Best Value City Builder Games Under $40

The City Builder games on Steam games under $40 that deliver the most playtime per dollar: median reviewer hours divided by current price.

All Indie Action Adventure Simulation RPG Strategy Co-op Open World Story Rich Casual Funny Survival Difficult Pixel Graphics PvP Horror Anime Puzzle Rogue-like Relaxing Turn-Based Strategy Local Co-Op Psychological Horror Hack and Slash Platformer MMO RTS Immersive Sim Post-apocalyptic Action Roguelike City Builder Life Sim Zombies Sports Racing Survival Horror Stealth Bullet Hell Dungeon Crawler Visual Novel JRPG Deckbuilding Grand Strategy Cyberpunk Tower Defense Clicker Fighting Open World Survival Craft Boomer Shooter Colony Sim Farming Sim Cozy Auto Battler Cooking Twin Stick Shooter Metroidvania 4X Souls-like Dating Sim MMORPG

By price

Any priceUnder $5Under $10Under $20Under $40
Median reviewer playtime divided by price. Reviewers tend to sink more hours in than the average owner, so treat this as an optimistic estimate. Free games are excluded because there's no price to divide by.
  1. 1Sid Meier's Civilization III Complete12 h/$
  2. 2Settlement Survival8.9 h/$
  3. 3Cities: Skylines7.5 h/$
  4. 4RimWorld6.8 h/$
  5. 5Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition6.6 h/$
  6. 6Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition6.5 h/$
  7. 7Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom6.4 h/$
  8. 8Factorio6.3 h/$
  9. 9Dyson Sphere Program5.9 h/$
  10. 10The Guild II Renaissance5.6 h/$
  11. 11Tavern Master5.6 h/$
  12. 12Rise of Nations: Extended Edition5.3 h/$
  13. 13Airport CEO5.1 h/$
  14. 14Age of Empires: Definitive Edition4.7 h/$
  15. 15Captain of Industry4.5 h/$
  16. 16Age of Empires II (Retired)4.4 h/$
  17. 17ISLANDERS4.2 h/$
  18. 18HUMANKIND4.0 h/$
  19. 19They Are Billions3.8 h/$
  20. 20下一站江湖Ⅱ3.8 h/$
  21. 21Bellwright3.6 h/$
  22. 22dotAGE3.3 h/$
  23. 23Ratopia3.3 h/$
  24. 24Stronghold HD (2012)3.3 h/$
  25. 25Timberborn3.2 h/$
  26. 26Clanfolk3.1 h/$
  27. 27OpenTTD3.0 h/$
  28. 28Stronghold Crusader HD (2012)3.0 h/$
  29. 29Anno 1404 - History Edition3.0 h/$
  30. 30IXION3.0 h/$
  31. 31The Infected3.0 h/$
  32. 32Tropico 42.9 h/$
  33. 33Mini Motorways2.9 h/$
  34. 34Kingdoms Reborn2.9 h/$
  35. 35Kenshi2.8 h/$
  36. 36ContractVille2.8 h/$
  37. 37Infection Free Zone2.8 h/$
  38. 38Craft The World2.7 h/$
  39. 39RollerCoaster Tycoon: Deluxe2.7 h/$
  40. 40Yog-Sothoth’s Yard2.7 h/$
  41. 41Stonehearth2.7 h/$
  42. 42Microcivilization2.6 h/$
  43. 43Two Point Campus2.6 h/$
  44. 44Two Point Hospital2.6 h/$
  45. 45Banished2.5 h/$
  46. 46Diplomacy is Not an Option2.4 h/$
  47. 47Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic2.4 h/$
  48. 48Dwarf Fortress2.4 h/$
  49. 49Songs of Syx2.3 h/$
  50. 50Fabledom2.2 h/$
  51. 51Prison Architect2.1 h/$
  52. 52Gladiator Guild Manager2.1 h/$
  53. 53Against the Storm2.1 h/$
  54. 54Terra Nil2.1 h/$
  55. 55Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition2.0 h/$
  56. 56Going Medieval2.0 h/$
  57. 57Planetbase2.0 h/$
  58. 58Transport Fever 22.0 h/$
  59. 59Northgard: Definitive Edition1.9 h/$
  60. 60Kingdoms and Castles1.9 h/$
  61. 61Project Hospital1.9 h/$
  62. 62Colony Survival1.8 h/$
  63. 63Two Point Museum1.8 h/$
  64. 64Cardboard Town1.8 h/$
  65. 65Dawn of Man1.8 h/$
  66. 66Project Highrise1.7 h/$
  67. 67Stronghold 2: Steam Edition1.7 h/$
  68. 68The Crust1.7 h/$
  69. 69Farthest Frontier1.7 h/$
  70. 70TheoTown1.7 h/$
  71. 71Sengoku Dynasty1.6 h/$
  72. 72The Wandering Village1.5 h/$
  73. 73Ostriv1.5 h/$
  74. 74Tropico 51.5 h/$
  75. 75Heart of the Machine1.5 h/$
  76. 76Gourdlets1.5 h/$
  77. 77Mad Games Tycoon 21.5 h/$
  78. 78Space Haven1.4 h/$
  79. 79Construction Simulator1.4 h/$
  80. 80Ara History Untold: Anniversary Edition 1.4 h/$
  81. 81Let's School1.4 h/$
  82. 82SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition1.4 h/$
  83. 83Occupy Mars: The Game1.3 h/$
  84. 84Dorfromantik1.2 h/$
  85. 85Empires of the Undergrowth1.2 h/$
  86. 86Frostpunk 21.2 h/$
  87. 87Kingdom Two Crowns1.2 h/$
  88. 88The Universim1.2 h/$
  89. 89RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack1.2 h/$
  90. 90Foundation1.1 h/$
  91. 91Stronghold: Definitive Edition1.1 h/$
  92. 92The Stronghold Collection1.0 h/$
  93. 93Border Pioneer1.0 h/$
  94. 94A Total War Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA1.0 h/$
  95. 95Tropico 61.0 h/$
  96. 96Flotsam1.0 h/$
  97. 97Smalland: Survive the Wilds1.0 h/$
  98. 98Cossacks 31.0 h/$
  99. 99Thronefall1.0 h/$
  100. 100Norland0.9 h/$

How the math works: we sample each game’s Steam reviewers, take the median of their total recorded playtime (lifetime hours, not hours at the time of review), and divide it by the game’s current price in your selected currency. Reviewers usually sink more hours in than the average owner, so the numbers run generous. Free games aren’t listed because there’s no price to divide by, and a game needs playtime data from at least 20 reviewers before it qualifies. All prices are Steam’s own regional prices, never exchange-rate conversions.