10 Best City-Building Games Like Worshipers of Cthulhu

Worshipers of Cthulhu is a city-building project based on a dark cult trying to awaken a horrific deity. You play the role of a strict and ruthless master willing to do whatever it takes to make the city worthy of the deity Cthulhu. This involves making your followers toil day and night, setting out on expeditions to conquer non-believers, and even sacrificing some followers and performing dark rituals to obtain powerful blessings and powers.

The game is undoubtedly impressive. However, it is still incomplete, and the developers only released the current early-access version to gather feedback and refine the final version.

Unfortunately, the final version which may take another year to launch, leaving many players longing for more. Fortunately, the following city-building games like Worshipers of Cthulhu can help fill the gap in the meantime.

10. Ancient Cities

While Worshipers of Cthulhu is about ushering in a new world, Ancient Cities turns the clock back into the origin of civilization. The player's mission is to guide humanity through various generations, from hunter-gatherer nomadic tribes to modern man.

With an outlook of how far inventions have come to, the game tasks players to use their imaginations into recreating today using items and tools from the past. Players will build and maintain settlements to foster development and population growth. At the same time, they must discover and improve technology to usher humanity into the modern world. Overall, Ancient Cities is a fun and insightful game based on humanity’s history.

9. Desynced: Autonomous Colony Simulator

Desynced: Autonomous Colony Simulator is a city-building game set on an alien planet. While Worshipers of Cthulhu features an awakening deity, this game features an advanced AI algorithm on the verge of self-awareness. However, the theme is much more lighthearted.

This game follows a stranded group of space explorers forced to build a temporary settlement on an alien planet while repairing their damaged ship. They must rely on an AI model on the brink of self-awareness to build engineering facilities, mine the resources required to make spare parts, and research the alien planet.

8. Farthest Frontier

Farthest Frontier is also all about building an impressive city but without the occult worship, torture, and sacrifice. It is based on a group of people trying to build a safe and self-sufficient city in the middle of an untamed wilderness, situated at the known world’s edge.

You can construct up to 50 different building types on diverse maps to bring the advanced town simulation to life. The game also offers the option to be a pacifist or fight off would-be invaders for a little action. Notably, it also features one of the most detailed farming systems.

7. Thronefall

Thronefall is simple but detailed, although it lacks the diabolical themes in Worshipers of Cthulhu. The objective is simple: build a settlement, expand it over time, and protect it against invaders. However, you must also maintain and grow the economy by balancing the insufficient resources available to you.

6. Ostriv

Ostriv is a pure city-building game without sideshows like following a cult or fighting monsters and bandits. You play the role of the governor of an 18th-century town in modern Ukraine. Your objectives are to expand the city and ensure that the citizens have everything they need. However, you have limited resources to do this, requiring you to make delicate compromises and balances. Notably, the game lacks grid and angle restrictions, enabling you to bring out your best creativity.

5. Land of the Vikings

Land of the Vikings blends city-building with action and survival. Vikings are famous for their resilience, and this game pushes them to the limit. You must make a clearing in the harsh wilderness to build a settlement for your band of Vikings. The settlement starts off small and basic, but you can expand it into a thriving city over the seasons. However, you have limited resources to build and expand, and you must contend with dangers such as extreme weather and bandits.

4. Captain of Industry

Captain of Industry is all about building, innovating, trading, and progressing without any of the sideshows. It follows the story of small crew of survivors stranded on an abandoned island. The group bands together to survive and thrive by building a city, growing food, mining resources, manufacturing products, and advancing technology. You can go as far as space if you use your resources prudently.

3. Dungeons 4

Dungeons 4 isn’t exactly a city-building game. However, it still involves some building and features a dark, apocalyptic theme that is closely similar to Worshipers of Cthulhu.

You play the role of a dark elf called Thalya. Instead of a city, you must build a dungeon and make it comfortable for your evil creatures. The dungeon will house your evil creatures until you are ready to unleash them on the Overworld. To this end, you must secure it against elves, humans, and dwarves trying to stop your diabolical plan.

2. Pioneers of Pagonia

Pioneers of Pagonia is a city-building game with tons of details and in-depth mechanics, like Worshipers of Cthulhu. However, it has a lighter theme compared to the former’s occult theme and delivers a more relaxed gaming experience. For example, you can grow your population by helping scattered tribes instead of conquering them. However, you can still enjoy some action when fighting bandits, thieves, and ghostly monsters.

You can build a majestic city comprising up to 40 buildings in Pioneers of Pagonia. Moreover, you can run diverse supply chains, produce and use up to 70 different products, and control the economy’s performance.

1. New Cycle

New Cycle is an exhilarating city-building game that takes players into an experience full of chaos and suffering. The game kicks on following a severe weather that has shattered everything within the city. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world after solar flares cause destruction and chaos worldwide.

Players embark on an adventure of building a settlement and expand it into a bustling industrial metropolis. While on the task, players will be faced with the shortage of essential resources, making the game even more interesting. However, you must also contend with the natural aftermath of solar flares, such as wildfires and sandstorms.

So, what’s your take on our picks of the ten best city-building games like Worshipers of Cthulhu? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.