Colossal Order's 2023 sequel simulates every citizen as an agent with a household, a job, an education level and a daily route between them. Twenty milestones gate progress from Tiny Village to Megalopolis, handing out 432 expansion permits and 232 development points along the way. The Economy 2.0 patch reworked rent, production and taxation after launch, so a lot of the advice written in the first months no longer matches the game.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forestry town | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Farming region | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Ore mining city | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Oil industry city | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Office and services hub | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Cities: Skylines II tier list.
A-Tier: Forestry town
Forestry town is a top-performing option in Cities: Skylines II.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Coal Power Plant | Cheap, reliable output that pollutes the air heavily and needs a coal supply. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Agent based citizen simulation | Each citizen carries a home, a workplace, an education level and a route, and traffic is the sum of those individual routes rather than an abstract flow. |
How to Play Forestry town
Forestry town focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Coal Power Plant does the damage and Agent based citizen simulation keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Farming region
Farming region is a strong option in Cities: Skylines II.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Water Pumping Station | Draws fresh water from a river or lake and pushes it into the pipe network. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Milestones and expansion permits | Twenty milestones run from Tiny Village to Megalopolis, and clearing all of them grants 432 expansion permits plus 232 development points. |
How to Play Farming region
Farming region focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Water Pumping Station with Milestones and expansion permits and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Ore mining city
Ore mining city is a strong option in Cities: Skylines II.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Wastewater Treatment Plant | Cleans sewage before it returns to the water body instead of dumping it raw like a sewage outlet does. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Development tree upgrades | Development points unlock service buildings and upgrade branches such as extra school capacity or additional landfill cells. |
How to Play Ore mining city
Ore mining city focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Development tree upgrades covers the gap Wastewater Treatment Plant leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Oil industry city
Oil industry city is a specialized option in Cities: Skylines II.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Landfill | Stores garbage rather than destroying it, and fills up permanently unless you empty it into an incineration plant or recycling centre. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Production chains and outside trade | Industry draws on raw resources like grain, ore, oil, wood and stone, and anything you cannot extract locally is imported through road, rail, ship or air connections. |
How to Play Oil industry city
Oil industry city focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Production chains and outside trade rather than raw numbers, and Landfill is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Office and services hub
Office and services hub is a specialized option in Cities: Skylines II.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Elementary School | The first education building and the base of the whole education chain. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Land value and pollution | Ground pollution, air pollution and noise all suppress land value, and land value drives rent and which density will actually build. |
How to Play Office and services hub
Office and services hub focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Elementary School and Land value and pollution pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Farming region: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Forestry town once you understand core mechanics and have access to Coal Power Plant
- Keep a Ore mining city setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Office and services hub for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Start with one two lane road off the highway connection and zone shallow along it. Deep zoned blocks create buildings that back onto nothing, and citizens who cannot reach a bus stop will drive instead, which is where early traffic problems begin.
- Spend your first development points on the elementary school and medical clinic branches. Uneducated citizens can only fill basic industry jobs, and a city stuck at low education imports every processed good it needs at full price.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Cities: Skylines II Guides
- Cities: Skylines II Cities: Skylines II Overview
- Cities: Skylines II Tier List
- Cities: Skylines II Walkthrough
- Cities: Skylines II Beginner's Guide
- Cities: Skylines II Tips & Tricks
- Cities: Skylines II Weapons Guide
- Cities: Skylines II Combat Guide
- Cities: Skylines II Boss Guide
- Cities: Skylines II Maps & Locations
- Cities: Skylines II Crafting Guide
- Cities: Skylines II Classes & Characters
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