Cities: Skylines vs Railway Empire
Which one is worth buying now, with today's prices and each game's recommendation.
Cities: Skylines wins 9 of 14 head-to-head metrics. Railway Empire is $6.87 cheaper.
Metric by metric
The winner of each row gets a ✓. No row weighs more than another; the recommendation is calculated separately.
| Metric | Cities: Skylines | Railway Empire |
|---|---|---|
| GameValio scoreRecommendation: Worth It × Maybe | 73 | 64 |
| Quality | 91 | 78 |
| Value | 66 | 64 |
| Popularity | 46 | 31 |
| Current Best Price (USD) | $7.99 | $1.12 |
| Steam Review Score | 92.9% positive | 82.6% positive |
| Average Concurrent Players (14 days) | 7.0K | 147 |
Where to buy
The 3 cheapest stores for each game
Side by side over time
Cities: SkylinesRailway Empire
Details and requirements
| Item | Cities: Skylines | Railway Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | March 10, 2015 | January 26, 2018 |
| Developers | Colossal Order | Gaming Minds Studios |
| Publishers | Paradox Interactive | Kalypso Media |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, MacOs | Linux, Windows |
| OS (minimum) | Windows® 10 Home 64 bit | Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 or Windows 10(64bit versions) |
| Processor (minimum) | Intel® Core™ I7 2700K | AMD® Ryzen 7 2700X | Intel Core i5 2400s @ 2.5 GHz or AMD FX 4100 @ 3.6 |
| Memory (minimum) | 16 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics (minimum) | Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 580 (1.5 GB) | AMD® Radeon™ RX 560 (4 GB) | nVidia GeForce GTX 680 or AMD Radeon HD7970 or better (2048MB VRAM or more, with Shader Model 5.0) |
| DirectX (minimum) | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Network (minimum) | Broadband Internet connection | — |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: Cities: Skylines or Railway Empire?
Cities: Skylines won the comparison against Railway Empire based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.
How is the comparison calculated?
The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.
Is Cities: Skylines worth buying over Railway Empire?
Based on the metrics, Cities: Skylines won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.
Which game has better player reviews?
Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.
Which game offers better value for money?
The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Cities: Skylines currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.
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Analysis updated: Oct 24, 2026, 05:32 PM UTC