22 years later, modders are keeping SimCity 4 alive

Search for âSimCity 4â on YouTube, and youâll see players constructing multilevel highway interchanges and intricate railroad networks, or maybe even a swooping flyby of a sprawling metropolis. None of these features came with the original game, which was released just after the turn of the millennium. Theyâve been developed slowly and painstakingly over the […]

Apr 7, 2025 - 16:38

22 years later, modders are keeping SimCity 4 alive

Search for âSimCity 4â on YouTube, and youâll see players constructing multilevel highway interchanges and intricate railroad networks, or maybe even a swooping flyby of a sprawling metropolis. None of these features came with the original game, which was released just after the turn of the millennium. Theyâve been developed slowly and painstakingly over the 22 years since its release by dedicated aficionados â a thriving community that continues to push the gameâs limits.

The work is a labor of love, and itâs a lot of labor and love. Modder Tarkus says that after all these years, heâs drawn to the deep and complex nature of the gameâs simulation, which he says remains unmatched by newer games like Cities: Skylines (2015) and its sequel Cities: Skylines 2 (2023) â and even by SimCity 4âs own sequel, which was released in 2013 and simply called SimCity. Modder Ulisse Wolf says that, for him, itâs ultimately a question of community. Perhaps because of the gameâs age, he finds that SimCity 4 enthusiasts are âmore mature â¦ guaranteeing you a quiet place to live in [peace] with other members.â

SimCity 4 was released in 2003, the fourth in game company …

Read the full story at The Verge.