Will Wright with his path breaking game, SimCity Classic, fascinated people with the idea of building and governing their very own simulated cities. Since then, several games were launched that gave their own special twist to the genre of city building simulation. As technology improved and PCs became faster, the quality of the games also showed an incredible improvement. So, here are the Top Five city building games that promise to keep you addicted for days together:

1. SimCity 4 Deluxe

Pros

A great game for lovers of the city building genre

User friendly, color coded interface

Cons

Becomes very slow at times, forcing you at times to just let the game play by itself after you have

laid the foundations

If you just want to play the role of the almightily architect, and not be bothered by the several niggling distractions of managing and governing the city and its inhabitants then, SimCity series is for you. You can build roads, buildings, industrial and entertainment zones, residential areas and watch your city flourish and grow.

2. Caesar IV

Pros

Several hours of compelling game play

Numerous game play modes

Excellent graphics – especially enjoyable if you have a PIII or P IV

Extremely detailed management of the economy (loved by serious gamers)

Scenario Editor

Cons

Military aspect – could have been planned better

The mighty Roman empire continues to spread with the latest addition to the pack "Caesar IV". Though not a path breaking game by any means, Caesar 4, faithfully sticks to the tried and tested routine of the earlier Caesar games. You are given a barren but beautiful patch of land where you have to build a city. Start off by building housing complexes and watch new residents arrive and settle down on. You will grow food, create jobs, build defenses, fight wars, and placate vengeful Gods – the city building cycle. This however doesn’t mean that “Caesar 4” feels tedious or boring. The Challenges of building the perfect Roman city gives several hours and days of gaming time, and the right mix of playing modes, difficulty and entertainment makes “Caesar IV” stand out as a one of the best city building games ever developed.

3. Glory of the Roman Empire

Pros

Superb graphics

An in game tutorial, takes you through your first city, while helping you grasp the basics

Cons

Very Short Campaigns

No difficulty levels, making the game seem like a watered down version of Caesar

Like Caesar IV, Glory of the Roman Empire too is based on recreating the glory of the ancient Roman empire. The MensXpert team would recommend this game to those who are new to the city building genre. "Glory of the Roman Empire", when compared to the challenges posed the gamers by other city building games seems fairly easy and city building veterans can breeze through the scenarios. If games only had to be judged on basis of their graphics, “Glory of the Roman Empire” would win hands down. But its short campaigns and overly simplistic game play won’t be appreciated by those who have had their brains challenged by the tough campaigns of games like Caesar and Zeus.

4. City Life World Edition

Pros

Amazing range of camera angles – from Satellite to first person

Easy playability

Map Editing feature

Wonderful Graphics

Cons

Doesn’t have a detailed budget Structure

There’s no hands-on tutorial

"City Life" can’t be described as your usual city building Sims. While here too you will need to build residences, factories, roads, but the central focus of the game is not building the infrastructure that makes the city, rather it’s on the people who live in the city. This is where the “City Life World Edition” deviates from the games in the genre. While in all other city building games, the Ruler (the gamer) has minimal contact with his subjects, in this game he has to focus his attentions on keeping his subjects happy. What complicates and adds color to City Life is that there are six social classes who are interdependent on each other (elites won’t grow food on the farms, but will eat the food grown there), whether they like it or not.

5. Pharaoh

Pros

Beautiful 3D graphics

Several hours of game play

Easy to learn Camera Controls

Cons

The Game pace starts to drag at places

There are a few graphical bugs

A game for all serious city building fans, “Pharaoh” will transport you into the world of Ancient Egyptians, as they etched immortality on the harsh and unforgiving land of Ancient Egypt. As the new Governor, you will always be besotted by the challenge of making sure that the city grows enough food to support its ever increasing population. And it’s no easy feat, especially if you are surrounded by sand on all sides. While you have to grapple with the challenge of growing enough food and barley (so that your hard working citizens have enough beer to keep them chilled out), you also have to construct special structures like Mastabas, Obelisks and Pyramids.

These not only take a lot of time but also a hell lot of room. Building a Pyramid means that you would need to designate as much as one quarter of your land area. “Pharaoh” isn’t a game for casual gamers, who will find its slow pace frustrating, but for those who are willing to cast a blind eye to its flaws and love the sight of watching their city mature and grow.