Martin JørgensenCities in Motion is still one of the best transport simulators
Cities in Motion is a detailed transportation and management game where you build and run a public transit network in major European cities like Vienna, Helsinki, Berlin, and Amsterdam.
Developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive, it’s clear the focus is on planning over action. It’s not about building the prettiest city, but about moving people from residential areas to work, leisure, and shopping—without your company going under.
We tested Cities in Motion on a Windows 11 PC via Steam, and although the game clearly shows its age, the core idea still works surprisingly well. Once your first bus routes are set up, the streetcars start running, and passengers slowly fill the stops, the game delivers that classic “just one more route” feeling.
From 1920 to 2020 with buses, metro, and streetcars
Cities in Motion lets you manage public transit over a long period from 1920 to 2020. That means both city needs and the vehicles you have access to change over time. According to Paradox, you can choose from more than 30 different vehicles spanning buses, streetcars, metro, water buses (ferries), and helicopters.
It might sound simple, but it’s the balance between finances, capacity, and route planning that makes the game compelling. A bus line is cheap to launch, but if traffic clogs up downtown, your passengers will quickly get unhappy. The metro costs more, but it can move a lot of people efficiently across the city. Streetcars sit somewhere in between and often feel like a great solution for busy corridors.
There’s something satisfying about seeing a route you planned start to work. Conversely, it’s obvious when you created a poor line. In our test, a couple of stops quickly became overcrowded because we underestimated the demand between residential neighborhoods and job centers.
A game for players who prefer planning over chaos
Cities in Motion isn’t a game where everything explodes on screen and rewards fire every five seconds. It’s a more patient management sim where you analyze the city, understand passenger flows, and continually fine-tune your network.
In some ways, it feels like the part of Cities: Skylines where you obsess over bus lines, metro stations, and traffic flow. The difference is that Cities in Motion makes transit the entire focus. That’s a strength if you love this kind of gameplay, but it also means the game can feel a bit dry if you expect broad city-building with zoning, industry, budgets, and high-level politics.
Visually, Cities in Motion looks fine for its age, but the graphics aren’t what carry the experience. The cities are readable, traffic is easy to parse, and the UI is usable—but it doesn’t feel like a modern 2026 release.
Cities in Motion Collection makes the most sense today
If you want to play Cities in Motion today, the Cities in Motion Collection often makes the most sense because it bundles the base game with several expansions. On GOG, for example, the Collection includes add-ons like German Cities, London, Paris, Tokyo, US Cities, and multiple design packs.
That’s worth noting because the base game can feel a bit limited after a few hours. The extra cities and vehicles add variety and make the game significantly more interesting—especially if you want to work with different city layouts than the original four European maps.
The Steam page also shows the game still has an active store page with DLC, making it a far more reasonable download than many old titles that only live on unofficial archive sites.
Who should download Cities in Motion?
Cities in Motion is best for players who enjoy strategy, simulation, and transit planning. It’s a great pick if traffic and public transportation are your favorite parts of city-builders.
The game is especially appealing for:
🚍 You love bus routes, metro stations, and efficient urban transit
🚋 You want a more focused alternative to Cities: Skylines
🚇 You enjoy slower management games with budgeting and planning
🛥️ You want to manage multiple transport modes in one city
🏙️ You’d like to play an older yet still charming Paradox title
On the other hand, it’s not the best choice if you want modern graphics, fast-paced action, or a full city simulator with everything from industry to tax policy.
Top 5 tips for Cities in Motion
Start with buses before building expensive metro lines
Avoid overly long, citywide routes
Watch for stops with long queues
Use the metro on the heaviest corridors
Design for easy transfers between modes
An older game with a strong core idea
Cities in Motion is no longer technically impressive, but it still has a sharp concept: public transit as the heart of the entire game. That makes it narrower than many modern city-builders, but also more focused.
If you like to optimize routes, solve traffic problems, and run a profitable transit company, Cities in Motion is still worth a try. The Collection edition in particular adds enough content that it doesn’t just feel like an old curiosity.
