IMHO.

Cities XL Platinum vs Cities: Skylines

Cities XL Platinum and Cities: Skylines both land in Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Simulation games on Steam. Cities XL Platinum (2013) is 2 years older than Cities: Skylines (2015). Cities: Skylines scores higher on Steam reviews (92.8% positive) than Cities XL Platinum (49.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cities XL Platinum

Choose Cities XL Platinum if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Cities XL Platinum launched in 2013.

Choose Cities: Skylines

Choose Cities: Skylines if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.8% positive across 99,307 reviews.

Both Cities XL Platinum and Cities: Skylines sit in Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Side-by-side comparison

Cities XL Platinum vs Cities: Skylines — Steam metadata comparison
Cities XL Platinum — Steam game coverCities XL PlatinumCities: Skylines — Steam game coverCities: Skylines
Released20132015
GenresSimulationStrategy, Simulation
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Playable
Price9.99 USD8.99 USD
Steam reviews49.8% positive (612 reviews)92.8% positive (99,307 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersFocus EntertainmentColossal Order

Side by side

Cities XL Platinum vs Cities: Skylines — FAQ

Which is better, Cities XL Platinum or Cities: Skylines?
On Steam reviews Cities: Skylines scores higher (92.8% positive) than Cities XL Platinum (49.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Cities: Skylines is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play Cities XL Platinum or Cities: Skylines first?
If you want chronology, Cities XL Platinum (2013) came out before Cities: Skylines (2015). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are Cities XL Platinum and Cities: Skylines similar?
They overlap on Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
Cities XL Platinum vs Cities: Skylines — Verdict (2026) · imho.run