Deal | This troubled city builder is turning things around – and it's free to try on Steam

In Cities: Skylines II, players can build their own city practically from scratch. What starts with a few roads and small residential neighborhoods can eventually grow into a sprawling metropolis with skyscrapers, industrial districts and an elaborate transportation network – or simply a cozy little town. What the finished city looks like is entirely up to the player.

However, there's much more to the game than just constructing roads and buildings. Residents need essential services, the economy needs to keep running and the city budget needs to stay in the black. Traffic planning is particularly important. Extensive construction tools allow players to design even complex intersections, highway interchanges and roundabouts. There are also buses, trams, subways and trains to help keep traffic flowing smoothly. Those who would rather build without worrying about money can let their creativity run wild in sandbox mode

Things are looking up since the developer change

Despite some shortcomings, Cities: Skylines II received a fairly positive reception from professional critics. GameStar (in German) awarded it 74 out of 100 points, while PC Gamer gave it 77. Reviewers particularly praised the extensive creative possibilities and improved road-building tools. However, they also saw plenty of room for improvement in the game's poor performance and sometimes underdeveloped simulation. On Metacritic, the city builder holds a Metascore of 74, while the user score is considerably lower at 4.2.

Enthusiasm on Steam has also been limited. Just 55% of more than 95,000 player reviews are positive. While many players appreciate the creative freedom and more realistic graphics, they also complain about technical issues, unpredictable traffic AI and economic systems that don't always behave logically. The game's DLC policy has also drawn criticism.

Still, things finally seem to be moving in the right direction. Since early 2026, Cities: Skylines II has been in the hands of a new developer, Iceflake Studios. Numerous updates are intended to improve performance and the underlying simulation in particular. The first improvements appear to be resonating with players: 72% of Steam reviews from the past 30 days are now positive. That doesn't mean all the problems have been resolved, but the game at least seems to be heading in the right direction.

Free weekend on Steam

Anyone who wants to see how Cities: Skylines II is doing these days now has a good opportunity to find out. The city builder is completely free to play on Steam until November 16.

Those who want to keep playing afterward can take advantage of a 30% discount until November 19, bringing the price down to $34.99 from just under $50. According to SteamDB, this matches the game's previous all-time low, last reached during the Steam Autumn Sale. Cities: Skylines II is officially rated "Unsupported" on the Steam Deck. While ProtonDB gives it a "Gold" rating, the game's demanding hardware requirements mean it is likely only worth recommending on the handheld with some reservations.

The following trailer offers a look at the city builder in action:

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