Best Building games on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated building games. For those who prefer not to search, lists of the most played, top deals and best free building games are available at the bottom of the page.
Filters & Lists
Blood Bar Tycoon
Blood Bar Tycoon is a vampire bar management game. Build bars and blood factories, lure humans to harvest their blood, process it, and serve your customers: other vampires. Research quirky machines and deal with hunters! Expand through Crimson City to become a mighty Elder!
World End Diner
Run a diner on the last island in the world after the destruction of humankind! For the cute animals and robots that survived, cook delicious food, run a farm, explore the forest, and create the best diner!
The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection
The game you know and love. For Windows 10/11. In The Sims 2, you direct your Sims over a lifetime. Give them a long existence or leave their lives in shambles. Guide their characteristics from one generation to the next.
The Sims™ Legacy Collection
The original game you know and love. For Windows 10/11. Create a neighborhood of Sims and guide their lives through careers and romance — or create chaos with open-ended gameplay that lets you shape their destinies.
My Little Life
A relaxing life-sim that lives on the bottom of your screen while you do other things.
Foundation
Foundation is a grid-less, laidback medieval city-building game with a focus on organic development, monument construction and resource management.
Ropuka's Idle Island
A cozy idle game that sits anywhere on your desktop. Watch the frog cut grass, upgrade his tools, and decorate the island while you work or relax.
Exogate Initiative
Build and manage mankind’s first mission across the universe! Create a sprawling facility underground, recruit a diverse group of specialists from around the globe and explore mysterious new worlds through the Exogate.
Space Engineers 2
The ultimate space sandbox, reimagined. Unleash your creativity with powerful building tools, explore the mysterious Almagest system, and uncover its captivating story. Join the Early Access and shape the future of space engineering!
Learning Factory
Build intricate supply chains to meet your feline customers' needs. Discover underground and air transport layers, a vast research tree, procedural worlds, machine learning, and endless automation in this relaxing, enemyless game.
Camping Simulator: The Squad
Camping Simulator lets you experience what camp means by preparing your backpack wisely for challenging conditions of nature. You can play all the experiences with up to 8 friends in multiplayer mode or single player mode.
Streamer Life Simulator 2
In the second game of the series, competition has increased and now everyone wants to be a streamer. Are you ready to stream until your cpu burns out?
Settlements Rising
Settlements Rising is a medieval city building and colony management game. It offers a lively colony experience with simulated villagers, dozens of professions and resources, natural disasters, and raids, while providing full control over the colony through trade, production chains and datas.
IDUN - Frontline Survival
A defense RTS where you can move turrets at will. Extract resources, upgrade technology, and defend against enemy swarms in a gripping space campaign. Hold the line, set up your turrets, and brace for screen-filling hordes!
Warlords Under Siege
Warlords Under Siege is a mix of RTS and Roguelike genre, where you build a small city and defend it against continuous waves of enemies. Improve your assortment of weapons with each playthrough, unlocking new possibilities to beat the ever-increasing threat.
Age of Darkness: Final Stand
Age of Darkness: Final Stand is a dark fantasy survival RTS where you must illuminate, build and defend humanity’s last bastion against hordes of Nightmares. Set in the remnants of a kingdom consumed by a deadly fog, you decide. Will you hide in the light? Or take back your world.
Aloft
Soar the skies in Aloft, the co-op sandbox survival game set in a world of floating islands. Build any island into a skyship, your home in the clouds. Find lost knowledge, cure the fungal corruption, and brave the hurricane to restore the ecosystem.
My Summer Car
My Summer Car is the ultimate car owning, building, fixing, tuning, maintenance AND permadeath life survival simulator. You start the game with hundreds of loose parts and assemble both car and engine.
Behind Glass: Aquarium Simulator
Create stunning virtual aquariums on your PC! Our advanced 3D engine brings your fish tank to life with breathtaking realism, featuring lifelike fish, plants, decorations, and more. Transform your monitor into a vibrant, living aquarium. Virtual aquascaping has never been easier!
Click Mage
Click Mage is a unique 2D resource gatherer and building game. Mine and process resources, upgrade your clicking power and construct buildings on an idyllic island with beautiful pixel art graphics.
Idle Colony
A condensed incremental experience, where you build a colony to collect and merge bigger and bigger fruits. Combine game-changing technologies and special upgrades to find the best synergies and take your cash flow to another dimension.
Planet Centauri
Dive into an epic adventure alone or with friends! Explore hidden dungeons, capture and tame fearsome monsters, build and defend your village. Craft powerful weapons, master magical spells, and transform an planet into the cradle of a new civilization!
Heat Death: Survival Train
Heat Death is a sci-fi survival game where you can build, upgrade, and customize your battle train to explore and survive a frozen world! This train is not only your shelter and vehicle, but also your weapon and ally to face hostile drones, deadly storms, and hidden mysteries of an unknown world!
Most played building games on Steam
Take a look at the top building games that are currently attracting the largest player bases on the Steam platform, as of April 15th 2025.
1. The Sims™ 4
Play with life and discover the possibilities. Unleash your imagination and create a world of Sims that’s wholly unique. Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes–and much more. The Sims™ 4 is a life sim, character customization and free to play game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Released on June 18th 2020 has received 166,526 reviews of which 145,405 were positive and 21,121 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. The game has hit the top spot as the #1 most played building game, thanks to its 41,405 peak concurrent players over the last day.
8.6
145,405
21,121
41,405
players
2. Garry's Mod
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play. Garry's Mod is a sandbox, moddable and multiplayer game developed by Facepunch Studios and published by Valve. Released on November 29th 2006 has received 1,150,066 reviews of which 1,113,171 were positive and 36,895 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.6 out of 10. While seeing 28,494 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #2 among building games based on player count.
9.6
1,113,171
36,895
28,494
players
3. Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is a modern take on the classic city simulation. The game introduces new game play elements to realize the thrill and hardships of creating and maintaining a real city whilst expanding on some well-established tropes of the city building experience. Cities: Skylines is a city builder, simulation and building game developed by Colossal Order Ltd. and published by Paradox Interactive. Released on March 10th 2015 has received 273,442 reviews of which 254,189 were positive and 19,253 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.2 out of 10. While seeing 18,962 players online at once in the last 24 hours, this game is currently ranked #3 among building games based on player count.
9.2
254,189
19,253
18,962
players
4. Conan Exiles
An online multiplayer survival game, now with sorcery, set in the lands of Conan the Barbarian. Survive in a vast open world sandbox, build your home into a kingdom, and dominate your enemies in single or multiplayer. Conan Exiles is a survival and open world game developed and published by Funcom. Released on May 08th 2018 has received 106,283 reviews of which 83,576 were positive and 22,707 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. With 13,547 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #4 spot among the most played building games.
7.8
83,576
22,707
13,547
players
5. Oxygen Not Included
Oxygen Not Included is a space-colony simulation game. Deep inside an alien space rock your industrious crew will need to master science, overcome strange new lifeforms, and harness incredible space tech to survive, and possibly, thrive. Oxygen Not Included is a colony sim, base-building and survival game developed and published by Klei Entertainment. Released on July 30th 2019 has received 127,145 reviews of which 123,019 were positive and 4,126 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.5 out of 10. With 13,414 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #5 spot among the most played building games.
9.5
123,019
4,126
13,414
players
6. Myth of Empires
Myth of Empires is a multiplayer war sandbox game featuring a high degree of freedom and multiple civilizations. Players must survive, craft, create, and lead troops in their quest to conquer PVE or PVP territory and build their own empire. Xizhou Civilization Pack is now officially released! Myth of Empires is a building, open world survival craft and sandbox game developed by Angela Game and published by Imperium Interactive Entertainment . Released on February 21st 2024 has received 16,724 reviews of which 11,440 were positive and 5,284 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.7 out of 10. With 7,267 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #6 spot among the most played building games.
6.7
11,440
5,284
7,267
players
7. Dyson Sphere Program
Build the most efficient intergalactic factory in space simulation strategy game Dyson Sphere Program! Harness the power of stars, collect resources, plan and design production lines and develop your interstellar factory from a small space workshop to a galaxy-wide industrial empire. Dyson Sphere Program is a automation, space and base-building game developed by Youthcat Studio and published by Gamera Games. Released on January 20th 2021 has received 84,564 reviews of which 82,585 were positive and 1,979 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.6 out of 10. With 5,796 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #7 spot among the most played building games.
9.6
82,585
1,979
5,796
players
8. Planet Zoo
Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim. Construct detailed habitats, manage your zoo, and meet authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them. Planet Zoo is a management, simulation and building game developed and published by Frontier Developments. Released on November 05th 2019 has received 86,491 reviews of which 78,784 were positive and 7,707 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. With 5,508 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #8 spot among the most played building games.
9.0
78,784
7,707
5,508
players
9. Space Engineers
Space Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction, exploration and survival in space and on planets. Players build space ships, space stations, planetary outposts of various sizes and uses, pilot ships and travel through space to explore planets and gather resources to survive. Space Engineers is a space, sandbox and building game developed and published by Keen Software House. Released on February 28th 2019 has received 131,727 reviews of which 116,631 were positive and 15,096 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.7 out of 10. With 4,309 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #9 spot among the most played building games.
8.7
116,631
15,096
4,309
players
10. Kingdom Two Crowns
Gather coins, build defenses and reclaim your fallen Kingdom. Explore and uncover secrets, unlock new technologies and protect your crown versus waves of Greed monsters that come at night. Kingdom is a solo or co-op micro-strategy and tower defense game set in an atmospheric pixel world. Kingdom Two Crowns is a tower defense, minimalist and city builder game developed by Stumpy🐙Squid, Fury Studios and Coatsink and published by Raw Fury. Released on December 11th 2018 has received 7,063 reviews of which 6,244 were positive and 819 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. With 4,099 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, the game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played building games.
8.6
6,244
819
4,099
players
Best deals on building games on Steam
Discover fantastic savings with the best discounts on a variety of building games available on Steam right now, updated on April 15th 2025. Looking for even more deals? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of discounted building games.
1. Founders' Fortune
A fantasy village builder focusing on creative building, colonist psychology and base defense. Handle resources, farming, production, tools, diplomacy, families, trading, defense, and research, as well as the wishes, expectations, thoughts, and equipment of every villager. Founders' Fortune is a colony sim, base-building and city builder game developed and published by Dionic Software. Released on December 18th 2020 has received 2,093 reviews of which 1,686 were positive and 407 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. Featuring a massive 95% discount, this game currently holds the #1 spot in the best deals for building category.
7.8
1,686
407
-95%
20.00€
1.00€
2. Snowtopia: Ski Resort Builder
Build your ideal ski resort. Keep skiers smiling with fresh pistes and fine facilities. Ski, build and chill in the wintry world of Snowtopia where everyone is welcome! Snowtopia: Ski Resort Builder is a simulation, building and management game developed by TeaForTwo and published by Goblinz Publishing and Maple Whispering Limited. Released on December 14th 2022 has received 1,162 reviews of which 713 were positive and 449 were negative resulting in a rating of 6 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 94% discount, this game is now the #2 best deal in building games.
6
713
449
-94%
19.83€
1.19€
3. Juno: New Origins
Bring to life anything you can imagine from rockets and airplanes to cars and more. Automate them with a visual programming language. Explore 3D planets and make your own. Share your creations online. Complete contracts, conquer milestones, and unlock technology in the newly added Career Mode. Juno: New Origins is a building, science and space sim game developed and published by Jundroo and LLC. Released on January 26th 2023 has received 3,066 reviews of which 2,762 were positive and 304 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.7 out of 10. Thanks to its incredible 93% discount, this game is now the #3 best deal in building games.
8.7
2,762
304
-93%
18.43€
1.29€
4. When Ski Lifts Go Wrong
Ride into a hilarious construction puzzler; packed with over 100 creative physics-based challenges, sports and bloody disasters! Build contraptions to help every passenger reach their destination. Enjoy the sports by controlling your riders away from (or towards if you feel like it) peril! When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is a simulation, indie and building game developed by Hugecalf Studios and published by Curve Games. Released on January 23rd 2019 has received 839 reviews of which 728 were positive and 111 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.2 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 93% discount, this title has earned the #4 position in the best deals for building games.
8.2
728
111
-93%
14.29€
1.00€
5. Car Mechanic Simulator 2015
New cars, new tools, new options, more parts and much more fun in the next version of Car Mechanic Simulator! Take your wrench! Create and expand your auto repairs service empire. Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 will take you behind the scenes of daily routine in car workshop. Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 is a automobile sim, simulation and singleplayer game developed by Red Dot Games and published by PlayWay S.A.. Released on April 23rd 2015 has received 14,567 reviews of which 13,463 were positive and 1,104 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.0 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 91% discount, this title has earned the #5 position in the best deals for building games.
9.0
13,463
1,104
-91%
20.56€
1.85€
6. Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
Build and expand your repair service empire in this incredibly detailed and highly realistic simulation game, where attention to car detail is astonishing. Find classic, unique cars in the new Barn Find module and Junkyard module. You can even add your self-made car in the Car Editor. Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 is a simulation, automobile sim and driving game developed by Red Dot Games and published by PlayWay S.A.. Released on July 28th 2017 has received 51,248 reviews of which 46,798 were positive and 4,450 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 91% discount, this title has earned the #6 position in the best deals for building games.
9.0
46,798
4,450
-91%
19.67€
1.77€
7. Conan Exiles
An online multiplayer survival game, now with sorcery, set in the lands of Conan the Barbarian. Survive in a vast open world sandbox, build your home into a kingdom, and dominate your enemies in single or multiplayer. Conan Exiles is a survival and open world game developed and published by Funcom. Released on May 08th 2018 has received 106,283 reviews of which 83,576 were positive and 22,707 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 91% discount, this title has earned the #7 position in the best deals for building games.
7.8
83,576
22,707
-91%
41.89€
3.77€
8. To The Rescue!
To The Rescue! is a charming dog shelter simulator. Take care of unique dogs and find the right homes for as many of them as you can. Upgrade your shelter, control disease outbreaks, learn each dog's preferences, and make tough decisions, all while helping support real-world animal shelters! To The Rescue! is a dog, management and immersive sim game developed by Little Rock Games and indie.io and published by indie.io. Released on November 02nd 2021 has received 2,040 reviews of which 1,374 were positive and 666 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.6 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 91% discount, this title has earned the #8 position in the best deals for building games.
6.6
1,374
666
-91%
19.22€
1.73€
9. Parkasaurus
Parkasaurus is a dinosaur tycoon management simulation where you take care of your dinosaurs by constructing well-designed exhibits, researching specialized technologies, and maximizing profits to expand into the ultimate dinosaur theme park. Do you favor development for guests or your dinosaurs? Parkasaurus is a management, city builder and dinosaurs game developed and published by Washbear Studio. Released on August 12th 2020 has received 3,000 reviews of which 2,801 were positive and 199 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 90% discount, this title has earned the #9 position in the best deals for building games.
9.0
2,801
199
-90%
20.10€
2.01€
10. TerraTech
TerraTech is an open-world, sandbox adventure game, where you design and build your own creations through a mix of crafting, combat and discovery. Design vehicles from a huge library of blocks. Scavenge, craft and buy new parts to survive and become the ultimate planetary prospector. TerraTech is a building, sandbox and open world game developed and published by Payload Studios. Released on August 10th 2018 has received 23,221 reviews of which 21,196 were positive and 2,025 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. Currently offered at a significant 90% discount, this title has earned the #10 position in the best deals for building games.
8.9
21,196
2,025
-90%
24.20€
2.42€
Free building games on Steam
Check out this fantastic list of free-to-play building games you can enjoy on Steam right now, updated on April 15th 2025. Looking for even more free titles? Use the search filters to explore a wider range of free to play building games.
1. The Sims™ 4
Play with life and discover the possibilities. Unleash your imagination and create a world of Sims that’s wholly unique. Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes–and much more. The Sims™ 4 is a life sim, character customization and free to play game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Released on June 18th 2020 has received 166,526 reviews of which 145,405 were positive and 21,121 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. With 41,405 active players enjoying it for free, this strategy game has reached the #1 spot among the top free building games on Steam.
8.6
145,405
21,121
41,405
players
2. Muck
Muck is a survival-roguelike. Collect resources, find items & build a base to survive for as long as you can. Muck is a survival, multiplayer and crafting game developed and published by Dani. Released on June 05th 2021 has received 174,482 reviews of which 163,372 were positive and 11,110 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.3 out of 10. Thanks to its free to play tag and a daily player base of 1,089, this building game has secured the #2 spot in the ranking of free building games on Steam.
9.3
163,372
11,110
1,089
players
3. OpenTTD
OpenTTD is a business simulation game in which players earn money by transporting passengers and cargo via road, rail, water, and air. It is an open-source remake and expansion of the 1995 Chris Sawyer video game Transport Tycoon Deluxe. OpenTTD is a simulation, building and free to play game developed and published by OpenTTD. Released on April 01st 2021 has received 14,119 reviews of which 13,577 were positive and 542 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.4 out of 10. Thanks to its free to play tag and a daily player base of 749, this building game has secured the #3 spot in the ranking of free building games on Steam.
9.4
13,577
542
749
players
4. Infinitode 2 - Infinite Tower Defense
Infinitode 2 - a strategy in the Tower Defense genre, in which the player will have to build towers to protect his base from endless waves of enemies. The game features huge maps, lots of towers, resource miners, upgrade tree and map editor. Infinitode 2 - Infinite Tower Defense is a level editor, tower defense and building game developed and published by Prineside. Released on May 06th 2021 has received 3,592 reviews of which 3,277 were positive and 315 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 324 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #4 position in the best free building games on Steam.
8.8
3,277
315
324
players
5. Zoo 2: Animal Park
Zoo 2: Animal Park – Take care of wild and tame zoo animals in this animal game! Zoo 2: Animal Park is a casual, building and city builder game developed by KING Art and published by upjers. Released on August 24th 2020 has received 1,433 reviews of which 1,127 were positive and 306 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.5 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 289 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #5 position in the best free building games on Steam.
7.5
1,127
306
289
players
6. War Planet Online: Global Conquest
Build your army, dominate your region and lead your alliance to conquer the globe! War Planet Online: Global Conquest is a strategy, massively multiplayer and building game developed and published by Gameloft. Released on December 19th 2017 has received 903 reviews of which 576 were positive and 327 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.2 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 200 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #6 position in the best free building games on Steam.
6.2
576
327
200
players
7. Global City
Become the mayor and build the city of your dreams! In this game, anything is possible. Whatever you can imagine in a city-building and development simulator, you can do. Start from the very beginning and unlock new possibilities for developing your city in Global City! Global City is a city builder, strategy and building game developed by Red Brix Wall and published by MY.GAMES. Released on November 30th 2021 has received 1,157 reviews of which 813 were positive and 344 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.8 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 179 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #7 position in the best free building games on Steam.
6.8
813
344
179
players
8. Resonite
Enter a novel digital universe with infinite possibilities. Whether you resonate with people around the world in a casual conversation, playing games and socializing or you riff off each other when creating anything from art to programming complex games, you'll find your place here. Resonite is a early access, casual and sandbox game developed by Yellow Dog Man Studios and Frooxius and published by Yellow Dog Man Studios. Released on October 06th 2023 has received 1,215 reviews of which 994 were positive and 221 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.8 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 165 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #8 position in the best free building games on Steam.
7.8
994
221
165
players
9. SpellForce 3 Versus Edition
The SpellForce 3: Versus Edition gives you the chance to enter the battlefields of Eo for free, letting you test your RTS skills against AI opponents or even other human players. SpellForce 3 Versus Edition is a strategy, rpg and building game developed by Grimlore Games and published by THQ Nordic. Released on November 03rd 2020 has received 1,498 reviews of which 1,131 were positive and 367 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.3 out of 10. Attracting a solid base of 120 players due to its free access, this strategy game has achieved the #9 position in the best free building games on Steam.
7.3
1,131
367
120
players
10. My Free Zoo
A small zoo needs your help! As the new manager, it's your job to boost business. Design the zoo of your dreams. From wolves and polar bears all the way to prehistoric beasts – the further you progress in the game, the more exotic the animals you'll be able to keep in your zoo. Play now and save the zoo! My Free Zoo is a free to play, casual and simulation game developed and published by upjers. Released on November 28th 2017 has received 658 reviews of which 410 were positive and 248 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.1 out of 10. The game currently holds the #10 spot among the most played free building games on Steam.
6.1
410
248
76
players