Paradox Interactive and publisher Colossal Order have released the highly anticipated sequel, Cities: Skylines 2 on PC (Steam, Windows, $49.99).

The sequel is bigger than the original — maps are literally five times larger! Players can select the climate and biome for each city, which will affect pollution as well as seasonal weather challenges.

District zoning has been expanded and diversified, road tools are flexible and intuitive, and city economics use intricate AI tools to present players with challenges and strategies.

If you prefer a deeper dive, Skylines 2 simulates its citizens. Each citizen has a unique life, including a job, home, families, and more. Shape the lives of individual citizens, as if you needed more of a god-complex while playing!

“Cities: Skylines II is about more than just building; it is about impact,” said Mariina Hallikainen, CEO, Colossal Order. “Each choice players make affects their citizens and the world around them in meaningful ways. Never before have players had so much freedom to manage these consequences from different angles by experimenting with and combining systems. We empower our players to plan, build, and grow the cities of their dreams however they want.”

Cities: Skylines 2 is also available in an Ultimate Edition ($89.99), which includes the Expansion Pass, including a San Francisco set at launch, and several DLC packs that will release throughout 2023 and the first half of 2024.

Skylines 2 is coming to PlayStation and Xbox next Spring. It’s rated E for Everyone.


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Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.