Best Co-Op City Building Games, Ranked (2024)

The city-building genre has been around for many years, with iconic games such as SimCity 2000, Banished, and Cities: Skylines being among the genre's greatest entries. However, many of these games are exclusively single-player affairs, which is unfortunate for those who enjoy playing with friends.

Many city-builders that include multiplayer features are versus games, but there are a handful that include options for online co-op. However, while most of these games are strictly about city-building, some of them - such as Parkitect and OpenTTD - don't fit the description as well as others. Regardless, fans of city-builders should enjoy many of these co-op games.

Updated on August 3, 2024, by Harry Ted Sprinks: City-builders are a dime a dozen on the Steam store, with a variety of experiences available that allow players to design, plan, and build massive cities. Unfortunately, many of these city-builders are designed as single-player experiences. Games that feature light city-building elements are usually more open to cooperative play, with games such as Conan Unconquered and Go-Go Town being some of the most recent examples. There are, however, a handful of traditional city-builders that do fit the bill, such as Anno 1800.

10 Skyward Collapse

A Rough-Edged God-Game With Online Co-Op

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2013
• Developer(s): Arcen Games
• Genre: God-Game

Skyward Collapse is a rough-edged God-game in which players build multiple cities in a turn-based fashion, placing tiles and optimizing their score. However, Skyward Collapse doesn't hit every mark, and many players simply may not enjoy its slow-paced gameplay.

Graphically, Skyward Collapse is also a bit of a mess, though it does retain a certain old-school charm. However, despite its downsides, Skyward Collapse does have a handful of interesting and innovative ideas that make it worth a try. Furthermore, the game can be played in online co-op with up to eight players.

9 Go-Go Town

An Accessible, Boots-On-The-Ground City-Builder

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2024
• Developer(s): Prideful Sloth
• Genre: City-Builder

Go-Go Town is a relatively lightweight experience that's more about building and expanding a town, rather than a city. This allows Go-Go Town to be extremely accessible, and its shared/split-screen co-op allows players to enjoy it together.

Go-Go Town is also a relatively unique city-builder, giving players control over their own character and allowing them to perform errands in and around the town. Although its management and building mechanics are limited, Go-Go Town is an accessible co-op experience that's as colorful as it is charming.

8 Parkitect

A Nostalgic Throwback That Can Be Played With Friends

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2018
• Developer(s): Texel Raptor
• Genre: Tycoon

This throwback tycoon game is a nostalgic business-sim that tasks players with building and managing a theme park. The nostalgic gameplay of Parkitect clearly hearkens to the likes of games such as Rollercoaster Tycoon, and although players don't build a literal city, the gameplay loop is a similar affair.

In Parkitect, players will have to build and manage their park by creating rides, managing finances/logistics, and ensuring that their customers are happy. The game features both a campaign and a sandbox mode, either of which can be played with up to eight players in online co-op.

7 Northgard

Expanding And Managing Norse Settlements

This Norse-themed strategy game tasks players with building and expanding a settlement through the careful management of their resources and Vikings. Every game, players take on the role of a unique clan, often attempting to conquer as much of the continent as possible.

Northgard also features a Conquest mode that allows players to play through challenging scenarios in online co-op. Furthermore, the game's multiplayer mode allows players to play both with and against their friends.

6 Age Of Empires 2

Leading And Managing Small Civilizations

This classic combination of real-time strategy game and city-builder tasks players with leading and managing one of several civilizations. In Age Of Empires 2, players will gather and manage resources to build and expand their territory, and eventually muster an army to conquer nearby opponents.

Age Of Empires 2 is a tried and true classic that's aged well since its 1999 release. The game was further improved and brought into the modern age with its 2019 Definitive Edition, making it easier than ever to play co-op with friends through Steam.

5 Tropico 6

Growing Cities On An Archipelago

This city-builder takes place on an archipelago, in which players must manage resources, engage in light diplomacy, and attempt to grow their city. Tropico 6 is arguably one of the best entries in the long-running series, innovating on its ideas while still feeling like a Tropico game.

Tropico is highly focused on player agency and leadership gameplay, offering players the freedom to rule how they want, which helps it to distinguish itself from other city-builders. Despite the game being fairly visually bland, being able to play with friends helps to improve the overall experience.

4 Conan Unconquered

Building And Defending A City In Online Co-Op

Although Conan Unconquered is more of a real-time strategy game than a city-builder, it has a heavy focus on base-building and defense. In this way, Conan Unconquered is not dissimilar from RTS icons such as Stronghold.

Conan Unconquered also features multiplayer co-op, allowing players to build a shared stronghold. Together, players defend their stronghold against waves of relentless enemies. This results in a game that's much more about a good defense than it is about effective city management, but players who enjoy both real-time strategy and city-building should consider giving it a go regardless.

3 OpenTTD

An Open-Source Transport Tycoon Centered Around Infrastructure

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2004
• Developer(s): OpenTTD
• Genre: Building, Tycoon

Though more of a tycoon game than a fully-fledged city-builder, OpenTTD has plenty of the gameplay mechanics that city-builder fans enjoy. Instead of building and expanding a city directly, however, OpenTTD tasks players with running the transportation of cities across the country.

The main gameplay of OpenTTD revolves around building and managing the infrastructure of transportation in various areas, all while keeping the local authorities happy and ensuring that the operation remains profitable. Players will also have to contend with AI (or player) opponents, though the game also boasts online co-op.

2 Anno 1800

A Highly Strategic City-Builder

This entry in the long-running Anno series takes place in the 19th century and tasks players with building a massive city. Players will have to worry about their logistics, economy, and diplomacy throughout every game, making Anno a highly strategic city-builder.

Anno 1800 is arguably one of the most polished and well-designed Anno games, with high-quality visuals and strong multiplayer components. Although Anno 1800 has plenty of content to enjoy in single-player, it's arguably more fun when played with friends, especially in online co-op.

1 Kingdoms Reborn

Building Cities With A Unique Card System

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2020
• Developer(s): Earthshine
• Genre: City-Builder

This Banished-adjacent city-builder has players building a Kingdom and managing resources as one of several civilizations with their own unique styles. As seen in games such as Civilization, Kingdoms Reborn sees players progressing through several Ages as they research and unlock new technology.

However, unlike most city-builders, such as Banished, Kingdoms Reborn uses a unique card system to distinguish itself. At the end of every in-game season, players choose building cards that allow them to construct the depicted structure. This dramatically helps Kingdoms Reborn stand out, and the online co-op is another welcome addition.