Build entire cities with your Lumia

Forget about your own lives for a minute, and build another, with these great city-building games.

The Sims Freeplay – free from Windows Phone Store

Spun-off from one of the oldest (and greatest) city-building games of all time (Sim City), The Sims Freeplay scales down that immense challenge and allows you to focus your efforts on a small township and the individuals within it.

Starting with a blank terrain of un-purchased lots, you begin with a single Sim (the people within the game) and create your first home.

Get a job, buy a car, move somebody into the vacant lot next door and, before you know it, you’re starting your own family and expanding the neighbourhood to become a desirable place to live.

Make sure you remind your Sims to eat or take bathroom breaks, and help them enjoy their lives. Failure to do so will mean extreme grumpiness and protest actions. You’ll have to find out for yourself what they are, but trust us, nobody wants a hungry, wet, grumpy Sim…

Nokia Modern Mayor – free from Windows Phone Store

The previous mayor did a lousy job at running his city. The result? Brown grass, polluted seas and uninhabited, ruined buildings. Step up to the plate and make this city one to be proud of again.

Naturally, a modern city demands a different approach if it’s to really succeed. Each building you construct can be upgraded to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Stick on some solar panels, recycle your water, and create offices and malls that have a reduced carbon footprint.

You can speed up the building process by purchasing badges; Microsoft donates 80 per-cent of these proceeds to real-life eco and social projects across the world.

2020: My Country – free from Windows Phone Store

What might the world be like in the year 2020? Well, you could wait just six more years, OR download this game – the latter option is more fun.

Starting with an already flourishing city, your job in this game is to take it to new levels.

Find an empty piece of land, construct a new building and, once complete, employ somebody to run it.

Whoever you select for that job will need some training and some necessary equipment.

Lather, rinse, and repeat until you have your bustling metropolis. But watch out for the natural disasters, they’ll throw a spanner in the works.

Adventure Town – free from Nokia Store

Terrifying monsters and bone-chilling beasts have overrun a local town. Where’s a hero when you need one? Cue you.

Rebuild the city with tempting shops and houses to attract mighty heroes.

If you’ve done a good enough job you should have an army of warriors that you’re ready to train and send into numerous battles.

Charge!

Kingdoms & Lords – free from Windows Phone Store

In a similar style to Adventure Town, this is a game of strategy and simulation.

Build your kingdom, expand your lands, cultivate crops and raise animals for money and food.

Only when you’ve got a rich production system and healthy enough economy can you create an army of warriors, worthy of success.

Then of course, send them into battle for glory, or keep them at home to defend your precious kingdom.

What’s your favourite city building game? One of these, or something else entirely? Share your thoughts with us, below.