What are the best Building games on Steam?

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Sep 5, 2018

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The 1 must play gameWhy?

Best Building games on Steam	Price	Steam Rating	Platforms
93 Cities: Skylines	$29.99	Very Positive	Very Positive
-- Factorio	$20.00	Overwhelmingly Positive	Windows, Linux, Mac
-- Stardew Valley	$14.99	–	Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita
-- Terraria	$9.99	–	Windows, Mac, Xbox 360/One, Playstation 3/4, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
-- Prison Architect	$29.99	Very Positive	Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox 360/One, Android

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9 Other Games Considered

Factorio

Top Pro

Charming old school graphics

While not the most technically advanced graphics the look of the game is much like a game from the 90s but seeing it in action when an assembly line starts moving there is an impressiveness to it that suits the game quite well. See More

Top Con

Can become rather repetitive

There's really little payoff for being able to build really long chains of automation, it usually results in being able to open a new tech tree which allows the player to continue the process of building automation chains ad infinitum, which, admittedly can become rather boring after a while. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Realtime Strategy (RTS)

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Top Pro

Endless solutions

With proper planning users can "code" together very precise ways to create all the things needed for the game, some in very inventive ways that can differ quite a bit. This allows for tons of replayability. See More

Top Con

Still in Alpha

The game is still in Alpha which means there will be bugs as well as missing features. See More

Top Pro

Cooperative or PvP building

Factorio also supports multiplayer, allowing many players to cooperate and assist each other, or work against each other in PvP. By default, multiplayer games run the CO-OP freeplay scenario where all players work together to launch a rocket with a satellite into space. See More

Top Pro

Under active development

The game is still in Alpha which means endless future possibilities. See More

Top Pro

Massive and infinite procedurally generated world

The playing world is as large as you want to explore, it automatically generates it as you explore more areas. See More

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Stardew Valley

Top Con

Large amount of grind

While it is the bread and butter of the gameplay, the amount of work that needs done from the start is quite a lot and so you will be doing the same thing over and over again. The whole farm is dilapidated, meaning everything needs cleaned up, weeds need cleared, rocks need cleared, tress need cleared, the whole house needs rebuilt. this amount of what are basically chores may not appeal to all as it is quite a feat to take on. See More

Top Pro

Long playtime

The game is reported to taking over 10 hours for one season in the game, of which their are four season in a year. Which means it can take 40 hours just to get though the first year in the game, of which there can be many. This means a user can easily sink in 100s of hours into the game, making for quite a bargain for a $15 game. See More

Specs

Genre:Farming Simulation, Role-Playing

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Top Con

Townspeople schedule is difficult to keep up with

The game asks the player to meet everyone in town, while there is mini map that shows where townspeople are, certain townsfolk are missing from this map such as shop keepers. This makes it difficult to keep up with who is where. See More

Top Pro

There is always more to do

Just like in the real world, operating a farm is a lot of work, especially if one is set on expanding said farm. The game works just like this in that the player is always driven to expand on what they have, be it growing more crops, raising more animals or just improving ones house and equipment. This makes for a game that drives the player to keep playing just a little bit longer to get just one more thing done. See More

Top Con

Lacks polish in some areas

Menus feel odd in that some controls work in some areas while not in other such as item management when using chests. There is also a lack of information in the game on how to do things, which means the player must figure it out through trial and error. While this is much like an old school game it would be nice to have a few things explained in order to not miss anything important in the game like certain festivals. See More

Top Pro

Good selection of game options

The games options see resolution support, controller and keyboard support, of which the controller support even has a rumble feature (for those that have controllers with rumble support). Keyboard support also has built in key-bind support, for those that do not have a separate key-bind support app. See More

Top Pro

Convenient auto save feature

There is no manual saving in the game, it auto saves when sleeping or or moving on to the next day. This is convenient as the player does not need to remember to save, which could lead to accidental lost data. This system also prevents the player taking advantage of the randomly generated mines, as it could be too easy to exploit for rare items. See More

Top Pro

You have freedom to choose to play one aspect of the game or all of them

Such as farming, fishing, mining, forestry, exploration and meeting people. This allows for many elements to explore in the game that expands the gameplay but also allows for freedom of choice in what to do and when to do it. See More

Top Pro

Weather system that forces the player to adapt

Each day in the game may feature different weather depending on the season in the game. From rain to snow to natural disasters, each forces the player to adapt their workload to that days forecast. This keeps the player on their toes and forces them to plan for events to make sure they have the needed supplies for when different disasters happen. See More

Top Pro

Catchy and relaxing music

For a game that is meant to have large amounts of time spent in it, the music is quite relaxing, which is nice as it does not get on the players nerves. See More

Top Pro

May get Mac and Linux port

Currently the game only runs on Windows machines, but the developer has stated that a Mac and Linux port are among their top priorities. See More

Top Pro

Deep customization options

There is quite a lot that can be crafted in the game, from fence posts to chicken coops. Discovering how to build these and then deciding where to place them is one of the best parts of the game as you can build/design a farm to your liking. See More

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Terraria

Top Pro

2D retro-platformer style

Instead of building a deliberate feeling of suspense, Terraria uses bright palettes and arcade action to provide a fun experience outside of the survival elements. When those elements gradually appear one by one, each is all the more shocking from the contrast. See More

Top Con

Gameplay can feel slow

While there is little to show progress in the game over gaining many items and having many structures built, progress overall can be slow due to having to collect every item needed to craft the necessary tool, equipment and materials. This can be time consuming and may turn some people off. See More

Specs

Genre:2D platformer / Minecraft-like

Co-Op:8 Player Online / 8 Player LAN

Controller Support:Android (MOGA / HID), Steam (Full)

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Top Pro

Multiplayer also an option with up to 8 player online co-op

Up to 8 online players can be invited to join a shared Terraria world, including worlds that are also used in single-player mode. This allows for large co-op or PvP games to be played, for those that are interested, meaning you can choose how you play. Build something big together, or destroy the other guy's base. See More

Top Con

No tutorial and un-intuitive menus

There is no tutorial to speak of and the menu system can be a bit cumbersome and confusing. See More

Top Pro

Extensive crafting system

The vast majority of items in Terraria can be used to create other items, often requiring specific crafting stations (which themselves must be crafted). This is the core of character advancement, since gear defines nearly everything about your character. See More

Top Pro

Large community

Terraria has a very large community as it is a very popular game. Released on just about every platform including mobile, PC/Mac/Linux, consoles, it allows for anyone to play no matter their prefered device. This also means that with many players comes many servers to play on as well as tutorials and Let's Plays. So finding content or help or just basic information on the game will be quite easy. See More

Top Pro

Encourages creativity for all ages

Terraria is like a 2D Minecraft, so you can alter the world around you and craft things, which teaches creativity and critical thinking skills. This is great for children who enjoy building and discovering new ways to tackle ideas just as it is great for adults who enjoy the same things. It also makes for a great objectiveless game where you can do just about anything you want, which allows for less stress due to being able to play at any pace the player likes. See More

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Prison Architect

Top Pro

Lots of mods available

A wide variety of user-created modifications to the game are available including mods that change the theme of the game, look of the game, add new objects, grants, programs, scenarios and new mechanics. They're listed in the game's wiki, here. See More

Top Con

Gameplay is poorly explained

The game does a poor job of explaining all the mechanics to the player when they begin the main game which leaves the player guessing as to what they need to do in order to be successful. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

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Top Pro

Works great for both long and short play sessions

The gameplay lends itself well to both doing a couple of things around the prison every once in a while or setting up elaborate systems that can take hours upon hours of time. The game can be saved at any time so you don't have to make commitments in one way or another. See More

Top Pro

Great freedom of playstyle

You can run the prison in the way that you see fit. You can put the wellbeing of prisoners at the top of the priority list by making sure their living spaces are comfortable, that they're well-fed, have the opportunity to educate themselves and often get to go outside in the yard to socialize and exercise or you can run the prison with an iron fist by instituting regular shakedowns, putting CCTVs, metal detectors, K-9 units and armed guards in every corner. Whichever play-style you choose, the game will offer challenges that will keep the game interesting. See More

Top Pro

Relaxing to play

Building your prison is almost zen like. There are periods of stress when there are riots or things going wrong, but you can always pause to take your time and figure out a good solution. See More

Top Pro

Developers are releasing free updates and additions to the game

Developers have been updating the game almost every month with new content, improvements and tweaks to the game. See More

Top Pro

Amazing depth

The game consists of a wide variety of overlapping systems that work together to create excellent depth. You have to figure out the layout of your prison, how to manage the needs of your inmates, how to earn enough money to expand and hire new staff, what to do in the case of a natural disaster, a riot or attempted escape and so on. Every decision you make will impact all other elements of the game. For example, instituting regular shakedowns will help prevent prisoners from carrying banned items like forks taken from cafeterias that can be used to dig tunnels, but will also make the inmates more angry and thus more likely to riot. You can decide to instead use tunnel-sniffing dogs set to patrol around the perimeter, but that will cost more money and if the inmates pick up on the patrolling patterns they will tunnel around them. Or you may decide to check each inmate individually to see who's tired from staying up late to dig while everyone else has been sleeping though that approach may not scale. See More

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RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum

All

1

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

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Tropico 5

Top Pro

Allows for choice in play

There is a mission mode (which is great for those that want to learn the ins and outs of the game through progression) and a sandbox mode (which is more like a city builder where it is up to you how to create your civilization). This makes for a good choice of different play depending on what the user wants at the time. There is also a multiplayer mode that works through competition (who can export more cigars, build a bigger plantation, etc.) that can extend the endgame content when the player feels they have experienced all the single player has to offer. See More

Top Con

Poor representation of changing times

The art in the game does not represent different time periods very well. The game starts out in the early 20th century and eventually builds up to the modern era. It does not matter what time period the player is in, little in the design of the games is representative through graphics changes. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

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Concrete Jungle

Top Pro

Campaign mode that eases the player into the gameplay

By playing the campaign mode users can easily get used to the game at a comfortable pace, with new elements getting introduced the further one makes it. This is a great way to learn the gameplay as it can get complex. See More

Top Con

Games can last a long time and difficulty is unknown until level is started

Not knowing how long a game will last can be frustrating for those just looking for a quick sessions. On top of this the terrain will not be known until a round is started, which means it could potentially be stacked against the player, which makes for unknown difficulty before a round is started. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

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Top Pro

Great mix of strategy and puzzle

Concrete Jungle mixes city building strategy with aspects of line clearing puzzlers such as Tetris in a very original way. See More

Top Pro

Deep gameplay

How the puzzle aspect is implemented allows for a lot of depth to the strategy gameplay See More

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Planetbase

Top Con

AI is poor

Being that this is a strategy city builder type game, the pathways residents take and the basic Ai overall leads to issues with control of ones city/base. Really it shows a lack of design and polish in this area as it does impact the users enjoyment of the gameplay. See More

Top Pro

Fantastic graphics

The graphics in the game show a lot of polish. Everything looks sharp and is well themed to the environment of a space colony. Domes in the city at night shine as one would expect in real life. The planets as well look individualistic and well crafted in that they show a level of depth through lighting that makes each planet look different while also realistic. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

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score 19 · Accepted Answer

Cities: Skylines

Top Pro

Very deep simulation

It simulates traffic, zone desirability, product distribution, quality of life, and many other stats. See More

Top Con

Can be difficult to glean what one has done wrong in game

Cities: Skylines has difficulty letting the player know what they have done wrong, which results in a lot of head scratching. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

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Top Pro

Large scale

At a total of 36 square kilometers of area to use (compared to Sim City 4), there is quite a bit of room to build and play. See More

Top Pro

Depth of field

There is a depth of field effect that will blur distant buildings, which mimics Sim City's diorama effect. It can of course be adjusted with a slider as to how much or little to use. See More

The 1 must play gameWhy?

My Recommendation for Cities: Skylines

My Recommendation for Cities: Skylines

Very deep simulation

Can be difficult to glean what one has done wrong in game

Large scale

Depth of field

9 Other Games Considered

My Recommendation for Factorio

My Recommendation for Factorio

Charming old school graphics

Can become rather repetitive

Endless solutions

Still in Alpha

Cooperative or PvP building

Under active development

Massive and infinite procedurally generated world

My Recommendation for Stardew Valley

My Recommendation for Stardew Valley

Large amount of grind

Long playtime

Townspeople schedule is difficult to keep up with

There is always more to do

Lacks polish in some areas

Good selection of game options

Convenient auto save feature

You have freedom to choose to play one aspect of the game or all of them

Weather system that forces the player to adapt

Catchy and relaxing music

May get Mac and Linux port

Deep customization options

My Recommendation for Terraria

My Recommendation for Terraria

2D retro-platformer style

Gameplay can feel slow

Multiplayer also an option with up to 8 player online co-op

No tutorial and un-intuitive menus

Extensive crafting system

Large community

Encourages creativity for all ages

My Recommendation for Prison Architect

My Recommendation for Prison Architect

Lots of mods available

Gameplay is poorly explained

Works great for both long and short play sessions

Great freedom of playstyle

Relaxing to play

Developers are releasing free updates and additions to the game

Amazing depth

My Recommendation for Starbound

My Recommendation for Starbound

Boss levels

First few hours are boring

Informative and well paced tutorials

My Recommendation for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum

My Recommendation for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum

My Recommendation for Tropico 5

My Recommendation for Tropico 5

Allows for choice in play

Poor representation of changing times

My Recommendation for Concrete Jungle

My Recommendation for Concrete Jungle

Campaign mode that eases the player into the gameplay

Games can last a long time and difficulty is unknown until level is started

Great mix of strategy and puzzle

Deep gameplay

My Recommendation for Planetbase

My Recommendation for Planetbase

AI is poor

Fantastic graphics

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