its colorful blocks and shapes that you can mix and match, you can create your dream villages whether you’re fidgeting or multitasking. The absence of missions or objectives allows you to immerse yourself fully in your creative flow and design your perfect idyllic town in no time. Get Townscaper for a soothing and creative gaming experience!

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What we like:
  • Simple mechanics
  • Stress-free
  • Perfect for fidgeting
What could be improved:
  • Limited building tools and updates
  • Lack of variety in buildings and structures
  • Unsymmetrical grid pattern
  • No greenery except in enclosed areas
  • Building larger structures can be tedious

  • city-building
  • experimental
  • sandbox
  • short
  • cute
  • minimalist
  • building
  • grid
  • procedural
  • relaxing
  • nature
  • family-friendly
  • stylized
  • colourful

2

Terra Nil (2023)

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81
Review score
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PC Windows Nintendo Switch Mac OS Linux IOS iPhone Android

Restore the environment to its former glory in Terra Nil, a reverse city-builder game that challenges you to rebuild a barren wasteland. Build grasslands, forests, wetlands and more using advanced eco-technology, and leave behind a pristine wilderness for the animals. With procedurally generated landscapes, each playthrough is unique, challenging and unpredictable. Terra Nil offers a peaceful, meditative experience with lush hand-painted environments, relaxing music and ambient soundscape. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the ecosystem you've restored with Appreciate mode.

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What we like:
  • Relaxing and engrossing gameplay loop
  • Gorgeous and vibrant hand-painted graphics
  • Procedurally generated maps create a unique experience with each playthrough
  • Effortless and straightforward game mechanics
  • Well-balanced difficulty that is not too challenging nor too easy
What could be improved:
  • Limited amount of content for its price
  • Limited replayability

  • city-building
  • relaxing
  • strategy
  • meditative
  • resource-management
  • puzzle
  • isometric

3

Airborne Kingdom (2020)

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86
Review score
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Xbox One Xbox Series X Mac OS PC Windows Playstation 5 Nintendo Switch Playstation 4

Airborne Kingdom is a strategy simulator game that presents a unique concept of relocating a civilization to the skies. The game has a mysterious set up and setting, which intrigues and immerses the player in a vibrant and alive game world with organic world building and lore. Manage your air kingdom as you move to discover new resources, all while making sure your residents are happy, and enjoy the immersive experience of this visually stunning game world.

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What we like:
  • Innovative mechanics
  • Beautiful visuals
  • Compelling gameplay
  • Relaxing and meditative
  • Ear-worm soundtrack
What could be improved:
  • Lack of replay value & short gameplay time
  • Limited depth in city development
  • Slow progression
  • High price for amount of content

  • city-building
  • relaxing
  • steampunk
  • resource

4

SteamWorld Build (2023)

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76
Review score
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Nintendo Switch Xbox Series X Xbox One Playstation 5 Playstation 4 PC Windows

Break ground on a new frontier as the planet dies around you! Dig deep and build wide to excavate long-lost spacefaring technology, while ensuring everyone has the vital water, fuel and creature comforts they need! Do you have what it takes to reach the final frontier?


  • city-building
  • management
  • steampunk
  • robots

5

Before We Leave (2020)

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80
Review score
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PC Windows Xbox One Xbox Series X Playstation 5 Playstation 4 Nintendo Switch Mac OS

Before We Leave is a city-building game set in a post-apocalyptic world where you can grow your own civilization across various islands and planets. The game's atmosphere is calming and relaxed, and the music matches the gameplay perfectly. There are no violent elements, and you can grow your society at your own pace. With a good mix of resource management and logistics, the game is enjoyable for players who want a peaceful way to spend their time.


What we like:
  • Well-paced tutorial
  • Cute and relaxing game style
  • Variety of progression and resources
  • Good logistics challenge
  • Smart Shipping makes trading easier
What could be improved:
  • Limited tech tree depth
  • Population growth doesn't add value
  • Lack of equalization across planets
  • Game-breaking bug in late trading

  • city-building
  • 4x
  • resource
  • resource-management
  • hex

6

Tropical Resort Story (2022)

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98
Review score
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PC Windows IOS iPhone Android Nintendo Switch Playstation 4

In Tropical Resort Story, you get to develop your own lush island full of nature and create the most luxurious resort possible. From building accommodations to discovering great travel packages, you can make your guests' dreams come true. Improve the ocean water quality by adding marine plants and rocks in the ocean, and releasing fish you've caught while fishing. With more tourists visiting your island, you get to open stores and restaurants, and even create new products. This game will keep you hooked on creating your tropical paradise!

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What we like:
  • Ability to create immersive natural environment
  • Opportunity to collaborate with business partners
  • Discovering winning combinations of features
  • Colorful and appealing graphics and sound effects
  • Easy to learn and play
What could be improved:
  • Janky handling on desktop
  • Narrow grid range makes building efficiency difficult
  • Limited challenge, low pressure gameplay

  • colony
  • simulation
  • city-building
  • 2d
  • casual
  • nature
  • building
  • pixel
  • cute
  • colourful
  • relaxing
  • fishing

7

Grow: Song of The Evertree (2021)

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74
Review score
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Xbox One PC Windows Nintendo Switch Playstation 4

Grow: Song of the Evertree is an awe-inducing experience firmly planted between an adventure game and a sweet casual farm game. The game is beautiful with opportunities to explore the world around you and keep it casual with the gameplay, whilst feeding you the story. You get to customize your character and go on a journey to save the Evertree and nurture the world back to health from the Withering. You even get your very own sweet dragon companion!

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What we like:
  • Beautiful art style & music
  • Customizable character
  • Relaxed gameplay
  • Dragon companion
  • Non-binary characters supported
  • No punishment or rush for doing things wrong
What could be improved:
  • Slow going
  • Not strictly accessible in terms of customization options

  • farming
  • simulation
  • city-building
  • wholesome
  • open-world
  • management
  • sandbox
  • exploration
  • agriculture
  • cute
  • life
  • world-crafting
  • colourful
  • relaxing
  • nature

8

Urbek City Builder (2022)

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89
Review score
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Xbox Series X Xbox One Nintendo Switch PC Windows Playstation 4 l

Urbek is a city building game where you can build your own neighbourhoods: from nightlife district to industrial district. Don't exhaust your natural resources before you have an educated population to build more efficient structures.


  • city-building
  • voxel
  • agriculture
  • building
  • resource-management
  • simulation
  • modern
  • management
  • economy
  • procedural
  • political
  • sandbox
  • minimalist
  • replay-value
  • family-friendly

9

Kingdom Eighties (2023)

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78
Review score
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Android Nintendo Switch Linux Mac OS PC Windows Xbox One IOS iPhone

Kingdom Eighties is a standalone expansion to the award-winning Kingdom series. A singleplayer epic adventure of micro-strategy and base building. Defend your town against the mysterious Greed, and discover the secrets of your family lineage!

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  • pixel
  • micro-strategy
  • colony
  • base-building
  • city-building
  • tower-defense
  • strategy
  • simulation
  • survival
  • economy
  • resource-management
  • building
  • skateboard
  • medieval
  • procedural

10

Zoo Park Story (2023)

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85
Review score
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Nintendo Switch PC Windows IOS iPhone Android

Well, what are you waiting for? Build a top-ranking zoo, set social media ablaze, and show the world your wild side!

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  • simulation
  • colony
  • zoo
  • zoo-goers
  • top-ranking
  • nature
  • life
  • city-building
  • pixel
  • casual
  • top-down
  • building
  • snow
  • romance
  • 2d

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