Verdict № 12 · Simulation
Cities: Skylines II review
A city builder with a superb traffic model and a heavy add-on bill. The base game is £41.99; everything released so far comes to £204.78 at list price.
A coastal city skyline at sunrise with mountains behind. Official image: Paradox Interactive.
Cities: Skylines II asks you to build and run a city, from a single slip road off the motorway to a metropolis, with a detailed simulation of traffic, land value and the economy. It launched on PC in October 2023 to a lukewarm reception, 74 on Metacritic and Mixed user reviews on Steam, mainly because of performance and simulation problems. It has been patched steadily since, and development moved to Paradox's Iceflake Studios at the start of 2026.
It is in our twelve because it answers a question every buyer should ask: what does the whole thing cost? The base game lists at £41.99, but the released add-ons come to about £124.80 and Expansion Pass 2, most of which has not come out yet, costs another £37.99. Console versions have been delayed indefinitely.
A deep simulation still in need of polish, with a bill that grows faster than its cities.The verdict in one line
The review, milestone by milestone
- mark 7.5
Hours 1 to 5
Zoning the first town
You pick a map, connect to the motorway, zone homes, shops and industry, and lay water, sewage and power. Milestones unlock services and more land.
An in-game encyclopedia added in March 2026 and the tutorials make the start clearer than at launch, and small towns run smoothly on mid-range PCs.
- mark 7.0
The middle stretch
Traffic becomes the game
Traffic and public transport become the central puzzle, alongside districts, policies, specialised industry and an economy reworked in June 2024. This is the most rewarding part of the game.
It is also where performance starts to fall as the population grows; the recommended graphics card is in the RTX 3080 class.
- mark 6.5
The long tail
Megacities and mods
There is no end state. Detailing tools, photo mode, the Bridges and Ports expansion and an asset editor for player-made buildings keep creative players going, and mods through Paradox Mods are the main long-term draw.
Simulation bugs and slowdowns in big cities are the most common reasons players give for stopping.
- mark 5.8
Craft and access
Still being fixed
Three years on, the developer describes optimisation as ongoing work. A save bug in May 2026 was hotfixed, patches sometimes break mods, and there is no built-in colourblind mode.
It is PC-only, with no date for console versions.
The bill: what it really costs in the UK
This is the bill that best explains why we score value separately. The game on the store page is the start of the spend, not the end.
The bill · Cities: Skylines II
Steam's Collection bundle sells the base game and all released add-ons for £141.79, a permanent 15% saving. After a paid pack drew complaints in 2024, Paradox refunded it and made it free.
Where to buy it and how you can pay
The game is sold on Steam and as the PC Edition on the Microsoft Store, where it is also included in PC Game Pass and Game Pass Premium. Add-ons are not included in Game Pass and have to be bought.
Steam
Starter Edition £43.60 until 29 September.
- Card
- PayPal
- Steam Wallet codes
Steam
Base game plus every released add-on.
- Card
- PayPal
- Steam Wallet codes
Xbox and Microsoft Store
Expansion Pass 2 is £37.49 here.
- Card
- Mobile billing
- Xbox gift cards
Before you pay: Expansion Pass 2 is effectively a pre-purchase: on 25 September 2026 only its first set was playable. Steam's 14-day, two-hour refund rule is your safety net for the base game, so test performance on your PC within that window.
How the scores add up
| How it plays | Weight | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| First hours | 15% | 7.5 |
| The middle stretch | 30% | 7.0 |
| The long tail | 20% | 6.5 |
| Craft | 20% | 5.0 |
| Access | 15% | 6.5 |
| What it costs | Weight | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Price against play | 35% | 8.0 |
| Honest pricing | 25% | 4.5 |
| Ways to pay | 20% | 7.0 |
| Protection | 20% | 7.0 |
What we rate
- The deepest traffic simulation in any city builder
- Steady free patches and a strong mod scene
- Included in PC Game Pass
- A permanent bundle saving on the add-ons
What costs it
- Performance still falls in large cities
- Everything at list price costs nearly five times the base game
- PC only; console versions delayed indefinitely
- Mixed player reviews
Buy it if
you have a strong PC and want a city builder to tinker with for years, ideally trying it on PC Game Pass first.
Think twice if
your PC is mid-range or you expect a polished game at full price; wait for further patches and a sale.
Final verdict
Cities: Skylines II is the lowest-scoring game here, and the scores tell a clear story. The base game is reasonably priced for the hours it offers, but its performance problems hold the Verdict down, and the add-on stack, with a pass paid a year in advance, drags on the Value.
Try it on PC Game Pass or within Steam's refund window before committing, and buy add-ons one at a time only once you know you will use them.
Weigh it against
Sources
This review is an editorial analysis of published evidence; see how we judge. Prices checked 25 September 2026.