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Are you uncertain which map to start on to build your city of dreams? Picking the best starting map to play on in Cities Skylines 2 can be difficult, so this guide will help you out.
If you relish a challenge in Cities Skylines 2, then any map is a good map to start with. But what if you’re not so sure? What if you’re looking for an optimal map for an easy start? Or simply want certain things from your playthrough. In those cases, it can be more difficult to make the right choice. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best starting map for Cities Skylines 2.
- Deep Simulation: Make choices that have ripple effects across the city. Intricate AI and economic systems mean players will need to strategize, problem solve and react to changes, challenges and opportunities.
- Epic Scale, Endless Possibilities: Build a thriving metropolis without compromise. In Cities: Skylines II, players will be able to build sky-high and across the map to realize their dream city like never before.
- Cities That Come Alive: Follow the lives of individual citizens, from love and loss to wealth and well-being. Player decisions will shape the lives of their city’s citizens.
- A Dynamic World: Pick a map to set the climate and biome of the city. These natural forces will shape the growth of players’ cities as they contend with rising pollution, changeable weather and seasonal challenges.
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Best Starting Map in Cities Skylines 2
To pick the best starting map, we need to look at what is the goal of your playthrough. Therefore, the best starting maps in Cities Skylines 2 can be differentiated by a few parameters, as we’ll discuss further.
Best Map for Beginners in Cities Skylines 2
Picking the best map for city-building beginners comes down to having enough room for error. It needs good connections, plenty of resources, and a lot of space to build and grow. For those reasons, the best beginner map is Tampere. This map represents the developer Colossal Order’s home region and is also an amazing place to start your brand new city and learn the ropes of the game.
Best Map for Playing Wide in Cities Skylines 2
For players looking to build a sprawling city reaching as far as the eye can see, look no further than Twin Mountain. Despite its name, the mountainous terrain is relegated to the edge of the map space. Meanwhile, there’s a huge open area where players can build to their heart’s content. There’s a small river that leads to a long mostly even coastline. The main caveat is that the map is set in a cold region, so prepare to deal with snow and low temperatures.
Best Map for Industry in Cities Skylines 2
If your goal is to build a city as an industrial powerhouse, you need to have a lot of resources on hand. Between fertile land, timber, ore, and oil, there’s a lot to consider. The map that has the largest balance of these resources and enough space to build all of those industries is Waterway Pass. The map area is flanked by mountains on two sides, with a long meandering river down the middle. You have to skillfully and carefully plan out your industrial area while having enough space for housing and services.
Best Map for a Challenge in Cities Skylines 2
If you don’t like playing on easy mode, then you want something that will challenge your inner architect. In Cities Skylines 2, there’s a map tailor-made for players who relish such a playthrough. Archipelago Haven is a map on which you have to island hop to expand your city. Every one of those islands can grow to be a small city on its own, but you’ll have to strategically balance between the needs of every neighbourhood. Not to mention that there’s a scarcity of resources when over half of the map is taken by water.
What is your favourite map in Cities Skylines 2? Also make sure to check out our other guides, like What is the Difference Between Cities Skylines 1 and 2, How to Fix Low Density Demand in Cities Skylines 2, and How to make money in Cities Skylines 2.