SimCity 4

Game review by Common Sense Media, Common Sense Media
SimCity 4 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 11+

City building sim offers great entertainment & education.

Windows 2003
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Parents say

age 9+

Based on 7 reviews

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 21 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that players have the ability to bring down a massive series of disasters (such as tornadoes, fires, earthquakes) to reduce their cities to rubble.

Community Reviews

cubiclewarrior
cubiclewarrior Adult
December 30, 2017
age 9+

good for administrative skills, experimentation, and creativity

You get an open slate of where you want to place stuff to see how your city grows. You have to balance a budget of not spending more than you take in (personal finance). The only down side to this is that the game can be addictive. You can't not spend hours in front of the screen to build up a complex city.

This title has:

Great messages
Easy to play/use
ALazyLemur
ALazyLemur Adult
January 31, 2012
age 18+

bad

this game is bad. :-(

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Easy to play/use
See all 7 parent reviews

What’s It About?

SIMCITY 4 carries on the tradition of the SimCity series by allowing you to be the all-powerful mayor of your own city. Start with a 100,000 simoleons (Sim-style dollars) and a city name. Zone land for people and jobs; plan roads, the water system, and the energy network; trade with nearby cities; establish schools, hospitals, and emergency services; create parks and gardens. Plant trees, create parks, and plan community gardens.

Graphs, charts, and maps aid you in your decisions, as does listening to your Sims, a major new element in the game. You can name individual Sims, decide where they will live, and then observe how your city-level decisions affect them. Place a school near your Sim and they have a better chance at getting a higher-paying job; poor health care means your Sim could get sick and even die.

Is It Any Good?

Who would have guessed running a city could be so challenging, yet so fun? Your city is surprisingly resilient and the game is forgiving as you learn how to make your city a better place to live. You cannot help but learn some of the mechanics of politics, economics, geography, and ecology. For example, you can see the positive impact of a well-designed mass-transit system -- how it affects congestion, pollution, and the quality of life -- but you also see its cost.

There is one violent element: disasters, which can be brought on either by random acts determined by the game or by the player. Tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, and even giant robots can wreak havoc on your city. The game may not communicate the emotional impact of disasters very wel l-- something you may want to address as your children play the game.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how these disasters may affect the people who live in the cities.

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Electronic Arts
  • Release date: October 7, 2003
  • Genre: Simulation
  • ESRB rating: E
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

Our Editors Recommend

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