Deal | Critically acclaimed city-builder with 280,000+ reviews is free to play on Steam for the weekend, alongside a 90% discount

Over the years, Cities: Skylines has gone from being a genre underdog to a "complete" city-building simulator. To celebrate over a decade since its 2015 launch, Colossal Order has opened the game to everyone for a limited time. Users can download and play the full base game for free through Monday, March 9. Those who want to keep the title permanently can purchase it for roughly the cost of a coffee ($2.99), a huge drop from its standard $29.99 MSRP.

Key data and player stats

• Current Price: $2.99 (-90%)
• Free Window: Ends March 9, 2026
• Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (280,000+ reviews across multiple languages)
• Average Players: 10,000-22,000 concurrent daily
• Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux (Steam)

Cities: Skylines originally became popular by filling the vacuum left by the 2013 SimCity reboot. It brought massive maps, refined traffic management, and Steam Workshop integration. Over the last eleven years, it has seen dozens of expansions ranging from transit-focused DLCs to weather effects and industrial management. This longevity has fostered a massive modding community that is one of the main reasons for the game's relevance.

While the sequel, Cities: Skylines II, launched in 2023, the original title still has a stable player base. The sequel's early hurdles and performance issues led many veterans to return to the first entry. While Cities: Skylines II has definitely improved through patches, the original offers a way more complete, optimized experience with a decade’s worth of polished content.

The current $2.99 price is an easy recommendation for anyone with even a passing interest in management sims. Plus, if you do find the base game fun and engaging during the free weekend, make sure to keep an eye on the "Anniversary Bundle" which discounts several important expansions by 57% right now. However, if your heart is still set on the sequel, you should wait until the Steam Spring Sale on March 19, when Cities: Skylines II should receive its next major price cut.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.