Choose SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition
Choose SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition if it's currently about 56% cheaper on the Steam Store. 5,328 Steam reviews back the pick.
SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition vs Cities: Skylines
SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition and Cities: Skylines both land in Strategy, 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 share Strategy, Simulation on Steam. SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition (2010) is 5 years older than Cities: Skylines (2015). Cities: Skylines scores higher on Steam reviews (92.8% positive) than SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition (81.3% 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: Skylines
Choose Cities: Skylines if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.8% positive across 99,307 reviews.
Both SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition and Cities: Skylines sit in Strategy and 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
 SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition |  Cities: Skylines | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2010 | 2015 |
| Genres | Strategy, Simulation | Strategy, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 3.99 USD | 8.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.3% positive (5,328 reviews) | 92.8% positive (99,307 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | EA - Maxis, Aspyr (Mac) | Colossal Order |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Simulation on Steam.
- SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition (2010) is 5 years older than Cities: Skylines (2015).
- Cities: Skylines scores higher on Steam reviews (92.8% positive) than SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition (81.3% positive).
- SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition is currently ~56% cheaper on Steam than Cities: Skylines (3.99 USD vs. 8.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition vs Cities: Skylines — FAQ
- Which is better, SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition or Cities: Skylines?
- On Steam reviews Cities: Skylines scores higher (92.8% positive) than SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition (81.3% 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 SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition or Cities: Skylines first?
- If you want chronology, SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition (2010) 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 SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition and Cities: Skylines similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.