Review
SimCity BuildIt by Electronic Arts brings the classic city-building experience to mobile, offering players the chance to design, expand, and manage their own bustling metropolis. Combining strategic planning with beautiful 3D graphics, it captures the spirit of the legendary SimCity franchise while adapting it to shorter, on-the-go gameplay sessions.
As mayor, your goal is to develop a city that balances growth, happiness, and economy. You begin with small residential zones and gradually unlock commercial and industrial areas, parks, landmarks, and transportation systems. Each decision affects your citizens’ satisfaction — too much pollution or poor road layout can lower happiness, while providing services like police, fire, and healthcare boosts morale and population growth.
The gameplay revolves around resource management and production. Factories and stores produce materials used to upgrade buildings, while taxes fund city improvements. Players must juggle priorities — expanding too quickly can lead to shortages of power, water, or storage space. Natural disasters and challenges add excitement, giving you opportunities to test your problem-solving skills.
SimCity BuildIt includes an online component where you can trade materials with other mayors and join regional clubs to participate in Club Wars — timed competitive events that reward teamwork and strategy. The visuals are impressive, with detailed animations showing cars moving, smoke rising, and lights flickering at night, making your city feel alive.
However, the game’s freemium model means progress can slow down without in-app purchases. Building upgrades and resource production often take real-time hours, which may frustrate impatient players. Despite this, SimCity BuildIt remains one of the most engaging and visually satisfying city-builders on mobile.
Overall, it’s a well-crafted mix of creativity, management, and strategy — perfect for players who love designing cities and watching them grow over time.
Key Features
Build and manage your own detailed 3D city
Balance economy, resources, and citizen happiness
Produce and trade materials with other players
Join Clubs and participate in cooperative Club Wars
Manage power, water, traffic, and services
Natural disasters and challenges for added fun
Beautiful graphics and dynamic city animations
Free-to-play with optional purchases for faster progress
