Games Like Ancient Cities

Command a settlement of ancient humans, guide them through the ages in their struggle for survival. Hunt, gather, craft tools, fight, research new techs and face the challenges the environment will throw at you.

Why similar: City Builder 40.8%, Colony Sim 20.8% ★, Survival 12.2%, Historical 9%, Strategy 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: This is the closest thematic match, focusing on the evolution of a prehistoric tribe through the Stone Age and beyond.

Ostriv is a city-building game that puts you in a role of a governor of an 18th century Ukrainian town to challenge your creative skills and management abilities.

Why similar: City Builder 22.5%, Historical 11.9%, Colony Sim 11.3% ★, Survival 7.6%, Economy 6.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a high level of historical realism and organic building mechanics that mirror the immersive simulation of Ancient Cities.

Protect and guide your people as you forge a town from untamed wilderness at the edge of the known world. Harvest raw materials, hunt, fish and farm to survive. Produce crafted items to trade, consume, equip and fight with as you battle for your survival against the elements and outside threats.

Why similar: City Builder 20.4%, Historical 11.3%, Colony Sim 10.7% ★, Economy 7.8%, Building 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game provides a deep, challenging survival experience where managing food, water, and disease is critical to your settlement's success.

In this city-building strategy game, you control a group of exiled travelers who decide to restart their lives in a new land. They have only the clothes on their backs and a cart filled with supplies from their homeland. The townspeople of Banished are your primary resource.

Why similar: City Builder 37.1%, Colony Sim 21.9% ★, Survival 10.5%, Strategy 7.4%, Simulation 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: As the definitive survival city-builder, it shares the core loop of managing resources and population against harsh environmental conditions.

Foundation is a grid-less, laidback medieval city-building game with a focus on organic development, monument construction and resource management.

Why similar: City Builder 40.7%, Economy 7.5%, Colony Sim 7.4% ★, Resource Management 7%, Strategy 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: Its organic, grid-less building system and focus on simulation make it a great choice for players who enjoy the methodical growth of a settlement.

Build and manage your own castle settlement in a land reclaimed by wilderness. With detailed management, survival strategy, and a moddable sandbox world, Going Medieval challenges you to build the mightiest colony this side of the apocalypse.

Why similar: City Builder 17%, Moddable 13.7% ★, Colony Sim 11.3% ★, Historical 10.9%, Survival 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a detailed colony-sim experience with a strong emphasis on architecture and surviving the elements in a historical setting.

Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles, and complex economic and social simulations. Rule your lands as a medieval lord – the seasons pass, the weather changes, and cities rise and fall.

Why similar: City Builder 17.2%, Moddable 13.6% ★, Historical 11.2%, Colony Sim 10.8% ★, Survival 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: It combines historical accuracy with complex city-building and strategic combat, capturing the grounded feel of early medieval development.

Create your own prehistoric civilization and lead your tribe in a world you shape. Start with nothing, build towns and industry, and advance through thousands of years of technological breakthroughs in this intimate yet expansive colony sim.

Why similar: City Builder 25.8%, Colony Sim 16.8% ★, Moddable 13.9% ★, Survival 10%, Base Building 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the early stages of human development, requiring players to manage tribes and resources in a procedural world.

In this city-building game, you will lead a group of survivors in their search for a new home. Manipulate the landscape, manage limited supplies, plant crops, hunt wildlife, gather resources, and develop trade routes to build a bustling and unique town.

Why similar: City Builder 29.8%, Colony Sim 15.7% ★, Survival 11.2%, Management 8.2%, Building 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes the struggle against nature and the necessity of careful resource management to keep a growing population alive.

Clanfolk is a colony sim set in the Scottish Highlands. Harness your environment to survive - fish, gather, hunt, and farm as you prepare for the winter. Build an inn, trade with other clans, have children and marry them off - live life and prosper across the generations.

Why similar: Colony Sim 43.4% ★, Building 20.7%, Relaxing 18.3%, Simulation 13.9%, Indie 3.8%

Why You'll Like It: This simulation focuses on the survival of a family unit in a harsh, procedural environment, emphasizing seasonal preparation and resource gathering.

LiF:Forest Village is a city builder with survival aspects in a realistic harsh medieval world. Shape, build and expand your settlement, grow various food to prevent your villagers from avitaminosis and starvation. Possess them for additional micromanagement or simply to wander around.

Why similar: City Builder 40.1%, Colony Sim 23.9% ★, Resource Management 9.2%, Survival 9%, Strategy 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: This title offers a hardcore survival experience where managing the health and needs of your villagers is paramount.

Hunt, survive, build and lead in the harsh Middle Ages: Create your own Medieval Dynasty and ensure its long-lasting prosperity or die trying! Play alone or team up with friends to enjoy the ultimate medieval experience.

Why similar: Historical 17.3%, Survival 17.3%, Building 15.4%, Immersive Sim 12.9%, Base Building 11.3%

Why You'll Like It: While more focused on individual survival, it perfectly captures the historical atmosphere and the process of building a community from scratch.

Patron is a survival city builder with a unique social dynamics system. Gather and produce resources, build your fledgling village into a prosperous city and navigate the intricate social tensions before they reach boiling point.

Why similar: City Builder 24.1%, Colony Sim 14.7% ★, Survival 10.5%, Moddable 10% ★, Historical 7.4%

Why You'll Like It: This colony-sim features a robust social and resource management system that challenges players to balance growth with survival.

Lead your noble family in this medieval colony sim, facing off against class conflict, religious struggle, and political treachery. Tend to your people’s needs, uncover the lost knowledge of a fallen empire, and engage in nefarious plots against your enemies.

Why similar: City Builder 17.6%, Moddable 13.1% ★, Colony Sim 11.2% ★, Historical 11.1%, Economy 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a deep simulation of historical society, focusing on the management of families and the challenges of ruling a settlement.

A city builder with simulated citizens, set in a procedurally-generated world map. Grow your kingdom through the eras from a tiny medieval hamlet into a prosperous global empire! Cooperate or compete in real-time with your friends in multiplayer mode.

Why similar: City Builder 35.4%, Colony Sim 14.4% ★, Base Building 7.8%, Management 7.4%, Economy 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a strategic city-building experience with survival elements and a focus on long-term development.

Build and expand your very own settlements in high mountains! Carefully plan production chains and satisfy various needs of your three-caste society while dealing with mountain hazards such as weather breakdowns and avalanches. Are you skilled enough to make your town thrive?

Why similar: City Builder 23.8%, Colony Sim 13.6% ★, Resource Management 8.5%, Immersive Sim 8.2%, Economy 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game adds a unique verticality to the city-building genre while maintaining a strong focus on resource management and survival.

Sumerians is a city building game set in ancient Mesopotamia. Attract new citizens and grow by expanding your irrigation system, building walls, palaces, temples and ziggurats. Research new technologies, manage your production, hire workers, and trade.

Why similar: City Builder 27.6%, Historical 14.3%, Strategy 10.9%, Simulation 8.1%, Economy 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: This historical city-builder captures the early development of civilization with a focus on irrigation and resource management.

Of Life and Land is a charming settlement-building strategy game paired with a rich simulation experience. Every animal and plant strives to find its place in nature while you lead your villagers to their future. Expand to different regions and trade with local factions to gain needed resources.

Why similar: City Builder 18.4%, Moddable 11.1% ★, Colony Sim 11.1% ★, Historical 9.6%, Survival 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: It features a living, breathing ecosystem that requires players to manage their settlement in harmony with the environment.

Establish and expand your own settlements, liberate the land and assist its villagers, and recruit others to your cause while learning more about a life you had to leave behind. Command your forces, prove your valor through combat, and cement yourself as the hero of your people.

Why similar: City Builder 45.5%, Survival 27.1%, Building 11%, Strategy 7.6%, Simulation 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: It blends survival, management, and historical combat, requiring players to build and defend their own village.

Humans are long gone. In a world struck by droughts and toxic waste, will your lumberpunk beavers do any better? A sandbox city-building game featuring ingenious animals, vertical architecture, water physics, and terraforming. Contains high amounts of wood.

Why similar: City Builder 34.8%, Colony Sim 18% ★, Survival 11.3%, Management 9.1%, Base Building 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: Despite the beaver theme, its core mechanics revolve around complex water management and surviving seasonal droughts, which aligns with Ancient Cities' survival focus.

Build a soviet republic from an impoverished country into a rich industrial superpower in a city builder with intricate production chains and a fully simulated global economy. Manage the lives of your citizens from education to work and party loyalty to criminal activity.

Why similar: City Builder 19.9%, Historical 11.6%, Colony Sim 11% ★, Moddable 10.7% ★, Economy 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It offers an incredibly deep simulation of resource chains and logistics, appealing to players who enjoy the complex management aspects of Ancient Cities.

Builders of Egypt is a city-building economic strategy taking place in the Nile Valley. Immerse yourself in a world full of pyramids, where you will become a part of the ancient world. Create history, be history!

Why similar: City Builder 28.6%, Historical 16.4%, Economy 9.8%, Strategy 8.3%, Management 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the historical development of ancient civilizations with a strong emphasis on city planning and resource logistics.

Survive and thrive in a post-apocalyptic future — resources are scarce, but opportunity calls! Build the ultimate disaster proof colony, protect your colonists, and restore civilization to a devastated world.

Why similar: City Builder 34.2%, Colony Sim 16.1% ★, Survival 14%, Strategy 10.7%, Base Building 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: It combines colony management with survival mechanics in a harsh, procedural world.

New Cycle is a city building game with focus on survival. After an apocalyptic series of solar flares, human society has been thrown into disarray. Establish a settlement and develop it all the way from humble beginnings to industrial metropolis.

Why similar: City Builder 24.9%, Colony Sim 14.4% ★, Survival 11.3%, Resource Management 7.8%, Base Building 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: This survival-focused city-builder requires players to manage a society in the aftermath of a global catastrophe.

The glory of Rome is at your fingertips in this city-building game where you must appease the gods, enact laws, and develop complex supply chains to meet the needs of your citizens.

Why similar: City Builder 18%, Moddable 12.6% ★, Historical 11.4%, Colony Sim 10.5% ★, Economy 7.7%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a detailed look at Roman city-building, requiring players to balance infrastructure with the needs of their citizens.

Land of the Vikings is a survival colony sim game. Build and lead your village, and expand it into a thriving city. A wise Jarl must manage resources, survive harsh conditions, and guide their fellow Vikings to work together through social conflict. Skál!

Why similar: City Builder 23.1%, Colony Sim 15% ★, Historical 9.9%, Survival 9.1%, Economy 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: This colony-sim focuses on the survival and expansion of a Viking settlement, incorporating seasonal challenges and resource management.

Citadelum is a city builder set in legendary Ancient Rome. Build your own settlement, gather resources and evolve it into a magnificent city. Explore the world, trade and lead your mighty legions in epic tactical battles. Earn the favor of the Gods or challenge them, if you dare.

Why similar: City Builder 22.5%, Moddable 22.4% ★, Historical 12.9%, Resource Management 8.4%, Economy 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: This historical city-builder focuses on the growth of Roman settlements with a strong emphasis on trade and resource management.

Endzone is a post-apocalyptic survival city builder, where you start a new civilization with a group of people after an ecological disaster. Build them a new home and ensure their survival in a shattered world, threatened by constant radiation, toxic rain, sandstorms and droughts.

Why similar: City Builder 36.8%, Survival 14.5%, Colony Sim 8.7% ★, Strategy 8.2%, Base Building 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the challenges of surviving in a post-apocalyptic environment, requiring careful planning and resource management.

Frostpunk is the first society survival game. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, it is your duty to manage both its citizens and infrastructure. What decisions will you make to ensure your society's survival? What will you do when pushed to breaking point? Who will you become in the process?

Why similar: City Builder 33.1%, Colony Sim 14.7% ★, Survival 14.7%, Resource Management 10.9%, Strategy 7.6%

Why You'll Like It: While set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is the gold standard for high-stakes survival city-building and resource management.

In Memoriapolis, you're not just building a city, you're shaping a living, evolving civilization. Travel through five major eras, from Antiquity to the Industrial Revolution. Leave your mark on history by navigating the power struggles between rival factions.

Why similar: City Builder 25.1%, Colony Sim 13.1% ★, Historical 10.8%, Immersive Sim 7.9%, Procedural Generation 7%

Humanica is a city-builder game about an ancient settlement, featuring vast technological development. Experience the journey from sticks and stones to iron tools and windmills!

Why similar: City Builder 22.2%, Historical 11.2%, Colony Sim 11.1% ★, Survival 9.9%, Management 7.4%

A fantasy village builder focusing on creative building, colonist psychology and base defense. Handle resources, farming, production, tools, diplomacy, families, trading, defense, and research, as well as the wishes, expectations, thoughts, and equipment of every villager.

Why similar: City Builder 24.5%, Colony Sim 23.5% ★, Base Building 9.2%, Survival 8.5%, Building 6.4%

Why You'll Like It: It provides a lighthearted but deep colony-sim experience that focuses on the needs and development of individual settlers.

Settlements Rising is a medieval city building and colony management game. It offers a lively colony experience with simulated villagers, dozens of professions and resources, natural disasters, and raids, while providing full control over the colony through trade, production chains and datas.

Why similar: City Builder 25.6%, Colony Sim 15.3% ★, Resource Management 8%, Survival 7.2%, Strategy 6.3%

Establish a home for your industrious mice under the oppressive paw of your cat overlords in this city builder featuring complex simulations, intricate production chains, and the age-old rivalry between cat and mouse.

Why similar: City Builder 17.9%, Moddable 12.7% ★, Colony Sim 11.1% ★, Historical 11.1%, Economy 7.5%

Command swarms of warriors at an unprecedented scale of warfare in this blend of RTS and base-building. Lead ant colonies against the many fearsome threats of the insect world, while building intricate nests, developing pheromone-based tactics, and evolving to meet growing dangers.

Why similar: City Builder 17.6%, Moddable 12.8% ★, Historical 11.2%, Colony Sim 10.9% ★, Economy 7.6%

Endzone 2 is a post-apocalyptic survival colony builder, where you embark to secure humanity's survival after a cataclysmic disaster. Discover and repopulate the last habitable grounds, while the survival of your people hinges on your wits, foresight, and resilience in a harsh and unforgiving world.

Why similar: City Builder 23.9%, Colony Sim 15.8% ★, Survival 11.1%, Economy 8.7%, Resource Management 6.7%

Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master.

Why similar: City Builder 18.6%, Moddable 14.2% ★, Colony Sim 11.8% ★, Survival 8.2%, Economy 7.7%

Oxygen is a survival city builder. Build your city around the Oxygen Center and ensure your people's survival in a post-apocalyptic future, threatened by crack explosions, deadly winds, droughts and frosts. Lead your people and more importantly keep the Oxygen Center running!

Why similar: City Builder 23.3%, Colony Sim 13.5% ★, Survival 10.5%, Resource Management 8.3%, Base Building 8.2%

City Tales is a medieval city builder, allowing you to unleash your creativity and shape vast cities that break outside a traditional grid. Plan each district for your citizens needs and aid your companions in their tales, creating a city to be proud of!

Why similar: City Builder 33.7%, Economy 13.3%, Resource Management 10%, Building 9.9%, Management 9.7%

Shape the Roman Empire in this genre-defining strategic builder game. Build cities while expanding your influence through Roman provinces. Govern using your economic prowess, diplomatic skills, or military might.

Why similar: City Builder 34.1%, Historical 13.9%, Economy 11.5%, Strategy 10.1%, Building 7.8%

Embrace your duties as a new provincial governor. Experience the beauty of ancient China, design the city of your dreams, and take care of your people’s needs. Earn the Gods’ favor to maintain the Mandate of Heaven for the ruling dynasty.

Why similar: City Builder 19.9%, Colony Sim 12.6% ★, Historical 11.3%, Management 6.8%, Strategy 6.7%

At the farthest reaches of the empire, a new Roman city is born! Manage and grow your city, please the gods, and survive against barbarians and mythological threats to achieve Roman Triumph!

Why similar: City Builder 27.1%, Colony Sim 17% ★, Survival 12.4%, Management 9%, Base Building 8.7%

Immerse yourself in the beautifully recreated golden age of Hellenic city-states. Builders of Greece is a city management game that lets you display your strategic and economic mastery. Build your Polis from scratch, make meaningful decisions, trade, fight and expand to become the ultimate ruler.

Why similar: City Builder 31.2%, Historical 14.3%, Economy 8.9%, Immersive Sim 7.9%, Strategy 7.9%

Colonize Prologue is a combination of survival game and building strategy that takes place during the colonization period - the 17th century. It tells the story of a settlement in the new world and all the difficulties encountered by the early settlers.

Why similar: City Builder 27.1%, Colony Sim 16.8% ★, Survival 10.8%, Historical 10.2%, Economy 9.5%

Civitatem is a medieval city builder where you help your villagers raise a new settlement in dangerous lands by making use of their skills and available world resources.

Why similar: City Builder 32.6%, Strategy 10.9%, Survival 8.9%, Resource Management 7.7%, Base Building 7%

Project Aura is a micro management game where you lead a Colony of Climate Disaster Survivors. You have been assigned the mission to build an habitat capable of survival in this new unknown world.

Why similar: City Builder 31.8%, Strategy 10.5%, Resource Management 10.1%, Management 9.6%, Economy 9.5%

Rebuild hope in a world that was lost in the fog. Lead your Pioneers across the isles of Pagonia, unite scattered tribes, raise thriving communities and discover the history of your people as you reclaim your world in the new story campaign.

Why similar: City Builder 22.5%, Colony Sim 14.8% ★, Procedural Generation 10.5%, Economy 10.1%, Resource Management 9%

Rule Tenochtitlan in this survival city-builder where gods decide your fate. Expand the capital, perform sacred rituals, and withstand the coming darkness. Build, grow, sacrifice, survive - or watch the last sun set forever.

Why similar: City Builder 19.3%, Colony Sim 11.7% ★, Historical 11.3%, Survival 8.8%, Economy 8.1%

El Dorado is a strategy city-building game in which you plan, build and develop your settlement to conquer Jukatan and earn the title of The Golden City. Become a leader, whom even Gods will bow to. Offer sacrifices to the Gods to earn their favor, but beware and don’t lose yourself in your riches.

Why similar: City Builder 19.7%, Colony Sim 12.5% ★, Historical 10.8%, Survival 8.7%, Economy 7.7%

A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization's last survivors.

Why similar: City Builder 17.6%, Moddable 12.8% ★, Historical 11.2%, Colony Sim 10.9% ★, Survival 7.8%

Kingdoms and Castles is a city-building simulation game about growing a kingdom from a tiny hamlet to a sprawling city and imposing castle. Make trade agreements, alliance, and war with neighboring AI controlled kingdoms. Each villager and resource is individually simulated.

Why similar: City Builder 38.5%, Colony Sim 20.6% ★, Strategy 7.6%, Building 6.8%, Resource Management 5.7%

Highrise City offers a new spin on City Simulations & Tycoon games expanding the economy and resource management aspect. Experience a modern take on the genre enriched with a complex resource based economy system.

Why similar: City Builder 28.3%, Colony Sim 15.9% ★, Immersive Sim 9.3%, Economy 8%, Moddable 8% ★

A colony-building game combined with grand strategy elements. Play as a tribal leader, guiding your people from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Survive, multiply, and compete for territory among ancient nations.

Why similar: City Builder 26.7%, Colony Sim 17% ★, Historical 15.7%, Base Building 9.2%, Management 8.7%

Age of Pyramids is a sandbox city builder and simulator set in Ancient Egypt. You take on the city governor and architect’s mantle to build the most incredible city on Earth. You will have to gather dozens of resources to maintain happiness of your people and prosperity.

Why similar: City Builder 35.3%, Colony Sim 16% ★, Historical 12.7%, Strategy 12.5%, Realistic 6.5%

IXION is an unrelenting, city-building odyssey across the stars. As Administrator of the Tiqqun, DOLOS’ prototype space station, you are tasked with balancing preservation and exploration as you manage infrastructure, resources and crew. Can you keep the flame of humanity alight in the cold dark?

Why similar: City Builder 29.7%, Colony Sim 14% ★, Survival 12.3%, Resource Management 9.4%, Strategy 7.3%

Lead a team of cloned settlers and build a home on a new planet. Start from the Stone Age, construct sturdy shelters, hunt for food, and fight off dangers. Make your team stronger and better equipped to survive.

Why similar: City Builder 23.8%, Historical 17.8%, Survival 16%, Colony Sim 15.1% ★, Resource Management 9.5%

Guide a group of space settlers trying to establish a base on a remote planet. Grow food, collect energy, mine resources, survive disasters and build a self-sufficient colony in a harsh and unforgiving environment.

Why similar: City Builder 32.1%, Colony Sim 21.2% ★, Survival 11.8%, Base Building 10.5%, Strategy 7%

Aquatico is a classic city builder set within the depths of the sea. Strategically build an underwater colony atop the ocean floor and face the challenges that accompany oceanic life.

Why similar: City Builder 29.9%, Colony Sim 17.2% ★, Economy 9.7%, Strategy 7.5%, Management 7.5%

Empire Architect is an ancient city-building real time strategy game, with elements from grand strategies sprinkled in for good measure. The levels are procedurally generated, and you have limited control over your subjects

Why similar: City Builder 33.8%, Historical 10%, Strategy 9.7%, Economy 9.7%, Resource Management 7.9%

Ratopia is a new game that has combined elements of both strategic survival and city building. With plenty of content available, and more planned, enjoy a vast world to adventure and populate with citizens! Build your own economical system to sustain your ideal city of Ratopia.

Why similar: City Builder 21.9%, Colony Sim 16.1% ★, Survival 11.2%, Base Building 8.7%, Building 8%