Cities: Skylines 2 – [Our Best Tips And Tricks]

Cities Skylines 2 Best Tips and Tricks guide aims to offer valuable insights into aspects of the game that may not be explained within the game itself. By following a well-crafted game plan and some of these tips, you’ll steadily progress and achieve your dream city in time.

Cities Skylines Best Tips And Tricks

Here is an overview of the Best tips and tricks in Cities Skylines 2

TIPS AND TRICKS	DESCRIPTION
Map Selection	Select the right Map for your City based on six distinct Map Features.
Milestones And How To Use Development Points	How to effectively use your Development Points.
Don’t Overbuild	Building and upgrading structures too quickly causes Financial unstability.
Avoid Pollution	Avoid Air and Water Pollution by being careful with your Powerplant placement and sewerage management.
Roads Are Important	Roads are one of the very first developments your City needs.
Power Connections Off The Map	Once your power grid is up and running, connect it to an External Power Setup using Power Lines.
When To Unlock Public Transport	The Best time to unlock and develop Public Transport is when you unlock Big Town Milestone.
Financial Stability	You must keep your financial inflow and outflow in check.
How To Manage Taxes	How you should gradually increase Taxes without causing an Economic crisis.
Prepare For Natural Disasters	You must install proper Disastor Manangement system.
Turn Autosave On	Tick the Autosave box in General settings.
Take It Slow	Go for a measured and patient approach to effectively manage your city.

1. Understand The Maps

Each map in Cities Skylines 2 has six distinct factors that can influence your city’s development. These factors include theme, climate, outside connections, buildable area, latitude, and natural resources, all of which demand consideration in your planning.

I recommend looking out for these six main Map Features.

1. Theme
2. Climate
3. Latitude 
4. Buildable Area
5. Outside Connections
6. Natural Resources

2. Milestones And How To Use Development Points

In Cities Skylines 2, progression relies on two key elements: Milestones and Development Points.

• 20 Milestones signify various stages of your city’s growth, and you achieve them using Expansion Points (XP). You can actively earn XP by enhancing city services and Passively if your citizens are happy.

Your unlocking strategy should align with your city’s needs, citizen happiness, efficiency enhancements, and potential issues.

3. Don’t Overbuild

When beginning your city-building adventure, it’s crucial to avoid overexpansion. In my opinion, building too much too soon can drain your initial budget and jeopardize your city’s financial stability in the early years.

Keeping your zoning sizes relatively small for businesses and residences is wise in the initial stages. Larger properties tend to yield higher rents, which can burden many residents, making it challenging for them to cover living costs. For low-income residents, 4×4 Low-Density Residential Zones are a practical choice.

I suggest applying the same zoning principle to Medium Density Residential, Low Rent Housing, and High-Density Housing. 

4. Avoid Pollution

Poor placement of pollution-emitting services can seriously impact citizen health. It’s vital to plan and choose the optimal locations for these services, considering their pollution range, including wind direction. Keep them far away from valuable natural resource deposits, residential zones, and potential development areas.

5. Roads Are Important

The Roads Tab contains some of the most critical unlocks in the game. Prioritizing Roundabouts and Highways is advisable to establish a solid foundation for your city’s road infrastructure.

• Roundabouts are a must for managing traffic in densely populated areas.
• Road Services enable effective micromanagement.
• Parking Areas simplify the creation of shopping zones, ensuring customers can access the shops they desire.
• Highways and Large Roads become important for efficient transportation across the map as your city expands. 

6. Power Connections Off The Map

Once your power grid is up and running, connecting it to an external Power Line using Power Lines is a smart move. This connection opens the door to importing and exporting electricity to the outside world.

• Exporting excess electricity can help tackle the cash flow challenges common in the early city-building stages.
• It also provides a backup plan in case of a blackout or a disaster, as you can import electricity.

7. When To Unlock Public Transport

Although it’s tempting to unlock exciting public transportation options like buses and trams early in the game, they tend to be unprofitable in the initial hours of city development. The city’s size won’t justify their necessity.

I suggest delaying the implementation of public transport until you reach milestones like Busy Town or Big Town. As your city expands, public transportation becomes a necessity, not an option. It should be integrated as soon as you reach these Milestones since traffic congestion is one of the most prevalent issues you’ll face in any city.

8. Financial Stability

In Cities Skylines 2, keep your income and expenses in check. It’s crucial to construct your city in proportion to your financial capacity. Spending on costly buildings and upgrades without the means to sustain them is counterproductive. While leveling up brings some bonuses, relying solely on them is unsustainable.

I recommend going for facilities within your budget and ensure your city generates a profit rather than incur significant daily losses. Prioritize financial stability to build a sustainable city.

9. How To Manage Taxes

Consider modifying your city’s taxes if you strive for positive monthly revenue. In the Economy menu’s Taxation Tab, you’ll discover four sliders. As you fine-tune these sliders to your preferred rates, an immediate estimate of the monthly revenue impact will be provided.

I suggest being careful when raising tax rates, as the consequences are not immediate. It takes several months for residents to feel the financial strain, leading to difficulties in maintaining their properties and covering living expenses. 

10. Prepare For Natural Disasters

Remember to install Emergency Shelters and Early Disaster Warning Systems in your city, as disasters can strike unexpectedly. Although these systems may have a significant initial cost and upkeep, they ensure the safety of your citizens and enable buildings to brace for disasters, minimizing structural damage.

Being unprepared when a disaster can strain healthcare, rescue services, and more. Explore the Fire and Rescue Tab to find the necessary tools to keep your citizens safe.

11. Turn Autosave On

To prevent loss of progress due to crashes in Cities Skylines 2, I recommend activating Autosaves. They are not enabled by default but can prove essential in safeguarding your game progress and saving you from potential setbacks.

12. Take It Slow

This advice is paramount to get the best Cities Skylines 2 Experience. Early city failures often result from focusing solely on rapid expansion without considering revenue and economic aspects. Building a thriving economy takes time, and attempting to expand while aggressively meeting every citizen’s demand can quickly lead to bankruptcy.

Instead, go for a measured and deliberate approach. Consider setting the game speed to normal to effectively manage the various pop-ups and notifications. Slow and steady progress is the key to building a successful and sustainable city.

Following are a few minor Tips from my side that might help you in your City building journey:

• Day/Night Setting: If you struggle to play with the Evening Sun and Night’s Darkness, you can turn this setting off to have virtual sunlight even at night.
• Tooltips: Hovering over any settings, icons, or details will trigger highly informative tooltips, providing in-depth explanations of each feature
• Chirper: Chirper allows citizens, city services, and companies to frequently share their opinions, issues, and achievements, offering valuable insights for city management.

My Take

Managing a whole city could be a bt overwhelming, but if you break things down and take slow steps towards gradual progression, you can surely set up a developing community. Here I gave you some Cities Skylines 2 Best Tips and Tricks from my experience, which will benefit you in your city-building endeavors. To learn more about this city simulator, visit eXputer’s Review of Cities Skylines 2.

Next: Cities Skylines 2: Crashes And Errors Fix