Cities Skylines

A game inspired by the famous video game license

While for most players, Cities Skylines evokes the name of a video game, the license developed by Paradox Interactive in 2015 is now accompanied by a board game version.

Cities Skylines is a cooperative game in which you will have to build the city of your dreams. Think carefully about the locations of your buildings while responding to the demands of your fellow citizens.

A videogame concept perfectly suited to board games

By leaving the virtual world to land on a table, Cities Skylines has managed to adapt perfectly to its new medium.

The game starts with four visible earthboards, the exact number varying depending on the scenario. The goal is to take a number of steps and make the people of your city happy. At the beginning of each step, an additional board is purchased, returned from its natural side to its developed side. Players have personal cards that show what they can build. Because the game is cooperative, players have the ability to discuss and plan together on the best way to develop the city.

The maps show the effects the building will have on the city, for example:

- increasing the need for garbage collection
- by reducing crime
- giving a bonus if it is placed next to a park

The tiles represent residential, commercial, industrial and other buildings, and they have various basic shapes that are placed on the planks developed on the grid. When players have developed the city until the next milestone, they choose the new plateau to buy to enlarge the city, mark their current happiness and start a new milestone. When the last milestone is completed, the game ends, and then the total happiness score is added up. There is only one treasure in the city, and all players add money when they earn money for the city and withdraw money to build a hospital or buy a new plateau. Making sure you have enough money is an important part of the game because if you run out of money, you go bankrupt and you lose.

A game based on scenarios

A series of scenarios teaches the game in stages, each new step introducing new parts of the game. The complete game, with its new, unique buildings, policies and roles, varies greatly from game to game, giving players the opportunity to take on new challenges due to the city's emerging behavior. The game is constantly renewing itself and has a high level of playability.