2015/08/18 by Bradley Bereitschaft · 2 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Digital Games and Media #Gambling Behavior and Treatments
paper · doi:10.1080/00221341.2015.1070366
openalex publication_date 2015/08/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
For millions of gamers and students alike, city building games (CBGs) like SimCity and the more recent Cities: Skylines present a compelling initial introduction to the world of urban planning and development. As such, these games have great potential to shape players’ understanding and expectations of real urban patterns and processes. In this article I argue that, despite the fundamental role of agency in CBGs and other sandbox type games, players are constrained by the developers’ assumptions and biases regarding how cities ought to look and function. Of particular consideration is the tendency among CBGs to emphasize personal transportation over transit, autocentric over mixed-use development, and simplified social dynamics over a more realistic model.