The Best City-Builder Games With Combat, Ranked

City-builder games are some of the best for allowing players to explore their creative freedom through creating an assortment of medieval kingdoms or futuristic cities that will stand the toll of time. While many city-builder games usually have the players dealing with more mundane issues, such as economics or the enjoyment of their residents, other city-builders have added more challenges for their players.

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Including combat in a city-builder means players may sometimes have to sacrifice their creativity to instead focus on strategic planning that will avoid their city crumbling to the ground from an attack by another city. These are some of the best city-builder games for those who are looking to please their residents while also facing various combat scenarios that may see their work crumble to the ground.

8 Stronghold: Definitive Edition

Fortify A Castle And Siege Others

This classic castle simulator continues to be one of the greatest city-building simulators – or in this case, a kingdom-building simulator – that has received various upgraded editions over the years, with 2023 seeing players enjoying the castle simulator with combat through Stronghold: Definitive Edition.

In these upgraded graphics, players are once again challenged to make a stronghold that will stand against various sieges while also building a strong infrastructure through building various structures for their villages as they experience both the old and new campaign missions of Stronghold.

7 Diplomacy Is Not An Option

Build A Town While Raising An Army

Diplomacy is Not an Option is an interesting city-builder game that reminds players that the survival of their kingdom during this medieval age was created on the backs of the peasants who live within the kingdom's walls. While building up the defenses needed to survive against the hordes of enemies that are likely to attack their growing town, these peasants are in the middle of tending to farms that will keep the solider's bellies full, as wars can easily be won by causing issues for the kingdom internally.

As players lose soldiers, it's also a race against time to bury their dead in the hopes of avoiding plague taking over the kingdom. However, players are still likely to focus on the military might of their army in the hopes of beating all that attempt to usurp them.

6 Manor Lords

Large-Scale Tactical Battles In Between Raising A City

Manor Lords is an assortment of several genres from an incredible medieval sandbox title, an in-depth city builder, and also a strategy title. Even with the game still being in early access from Slavic Magic, Manor Lords has shown itself to have great potential for those who are looking for a game that gives them control over gradually growing their city freely.

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When the player isn't growing their city from a small marketplace into a bustling village and then eventually a thriving kingdom, they can also grow their army to rival other lords that are also attempting to make a name for themselves in Manor Lords by encroaching on the player's land.

5 Northgard

Grow The Clan Of The North

Building the player's Viking clan in Northgard is one of the most amusing strategy city-builder experiences, as players are not only building homes for their clan members but also fending off the various mythological and regular enemies that are attempting to be the player's demise.

While Northgard does have a Conquest mode where players choose a clan to fight through various unique scenarios, Northgard also encourages players to experience the city-builder side of the Viking title to build up their settlement on the newly discovered continent and assign their Vikings to other jobs that aren't just battle. Though there are still dangers, that isn't just violent foes, as hunger can be just as deadly.

4 Songs Of Syx

Start As A Minor City That Grows To Victory That Battles And Schemes

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2020-09-21
• Developer(s): Gameatron AB
• Genre(s): Strategy, Simulation

While some city-builder games with combat are quite simplistic in one mechanic or the other, Songs of Syx prides itself on being a complex city-builder title with grand tactical battles for the player to take part in.

Even with simplistic pixel graphics, the player may start with a small colony of residents before collecting the valuable resources needed to see their city grow to an unmatched height, especially with the capacity to have around 30k individuals in Songs of Syx. As mentioned, these individuals are not just used for keeping the city running, as players must also grow their armies to take back their kingdom and defend their land from invaders.

3 Anno 1800

Take Control Of The Industrial Revolution By Force

Anno 1800 is a real-time strategy simulation game where players attempt to grow their metropolis as a ruler during the Industrial Revolution by settling on exotic new continents. In between setting up trade routes, the player is also left to build up their settlement into a thriving company.

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The combat in Anno 1800 is unlike previous Anno titles, as players are strictly attached to sea combat through building various trade boats, as well as other sea vessels that they will have to make the most of when attempting to take over the industrial revolution through trading with other companies. To lead a powerful metropolis, a player must take their opponents down a notch or two.

2 Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

Build Some Of The Greatest Empires In History

Although Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is predominantly a real-time strategy title about fighting different civilizations, players are encouraged to build the glorious empires of these civilizations.

If players hope to see their empire flourish, they must first be sure that they can build a glorious kingdom for themselves, like many of the classic available civilizations as well as the new ones that were added with the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires 2. Players will still be focusing more on strategy through fighting opponents, though players can also turn off the AI enemies to instead focus on building a great empire.

1 Against The Storm

A Dark City Builder Against Corrupted Rains

Eremite Games considers their strategy title, Against the Storm, to be a dark fantasy city builder where the player, as the Queen's viceroy, must help the humans and forest creatures create a home for themselves in the apocalyptic rains. It is up to the player to reclaim the wilderness for these foxes, harpies, and other creatures while fighting back against the dangerous foes that have since called the forests their home.

In this city builder that meets the roguelite genre, the player should get well established, with their bustling villages being wiped out as Against the Storm gets harder the longer the player survives, though it's still a great experience to build once more.

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