Alternative to SimCity for Fans of City Building Games

Virtual City is a city building game, developed by G5 Entertainment, which functions as an alternative to established games in this genre, such as SimCity and Cities: Skylines. The core gameplay principles are the same – you build a city and manage it by making decisions related to transport, the environment and the economy. However, the game does also take steps to differentiate itself from its rivals.

Time Management

One of the ways Virtual City separates itself from other games of its type is through an emphasis on time management. For example, one of the player’s main responsibilities is to conduct traffic, while other time-critical decisions revolve around production facilities, which need to be upgraded at the right time, as demand increases. However, actually doing so requires careful management of the city’s finances.

Missions and Challenges

While sandbox levels are available, the main game revolves around completing missions to advance to the next area. In total, there are 50 levels and 18 distinct scenarios, split across five U.S. states. The scenarios and challenges do become increasingly difficult, which may make the later levels too hard for some players’ tastes. Moreover, the core game is actually fairly short, and offers little incentive for multiple playthroughs. Nevertheless, Virtual City is a refreshing take on the genre, with enough to entertain most people.