SimCity

SimCity from 2013 was meant to be a reboot of the legendary series for a new generation of players, but the launch was plagued by a string of problems that turned it into one of the most talked-about flops of the genre. The game insisted on a permanent internet connection even in single-player (always-online DRM), officially because of a simulation engine shared between neighboring cities, but in practice the servers couldn't handle the launch rush and many players couldn't reach their in-progress cities for days. Criticism was compounded by significantly smaller building plots compared to older entries, which limited the long-term planning options fans of SimCity 4 were used to.

Beneath the surface, though, the game brought some interesting ideas, above all a detailed per-vehicle traffic simulation and a city specialization system, where neighboring cities in a region could focus on mining, culture, or trade and complement one another. Visually it was a nicely crafted game with a smooth transition between day and night simulation.

But its reputation was damaged both by the technical problems at launch and by the sense that the game had been designed to force an online connection even where it added nothing to the gameplay. Studio Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts faced long-term criticism for this move, and fan trust in the series was never restored during the studio's lifetime.

Why play it: More of a historical curiosity than an unreserved recommendation — the game still requires an online connection today and offers substantially smaller cities than older entries, so newcomers to city-building strategy games are better off reaching for SimCity 4 or Cities: Skylines.