Are you looking for new building games? Then take a look at these 14 diamonds in the rough that already have a lot of city-building fun to offer before release!
Hey, I feel the same as you. I sit at the rainy window every evening and look longingly out into the world. Melancholic. Waiting. Waiting for a new building game in which I can sink many hours and in which my wildest city-building dreams can become reality in historical, modern and imaginative settings.
In doing so, I sometimes forget to turn away from the window and cast my gaze on building games that I can already play – even though they have not yet been fully released. Early Access is an extremely popular development model for construction games in 2022 and that”s great news for us! Because there are currently year 14 exciting building games that already have hours of fun to offer in Early Access And I have compiled them here for you like-minded people. Have fun browsing!
Table of Contents
Workers & Resources
(Developer: 3Division – In Early Access since: 2019 – Release planned: 2022 – Rating trend: 75-85)
Whenever we compile a list of any kind on the best current construction games, upcoming construction games or construction secret tips, you show up. You fans of Workers & Resources. You get out of your W50 trucks and look out the windows of your 60s prefab houses and you write something like, “Yeah, but what about Workers & Resources”?
So if you”re in the mood for unprecedented management depth, a unique setting and a game that”s already extremely challenging in Early Access.
Farthest Frontier
(Developer: Crate Entertainment – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2023 – Rating trend: 80-85)
At the moment, no bodybuilding fan can get past Farthest Frontier. We”ve been waiting for it for a long time, and now the great city-building hope has finally started in Early Access and is hitting the ground like a much-needed liquor delivery. The medieval building game only reminds us of Anno at first glance, but at second glance it offers something completely unique.
If a mix of beautiful medieval graphics, a dash of survival and exciting commodity chains sounds like fun to you, then you can read more about it in our Early Access test:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/farthest-frontier-in-the-exclusive-test-the-new-construction-hit-fulfils-a-dream-even-for-anno-fans/
Foundation
(Developer: Polymorph Games – In Early Access since: 2019 – Release planned: tbd – Rating trend: 70-80)
You”ll also find even more medieval city-building (there can”t be too much!) in Foundation, which again brings its own unique strengths. Organic paths, for example. Well? Does that sound like something?
Modular building construction, beautiful building as an important feature and progress bars for the population strata that unlock new building variations – Foundation brings a lot of its own ideas and is evolving in an ever better direction with its latest update.
Sweet Transit
(Developer: Ernestas Norvaišas – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2023 – Rating trend: 70-80)
Have you ever sat in front of a building game and thought to yourself “Oh, one city is just not enough”? Then Sweet Transit is your answer! It lets you build a whole series of cities, which you then connect with a clever railway network – and there you have it, a mixture of construction game and railway simulation!
You have to bear in mind that Sweet Transit quickly becomes very complex – in Early Access sometimes at the expense of comprehensibility. However, if you can get to grips with the game”s own tutorials or exchange information with other players, you can expect a gem of micromanagement here:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/sweet-transit-the-factorio-for-peace-loving-railway-enthusiasts/
The Wandering Village
(Developer: Stray Fawn – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2022 – Rating trend: 73-83)
Just one look at the trailer of The Wandering Village is enough to see: This game is something special. Sure, it”s also about building a functioning settlement and farming resources. Only on the back of a gigantic living creature that leisurely snorts and stomps its way through various biomes of the post-apocalypse.
Those who like city-building with a dash of survival can have a lot of fun in endless mode even in Early Access. Curious now? Find out more in our Early Access test:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/the-wandering-village-in-the-test-this-building-game-turns-the-genre-on-its-head/
Timberborn
(Developer: Mechanistry – In Early Access since: 2021 – Release planned: tbd – Rating trend: 70-80)
There is only one species that prefers building even more than annoholics: beavers. So it”s actually only logical that sooner or later they become the heroes in a city-building simulation. Timberborn shines, of course, primarily because of its incredibly fresh setting, but the building game in Early Access also has a lot to offer mechanically – because the beavers are not just a fun gimmick.
There are two factions: One beaver colony prefers to build with its tried-and-tested wood, the other uses human scrap as material for its projects. Of course, the animals also indulge in their favourite pastime and build dams and clever river constructions with water wheels and the like. Would you like to read more about the construction game? Then take a look at our Early Access preview:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/timberborn-preview-already-great-city-building-with-potential-for-more/
Against the Storm
(Developer: Eremite Games – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2023 – Rating trend: 78-82)
No, this isn”t Warcraft, it just looks a bit like it! However, Against the Storm plays completely differently. Because it is a Roguelite construction game mix. That means: You build against time and the biting storm and also try to fulfil ten orders for the queen.
Against the Storm is anything but contemplative: it is challenging and only something for people who love time pressure and maximum efficiency. So for Martin Deppe, for example, who has already played the game for you and couldn”t get away from it:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/the-build-up-game-against-the-storm-shows-off-its-ever-changing-fantasy-world/
LakeSide
(Developer: Massive Galaxy Studios – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2023)
LakeSide reignites the flame of rare sidescroller building games! In beautiful 2D optics, you build a tranquil city on the coast and erect temples, housing estates and monuments. LakeSide looks like a little love letter to beautiful architecture. The special thing about it: You get different types of buildings in each playthrough, so you have to adjust your strategy accordingly.
You can read more about the unique game concept here:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/lakeside-a-beautiful-building-game-with-exceptional-mechanics/
Highrise City
(Developer: 3Division – In Early Access since: 2019 – Release planned: 2022 – Rating trend: 75-85)
Modern city-building fans have had Highrise City on their radar for some time. Although the simulation looks like a Cities Skylines at first glance, it is more like an Anno in a modern city setting – with a few dashes of Sim City.
In plain language, this means that you define zones in which your inhabitants are to settle and raise production buildings by hand, because your different population strata want to be supplied with all kinds of consumer goods. There is – as in Anno – almost endless optimisation potential for your own large city and thus brings a much greater economic factor to the genre of modern city sims!
Captain of Industry
(Developer: MaFi Games – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2025 – Rating trend: 75-83)
Do you happen to be a fan of any of the following building giants – Anno, Sim City or Factorio? Yes? Great, then the chances are good that Captain of Industry will already be a lot of fun for you in Early Access, because it picks up aspects from all three representatives.
If you can do without an extensive tutorial and like to work your way into complex structures yourself, then you”ll get a great factory-building simulation with the typical “only 5 minutes left, oops, 4 o”clock in the morning” effect.
Prehistoric Kingdom
(Developer: Blue Meridian – In Early Access since: 2022 – Release planned: 2024 – Rating trend: 65-85)
Imagine going to a fucking dinosaur park – but being totally unimpressed and bad-tempered during your visit because there are just too few bins. This is exactly the kind of madness we love about park-building games. Jurassic World Evolution in 2018 was a real dream come true for confirmed dino fans – but one we woke up from pretty quickly, because especially in terms of design freedom, it was quite a disappointment.
Park lovers became all the more emotional about Prehistoric Kingdom, which looked suspiciously like the Jurassic World we”d always wanted. Now the case is even more complicated in the Early Access test. Because at the moment the game only offers an extensive construction editor à la Planet Zoo and rudimentary management. For whom it can still be worthwhile, you can read in our test:
https://www.global-esports.news/general/prehistoric-kingdom-in-test-a-building-game-between-overhit-and-megaflop/
Kingdoms Reborn
(Developer: 3Division – In Early Access since: 2019 – Release planned: 2022 – Rating trend: 75-85)
Kingdoms Reborn is an exciting case. It mixes building strategy with a virtually limitless open world and adds a dash of survival and Civilization. Yes, that”s right. Here, too, you lead your people through the ages and develop an advanced civilisation with the help of research. In addition, there is an unusual card mechanic, because you build from a constantly renewing deck.
In our test from 2020, Kingdoms Reborn was not quite convincing with its scope, but in the meantime the building game has grown strongly and enjoys thousands of positive reviews on Steam – some of whom had tens of hours of fun with Kingdom Reborns.
Ymir
(Developer: Thibaud Michaud – In Early Access since: 2019 – Release planned: tbd – Rating trend: -)
At first glance, Ymir is little different from other building strategy games: You take control of a tribe, settle on a huge world map, research technologies and fight other tribes. But then you might put on your glasses, look a little closer and realise that your tribe is made up of pigs. And then you put on your second pair of glasses and realise that the pigs aren”t even the biggest feature of Ymir. Because the opposing factions here are controlled by other players and your game goes on endlessly – even when you”re not even on the PC.
Ostriv
(Developer: yevhen8 – In Early Access since: 2020 – Release planned: tbd – Rating trend: 60-70)
Finally, we have an unusual tip for you: Ostriv makes you the mayor of a small Ukrainian town in the 18th century and lets you fully enjoy building. No military, no limitations due to grids – simply the pure idyll of model building.
No natural disasters to get in your way, just beautiful music and fun observing your own town. Ostriv always gets updates that improve your building experience even more or make your society”s social system more exciting.
Which of our building tips have you already tried out in Early Access? Which ones will you check out? What insider tips do you still have up your sleeves? Tell us about them in the comments
