Cities: Skylines, the beloved city-building simulator that helped redefine modern management games, is celebrating its 11th anniversary with a huge Steam deal and a limited-time free-to-play weekend. If you’ve ever been curious about building your own thriving metropolis, managing traffic disasters, and watching neighborhoods evolve over time, this is one of the best chances in years to jump in.
For a short window, anyone can download and play the full base game for free. The free access runs through Monday, March 9, 2026. If you decide you want to keep it permanently, the base game is discounted by 90% and drops to just $2.99 until March 9. That’s down from its usual $29.99 price, and it’s also the lowest price the game has ever hit on Steam.
A big part of why this anniversary offer matters is that Cities: Skylines isn’t just “still around” after more than a decade—it’s still actively played. The game holds an Overwhelmingly Positive rating with over 280,000 reviews across multiple languages, and it regularly sees about 10,000 to 22,000 concurrent players daily. It’s available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via Steam, making it easy to pick up no matter what setup you’re using.
When Cities: Skylines launched in 2015, it quickly caught fire by delivering what many city-builder fans felt they were missing: large maps, detailed traffic systems that actually reward smart planning, and deep customization. Steam Workshop support helped fuel an enormous modding scene, and that community has become one of the biggest reasons the game continues to feel fresh. Over the years, the experience has been expanded with a long lineup of add-ons, including packs centered around public transportation, industry systems, and changing weather, letting players tailor their city-building experience to the style they enjoy most.
Even with Cities: Skylines II released in 2023, the original game has remained a reliable favorite. Many long-time players stuck with (or returned to) the first title due to the sequel’s early performance problems and rough edges at launch. While the newer game has improved over time with updates, the original Cities: Skylines is widely seen as the more complete and optimized experience—backed by a decade of improvements and an unmatched library of community-made content.
At $2.99, Cities: Skylines is an easy pick for anyone with even a casual interest in simulation, strategy, or management games. And if you enjoy the base game during the free weekend, it may also be worth watching for the Anniversary Bundle, which currently cuts the price of several key expansions by 57%, making it a more affordable way to broaden the experience. If you’re set on the sequel instead, it could be smarter to wait for the Steam Spring Sale beginning March 19, when Cities: Skylines II is expected to see its next major discount.
