Electronic Arts today launched SimCity BuildIt for iOS devices, which is a new mobile iteration of its popular city-building franchise. The game features a variety of fully-detailed buildings found in the PC iterations of SimCity with touch-optimized controls for pinching, zooming, and rotating, as the game works online and offline.

simcity1
Like the PC version, gameplay is centered around keeping citizens happy by solving challenges like traffic and pollution while expanding a city with new resources and buildings. Players can also trade resources with friends and unlock exclusive buildings, natural disasters, and other content. The game was originally announced in September, and follows the release of the latest SimCity title on the Mac last August.

simcity2
SimCity BuildIt is a free download for the iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

PhiLLoW Avatar
144 months ago
Without even looking at it I know this is freemium ******** and you have to spend more than 50$ in app purchases to actually play the game.

Why is stuff from EA even featured?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mcdevidr Avatar
144 months ago
Hey guys. A huge vault of sim cash is only $99. That's pretty reasonable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aluminum213 Avatar
144 months ago
What a great "story" from macrumors
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BillyBobBongo Avatar
144 months ago
Why is stuff from EA even featured?

Ad revenue.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MH01 Avatar
144 months ago
Simcity , such a good brand , being ruined by EA :(
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Steve121178 Avatar
144 months ago
I just spent a couple of minutes playing. Who are they designing these games for five year olds? I remember spending so much time as a child on sim city 2000. It was fun, engaging, and had some strategic elements.

This game has you design about 8 city blocks. It's like sim city for anyone with an iq under 80. I think the old sim city that came out a while back that was a port is much nicer.
The Sim City you and I loved doesn't exist any more apart from the name only. EA destroyed everything that was great about Sim City, likewise with Command & Conquer.

EA don't even design most of their games to be fun. It's about trying to extract as much money as they can from people.

You can actually play a free web-based version of the original Sim City which is a trillion times better than this ****.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...