SimCity
Virtual urban planning
SimCity is a city-building simulation video game franchise that began in 1989, where players act as mayor—zoning land, managing budgets, and building infrastructure.
The game popularized the "god game" genre and introduced many to urban planning concepts.
SimCity has become shorthand for any simplified model of complex systems: His economic plan is pure SimCity thinking.
Enclosed play area
- mayorElected head of municipality
- budgetPlan for spending
- disastersRuinous events causing suffering
- scenariosImagined sequences of events
zoning · taxes · ordinances · advisors · rewards · unlocks · regions · terraforming
Movement along routes
- populationAll inhabitants combined
- growthIncrease in size
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
crime · education · health · sewage · garbage · commute · demand · happiness
Large important city
- downtownCentral business district
- skylineUrban profile against atmosphere
- skyscraperVery tall urban building
- suburbOutlying residential district
sprawl · infrastructure · transit · roads · highways · bridges · parks · stadium
Sectioning areas by use
- layoutSpatial arrangement of elements
- gridFramework of intersecting lines
- blueprintDetailed technical drawing
- masterplanComprehensive guiding strategy
development · land-use · expansion · density · rezoning · bulldoze · demolition · placement
sandbox
Enclosed play area
scenarios · zoning · taxes · ordinances · advisors · rewards · unlocks · regions · terraforming · llama
traffic
Movement along routes
- populationAll inhabitants combined
- growthIncrease in size
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
pollution · crime · education · health · sewage · garbage · commute · demand · happiness · economy
metropolis
Large important city
- downtownCentral business district
- skylineUrban profile against atmosphere
- skyscraperVery tall urban building
suburb · sprawl · infrastructure · transit · roads · highways · bridges · parks · stadium · airport
zoning
Sectioning areas by use
- layoutSpatial arrangement of elements
- gridFramework of intersecting lines
- blueprintDetailed technical drawing
masterplan · development · land-use · expansion · density · rezoning · bulldoze · demolition · placement · roads
- Mac SoftwareMacPaint, FileMaker, PageMaker, Eudora, Oregon Trail
- simulation gamesThe Sims, character creation, virtual pet, tycoon game, dating sim
- City Builderspopulation, buildings, residential zones, commercial zones, industrial zones
- strategy gameschess, strategy, checkers, go, Go
- 90s GamingFinal Fantasy VII, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro
- sandbox gamesMinecraft, building, No Man's Sky, Roblox, creative mode
SimCityarcade games
Quarter-fed video amusements
Space Invaders · Pac-Man · Asteroids · Galaga · first-person shooters
SimCityThe Last of Us
Survival story amid infection
Uncharted · Final Fantasy · visual novels · adventure games · Half-Life
SimCityarcade games
Quarter-fed video amusements
Flappy Bird · casual games · endless runners · Temple Run · idle games
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