SimCity BuildIt

 iOS
SimCity BuildIt Image
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
4.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

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  • Summary: Build, craft, and create the city of your dreams.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. TouchArcade
    Dec 23, 2014
    80
    If you’re in the mood for a crafting freemium title, you can do a lot worse than checking out BuildIt.
  2. 148Apps
    Dec 23, 2014
    60
    SimCity BuildIt is a competent city-building game, but its free-to-play trappings are borderline monstrous.
  3. Gamezebo
    Dec 16, 2014
    60
    If moving buildings around all the time to squeeze in a fire department or a police station, while waiting for the slow trickle of money and resources that you need to expand, sounds like fun, then jump right into SimCity BuildIt. Just be aware, patience is necessary, and don’t expect to have marathon sessions with the game.
  4. IGN Italia
    Dec 30, 2014
    60
    This is the first "real" mobile SimCity and it's a nice game, but it's more Clash of Clans than classic Sim City and the free to play model doesn't work very well.
  5. Pocket Gamer UK
    Dec 18, 2014
    50
    The core of a fun mobile city-building game is buried beneath egregious free to play additions.
  6. Modojo
    Dec 27, 2014
    50
    Sim City Build It is a strange mishmash of free-to-play trappings, resource management, and other oddities that don't necessarily make sense within the context of the game as a franchise or even as a stand-alone app. Pass on it and choose something much meatier to spend your time with.
  7. Multiplayer.it
    Jan 4, 2015
    45
    Simcity BuildIt is not a game with some timers, it's a huge timer with some bits of a game in between.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 31
  3. Negative: 18 out of 31
  1. Arock
    Sep 15, 2019
    10
    Excellent game. Building is intuitive, active community, constant updates and constant challenges to keep you busy. Love it
  2. Hypnopoison
    Mar 21, 2015
    8
    Having previously played Sim City on PC, I have to say I am enjoying this version. It's rather addictive and even though there are In-AppHaving previously played Sim City on PC, I have to say I am enjoying this version. It's rather addictive and even though there are In-App purchases which I can't stand within mobile games, they aren't too in your face and you can progress the game easily enough without them. Good fun, nice graphics.… Expand
  4. maybethisweight
    Jun 8, 2015
    7
    I've been a SimCity'er since playing the first one on my sister's Apple IIC. I remember SimCity 2000, in its full color glory, and then fromI've been a SimCity'er since playing the first one on my sister's Apple IIC. I remember SimCity 2000, in its full color glory, and then from generation after generation, I kept losing interest. The charm wore off, and it just felt clunkier, more graphics heavy, and excuses to incorporate The Sims or other aspects that I was never interested in.

    This is the first SimCity that I've gotten re-addicted to. The game is still not what it used to be, about collecting money, keeping citizens happy, and figuring out how to balance R, C, and I zones. The focus is now on farming commodities, and strategic placement of Police/Fire/Hospitals, or the city will just die. The commodities themselves can be sold or used for other achievements in the game.

    I think it's fun initially as you are unlocking new resources and a few new challenges (like the shipping dock, the HQ's for buying/selling, etc.)... each "level up" introduces new resources to gather. But after a while I started to dread the level up, which would tend to unlock things that I couldn't afford, add on resources that meant more work, and then also citizens would begin to expect new services, become picker about traffic etc. etc. The game progressed from novel to feeling a bit burdensome.

    I think if you're willing to play really casually, or you're ready to spend a few bucks to expedite the advanced parts of the game, then this game is awesome. But as a 100% free player who doesn't want to play all day and night to get ahead, it gets too taxing at a certain point. I realize that is probably the goal of the developers anyhow - make it tempting to spend money, or just quit, ya know?    … Expand
  5. NotAToy
    Jun 19, 2020
    3
    A good idea buried inside of pay to win mechanics. As someone who likes the SimCity franchise (yes, even 2013) I was interested. Instead, IA good idea buried inside of pay to win mechanics. As someone who likes the SimCity franchise (yes, even 2013) I was interested. Instead, I found a worse-than-usual pay to win mechanic. Cities Skylines costs less than 1/3 of the price of the largest payment here. Just another part of EA's plan to ruin every good game there is. The game's AI purposefully prevents the items you need from getting onto your hands by the market. EA, I'm not interested.… Expand
  6. libor0711
    Jan 12, 2015
    2
    Nothing to do with the PC versions of SimCity! Just another Farmville clone with most effort put into how to squeeze a lot of money fromNothing to do with the PC versions of SimCity! Just another Farmville clone with most effort put into how to squeeze a lot of money from desperate "players". Yes, you can "play" free, if your idea of "playing" is wait an hour doing something else - open iPad, click 15-times and go away do something else again. Perfectly timed "needs" of the population make you short of cash all the time, so the main thing you do in this game is.....wait....wait....and....wait again. Or pay :-(... Trading hub does not work for me most of the time - if I find the item I need, 90% of time it's either not there when I click or it's already been sold, so the other thing you do in this "game" is click on the trading hub a 1000-times every hour. Terrible game.… Expand
  7. BowLL
    Nov 22, 2020
    2
    this game, no matter what, is an absolute joke.

    this game is literally like a pay to win, and even though i've paid a bit for EA games, it    this game, no matter what, is an absolute joke.

    this game is literally like a pay to win, and even though i've paid a bit for EA games, it sucks. you'll easily just stop with the paid currency, since buildings are so expensive to build, of course it's made by EA, so EA games will always try to ruin the game and make the game more of a payment, and is absolutely greedy.

    it's just pay. it's JUST pay.    … Expand
  8. jazzfunk907
    Apr 8, 2015
    0
    This game sucks, plain and simple. there's no creativity, it robs you of every cent, and just awful all in one.
    not to mention it's not even    This game sucks, plain and simple. there's no creativity, it robs you of every cent, and just awful all in one.
    not to mention it's not even funtional.    … Expand

See all 31 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2014
50
#50 Most Shared iOS Game of 2014