POLIS — 2D + 3D
Free city builder game

Build a city. Right in your browser.

POLIS is a city building game where you lay the roads, zone the neighborhoods and keep the lights on. Plan in 2D, then walk your skyline in 3D.

Play POLIS free How city building works

Free to play. No download. No account.

A city built in POLIS, the browser city building game, with neighborhoods, parks, a waterfront and a commercial skyline
Free in your browser2D & 3D views6 scenariosSaves in your browser
What is POLIS?

A city builder with
real trade-offs.

POLIS is a free city builder game that runs in your browser. You start with open land and a small budget. Every road, zone and service you place changes how your city grows, how its residents feel and what it costs to keep running.

There is no tutorial maze and nothing to install. Pick a map, name your city and begin. Build at your own pace as a sandbox, or take on a scenario with a goal and a deadline.

How city building works

From empty land
to a working city.

Every city in POLIS grows through the same loop. Get it right on a small scale, then repeat it as you expand.

  1. 1 · Roads

    Lay out the streets.

    Roads are the backbone of the city. They carry traffic and, just as importantly, deliver power and water to the buildings beside them. Add avenues for busier routes, bus stops and rail stations to move people.

  2. 2 · Utilities

    Connect power and water.

    Place a power source, such as a solar farm, and a water tower beside connected roads. Open the Power and Water map views to see which streets and lots are supplied before you zone more land.

  3. 3 · Zoning

    Give people homes and jobs.

    Zone residential, commercial and industrial lots beside roads. Keep industry away from homes. Buildings grow from small beginnings into denser blocks and taller towers as demand and conditions allow.

  4. 4 · Services & budget

    Keep the city running.

    Add schools, hospitals and parks, then watch income, upkeep and infrastructure condition. Adjust taxes, fund services and weigh each expansion against what you can afford.

A new POLIS road network growing homes, shops and industrial buildings
A starter neighborhood after power, water and zoning are in place.
What you can build

A city builder with
room to shape the world.

Terrain, transport, services and a living city, in one browser tab.

Shape the land and connect it.

Raise hills, carve water and plant woodland. Cross water with bridges, cut through mountains with tunnels and link districts with elevated rail.

A passenger train entering a mountain tunnel beside the city in POLIS

Serve the people who live there.

Make room for schools, hospitals, gardens and places to play. Larger projects include a university, medical center, stadium, botanical gardens and museum.

A hospital, civic buildings and planted courtyards beside commercial towers in POLIS

Balance the budget.

Businesses need workers and demand to earn lasting revenue. Loans can bring a project forward, with repayments to plan for. Cutting renewal funding saves money now but lets a maintenance backlog build.

The POLIS city budget showing monthly income, costs and funding controls
In a city building game you…In POLIS
Plan the layoutRead the whole city in the 2D isometric view.
Explore what you madeSwitch to 3D to rotate, tilt and zoom through the same streets.
Watch it liveTurn on the day–night cycle or seasonal weather and watch street life unfold.
Pick a challengePlay a sandbox, or one of six scenarios across five difficulty levels.
A wide view of a POLIS city with distinct residential, commercial and industrial districts
Residential, commercial and industrial districts, planned in one city.
Scenarios & difficulty

Sandbox, or
a goal to chase.

Six scenarios, each with a target and a deadline. Five difficulty levels, from Easy to Kobayashi Maru.

First Steps

Good first scenario

Learn the basics and grow a village to 2,500 residents with happiness at 60% or more.

The Housing Crash

Restore jobs and abandoned neighborhoods to bring the city back to 70,000 residents.

Blackout

Rebuild the failing power network and keep 195,000 residents fully supplied.

Aftershock

Clear earthquake rubble, reconnect utilities and rebuild to 60,000 residents.

The Flood Plain

Grow to 25,000 residents on limited land while recurring floods threaten the riverbanks.

Iron Budget

Start with §6,000 and no loans. Reach 15,000 residents with §50,000 saved.

Start your city See more of the game
Questions

City builder
FAQ.

The short answers about playing POLIS.

Is POLIS a real city builder game?

Yes. You lay roads, connect power and water, zone homes, shops and industry, fund services and balance a budget while the city grows around your decisions. It is a full city building game that runs in your browser.

Is POLIS free?

Yes. POLIS is free to play, with no download and no account.

Do I need to download or install anything?

No. Open the page and start building. Once the game has finished loading and its offline files are cached, you can return to it without a connection.

Can I play a city builder in 3D?

Yes. Plan in the 2D isometric view, then switch to 3D at any time to rotate, tilt and zoom through the same city.

Is there a goal, or is it a sandbox?

Both. Build freely at your own pace, or take on one of six scenarios, each with a goal and a deadline. Five difficulty levels change starting funds, income, upkeep and pressure on growth.

Are my cities saved?

Automatic and named saves stay in your browser. Saves do not sync between devices, so export a save code to back up a city or move it elsewhere.

Ready to build?

A quiet riverside town. A busy downtown. Free in your browser, starting now.

Play POLIS free