Best Cities: Skylines Modes to Install

If you’re a fan of city-building games, then you’re probably a big fan of Cities: Skylines. Considering that the game came out in 2015, the replayability is very impressive, and Colossal Order owns that replayability to the Cities: Skylines Modes. 

The Replayability and Modding Community

Cities: Skylines is a game with high replayability due to its open-ended gameplay and extensive modding support. The game offers players the freedom to create and manage their own cities, making each playthrough unique and allowing for endless possibilities.

Players can experiment with different city layouts, building designs, and management strategies, creating new challenges and goals for each playthrough. The game’s realistic simulation of city life, with changing weather, day and night cycles, and traffic patterns, adds to the game’s replayability by making each playthrough feel like a dynamic and unpredictable experience.

Furthermore, the game’s modding community has contributed to its replayability by creating a vast array of custom content, including buildings, maps, gameplay mechanics, and more. Players can download and install mods through the Steam Workshop or other modding sites, allowing for endless customization options and adding more depth and complexity to the game.

In addition, the game has several expansion packs that add new features and gameplay mechanics, providing even more replay value for players who have already completed the base game. The expansion packs include new industries, transportation options, city policies, and more, allowing players to explore new challenges and strategies.

In general, Cities: Skylines is a game with high replayability due to its open-ended gameplay, extensive modding support, and expansion packs that add new features and gameplay mechanics. Players can create and manage their own unique cities, experiment with different strategies and designs, and explore new challenges and possibilities with each playthrough.
Considering how much the game depends on mods, let’s take a look at the top ten mods you should try for Cities: Skylines.

Top Ten Cities: Skylines Mods

It’s difficult to narrow down the top ten mods for Cities: Skylines as there are so many great mods available. However, here are ten popular mods that can enhance the gameplay experience:

1. Traffic Manager

The Traffic Manager mod is a popular mod for Cities: Skylines that allows players to manage traffic in their cities more effectively. The mod adds many new features and options to the game’s traffic management system, allowing players to fine-tune their transportation networks and reduce traffic congestion.

Some of the features of the Traffic Manager mod include customizing traffic lights, creating timed traffic lights, and adjusting the speed limits on roads. The mod also allows players to control the priority of certain types of traffic, such as emergency vehicles and public transportation.

Whether or not you should try the Traffic Manager mod depends on your personal preferences and playstyle. If you’re interested in managing traffic more effectively in your city and want more control over the game’s traffic management system, then the Traffic Manager mod could be a great addition to your game. However, if you prefer a more hands-off approach to traffic management or don’t want to complicate the game with additional features, then the mod may not be for you.

It’s important to note that installing mods can sometimes cause compatibility issues or other problems with the game. Before installing any mod, it’s a good idea to read the mod description and comments to ensure that it’s compatible with your version of the game and that other players have had a positive experience with the mod.

2. Network Extensions 2

Network Extensions 2 is well-loved among the Cities: Skylines fans. The mod adds new transportation options to the game, including new roads, highways, and bridges. The mod also includes tunnel and elevated road options, allowing players to create more complex and efficient transportation networks.

If you’re interested in creating more complex and efficient transportation networks in your city, then the mod could be a great addition to your game. It can allow you to create more diverse and interesting transportation options and help reduce traffic congestion.

However, if you prefer a more simplistic approach to transportation and prefer to use the game’s default options, then the mod may not be for you. You can give it a try and make the decision on your own, but we do recommend this mod for a more engaging experience with the game.

3. Move It!

Move It! allows players to move and manipulate objects in their cities, including buildings, roads, and trees. The mod provides a powerful set of tools for adjusting and fine-tuning the city layout, making it easier to create more efficient and aesthetically pleasing cities.

One of the key features of the Move It! mod is the ability to select and move multiple objects at once, allowing players to make large-scale adjustments to their cities more quickly and efficiently. The mod also includes tools for rotating objects, aligning objects to a grid, and copying and pasting objects.

The Move It! mod can improve the game in several ways. For example, it can help players create more realistic and organic city layouts by allowing them to adjust the position and orientation of buildings and roads more precisely. The mod can also help players optimize their city’s infrastructure, such as by adjusting the position of bus stops and metro stations to reduce congestion.

So the Move It! mod is a powerful tool for city-building enthusiasts who want more control over the layout and design of their cities. It can help players create more efficient, realistic, and aesthetically pleasing cities and can be a great addition to any Cities: Skylines game.

4. Real Time

Real Time is a mod that’s well-liked by Cities: Skylines players and alters the game’s time scale to make the day and night cycle feel more natural, letting players experience the game in real-time. By adjusting the clock so that one day in the game equates to 24 hours in real life, the mod provides a more immersive and lifelike experience.

The mod can enhance the game in various ways. For instance, it creates longer days and nights with smoother transitions, allowing players to feel more involved in the game world and construct a more authentic and vibrant city. Additionally, the mod can make the gameplay more challenging and satisfying. By playing in real-time, players must be more strategic and plan their city-related activities more meticulously, taking into account the time of day and how it affects the city’s inhabitants. This adds an extra layer of depth and engagement to the game.

In summary, the Real Time mod is a valuable addition to Cities: Skylines if players are interested in experiencing a more realistic, immersive, and challenging gameplay. It can make the game feel more dynamic and engaging while also encouraging players to think critically about the city they’re constructing.

5. Improved Public Transport 2

I would recommend the Improved Public Transport 2 mod for Cities: Skylines because it adds more functionality and realism to the game’s public transportation options. The mod provides players with more detailed statistics and better AI, making it easier to manage and improve public transportation in their cities.

What’s worth mentioning with the Improved Public Transport 2 mod is the ability to control the frequency and capacity of different transportation options, such as buses, trams, and metros. This allows players to fine-tune their transportation networks to better meet the needs of their city’s residents, reducing congestion and improving efficiency.

The mod also includes new options for public transportation, such as the ability to create bus routes with multiple stops and the ability to customize the color and design of different transportation options. The mod also allows players to create custom transportation policies, such as free public transportation or reduced fares for seniors and students.

Generally, the Improved Public Transport 2 mod can greatly enhance the gameplay experience for Cities: Skylines players who are interested in creating efficient and realistic public transportation networks. The mod provides more control and customization options and can help players better manage and improve their city’s transportation infrastructure.

6. Find It!

The Find It! mod is a popular add-on for Cities: Skylines that simplifies the process of finding and using specific assets within the game, such as buildings, props, and roads. This mod offers a powerful search function that eases the process of finding and utilizing custom content in the game.

One of the significant advantages of the Find It! mod is that it reduces the complexity of finding and using custom content in the game. With a vast array of assets available on various modding websites, it can be challenging and time-consuming to locate the specific assets that players need for their cities. However, with the Find It! mod, players can search for assets using different search criteria, including name, author, or tag, making it easier to find the required assets.

The mod also enables players to filter search results by asset types, such as buildings or roads, allowing them to find specific types of assets more efficiently. Additionally, the mod incorporates a favorites feature, allowing players to save their preferred assets for quick and easy access in the future.

Overall, the Find It! mod can significantly enhance the gameplay experience for Cities: Skylines players who want to incorporate custom content into their cities. By simplifying the process of finding and utilizing custom assets, the mod makes it more convenient to create diverse and captivating cities. It’s an excellent addition for players who want to expand their city-building possibilities by utilizing a broad range of custom content.

7. Fine Road Anarchy

Fine Road Anarchy can enhance the game’s road-building capabilities. This mod allows players to build roads freely without the restrictions of the game’s default road-building mechanics. With Fine Road Anarchy, players can create curved and sloped roads, as well as roads that intersect at any angle.

What grabs the attention with Fine Road Anarchy is that it provides more freedom and flexibility in designing road networks. The mod allows players to create more complex and detailed road systems, which can make cities feel more realistic and organic. Players can also use the mod to create more aesthetically pleasing roads, incorporating curves and slopes to create a more natural look.

Another advantage of Fine Road Anarchy is that it can make the gameplay experience more challenging and rewarding. With the ability to build more complex road networks, players need to plan and manage their cities more carefully, taking into account factors such as traffic flow and road capacity. This can create a more engaging and strategic gameplay experience, as players need to balance the needs of their city with the limitations of their road network.

As a whole, Fine Road Anarchy is a valuable mod for Cities: Skylines players who want more freedom and flexibility in designing their cities. The mod can make it easier to create complex and detailed road networks, which can make cities feel more realistic and organic. Additionally, the mod can create a more challenging gameplay experience, adding an extra layer of depth and engagement to the game.

8. Building Themes

Building Themes is a game-changing mod for Cities: Skylines that lets players create custom themes for their cities. This mod empowers players to set aside specific areas of their city for different types of buildings, such as residential, commercial, or industrial. Then, players can assign unique themes to these areas that determine the types of buildings that can be constructed there.

One of the biggest advantages of Building Themes is that it allows players to infuse their cities with more diversity and character. By giving each neighborhood its own distinct theme, players can create a more authentic and realistic cityscape that oozes personality.

But that’s not all, Building Themes also spices up the gameplay experience by making it more challenging and rewarding. With the added layer of customization, players must plan and manage their cities with greater care, considering factors such as land use and zoning. This means that players must strike a balance between meeting the needs of their city and adhering to the limitations of their designated theme areas.

All in all, Building Themes is a must-have mod for Cities: Skylines players seeking a more immersive and personalized city-building experience. With the ability to create diverse and varied cities, Building Themes adds a new level of depth and engagement to the game.

9. Ultimate Eyecandy

Ultimate Eyecandy is a highly popular mod for Cities: Skylines that enhances the game’s graphics and visual effects. This mod improves the game’s lighting, weather effects, and other graphical elements, resulting in a more immersive and realistic city-building experience.

One of the key advantages of Ultimate Eyecandy is that it adds a new level of visual appeal to the game. The mod enhances the game’s lighting, making it more dynamic and realistic. It also adds realistic weather effects, such as rain, fog, and snow, which can make the game feel more immersive and atmospheric.

Another advantage of Ultimate Eyecandy is that it offers greater control over the game’s graphics settings. With this mod, players can adjust the game’s visual effects to their liking, allowing them to customize the game’s appearance to suit their preferences. This can make the game feel more personalized and tailored to the player’s tastes.

Overall, Ultimate Eyecandy is a valuable mod for Cities: Skylines players who want to enhance the game’s visual appeal. The mod can make the game feel more immersive and atmospheric, with more realistic lighting and weather effects. Additionally, the mod offers greater control over the game’s graphics settings, allowing players to customize the game’s appearance to their liking.

10. Surface Painter

Surface Painter is a highly sought-after mod for Cities: Skylines that provides players with the ability to unleash their creativity by modifying the terrain of their cities. This mod allows players to paint the landscape with a wide range of textures and patterns, such as grass, dirt, and sand, among others. With Surface Painter, players can easily customize the appearance of their city’s terrain, creating visually striking landscapes.

The primary benefit of Surface Painter is the unprecedented level of control it gives players over the game’s terrain. By using this mod, players can craft more intricate and realistic landscapes, adding depth and character to their cities. This can enhance the overall gameplay experience, making it more immersive and engaging for players who appreciate a greater sense of realism.

Moreover, Surface Painter can also inject more variety and visual interest into cities, taking them to the next level. By enabling players to paint different textures and patterns onto the terrain, they can produce more dynamic and aesthetically pleasing landscapes, infusing new life into their cities and making them more captivating.

In summary, Surface Painter is a highly recommended mod for Cities: Skylines players who wish to elevate their city-building game. By providing players with greater control over the terrain and the ability to create more diverse and visually appealing cities, this mod is a game-changer that can enhance the overall gaming experience.

In Conclusion

So you love the game, but you’re getting bored of it, or if the repetitiveness is getting to you, then give these mods a try and see if they can help with the issue. After all, Cities: Skylines is much more fun with a few changes you can control.

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