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SimCity: BuildIt Beginner’s Guide: Tips, Tricks & Strategies to Build a Thriving Metropolis

With the ever-growing popularity of The Sims franchise, it eventually paved the way for various spin-offs on mobile platforms. One of these spin-offs was SimCity, an open-ended city-building simulation game where your goal is to manage your city and expand it over time. Over the years, with the rise of mobile gaming, Electronic Arts eventually found themselves developing SimCity games that can tap the market. One of those games is SimCity: BuildIt.

simcity buildit intro

Released in 2014 and developed by TrackTwenty, a Finnish mobile game development studio, the game has provided a nice, relaxing time for many casual players. But just like any game, there are a few strategies that new and old players alike may not know about their favorite game. For that, we’ve spent a couple of days learning the ins and outs of SimCity: BuildIt to provide you with a beginner’s guide that may help you efficiently build your flourishing city!

1. Connect Your Game to Your Account

simcity buildit connect game

While it is not mandatory, we highly recommend connecting your game to your Google, Apple, or Facebook account. This way, your progress will be saved online even if you delete the game. You’ll also be able to play it on a different device when you download it and log into the account you connected your progress to.

2. Prioritize Your Sims’ Happiness

simcity buildit happiness

Your Sims’ Happiness is the most important factor when it comes to your city’s progress and development. Happy Sims will pay higher taxes and will influence residential building upgrades. Unhappy Sims on the other hand will be forced to move out of their homes, abandoning the building. Abandoned buildings may be repopulated once you’ve met all their concerns.

To keep your Sims happy, there are a few key guidelines you have to follow:

  • Keep their homes away from factories and other buildings that produce pollution.
  • Build their homes next to a road.
  • Pay attention to opinion bubbles. These will give you hints about what they like and what they need.
  • Always have enough service buildings to meet the demands of all residential buildings.

Taking the time to listen to requests and tapping on thought bubbles may sometimes reward you with special items that can be used for expansions, upgrades, and disasters. You can easily check the happiness of the Sims in your housing individually by going to the Government tab.

3. Building Placement is Everything

simcity buildit placement

In SimCity BuildIt, there are six types of structures and they all have different roles to fill in developing your city: Roads, Residential Buildings, Commercial Buildings, Industrial Buildings, Services, and Specializations. Some of these structures have requirements that need to be met before you can construct them such as resources, population, currency, or levels.

You place the buildings you want to construct by dragging and dropping them in the area of your choice. Once the zones are ready for construction, a yellow hard hat icon will appear above it. Tapping it will show you what materials you need for its construction. These materials are earned from Industrial and Commercial Buildings but may also be bought from your friends’ cities or Globe Trade HQ once you unlock them.

A green checkmark will appear next to the hard hat icon once you’ve collected everything and all you have to do is to tap the hard hat and drag these materials toward the building. Some of these buildings will still have yellow hard hats after construction, like the Residential Buildings because these buildings can continuously be upgraded.

The placement of your buildings and roads matters greatly as they can positively or negatively affect other buildings. If done right, it can increase population, influence upgrades and increase your Sims’ happiness. If you have built a structure at a location that is not ideal, you can just tap and press it to move it elsewhere with no cost required. This makes it easier for players to take their time and really think about the layout of their city.

Unfortunately, if you want to demolish a building, you may have to wait for a few levels before that option becomes available. Tapping and pressing a building should make the bulldoze button appear on the right side of the screen once you’ve unlocked it. If you bought the structure with Simoleons, you will get partially refunded for it.

To help you decide on where to place your buildings, we’ve listed a few helpful guidelines for you:

Place Buildings Next to Roads

simcity buildit roads

Cities need to be connected to the main highway which is also connected to other structures and facilities which can only be unlocked after reaching a certain population number or level. All buildings must be connected to the roads in order to function. These buildings will automatically rotate themselves to face the road. Services like Power, Water, or Sewage rely on roads to reach Residential buildings.

When building roads, you’ll find 3 icons on the lower right section of your screen:

simcity buildit roads icons
  • Build Roads – This mode lets you build roads by tapping and dragging to draw a line on the ground. Intersections can be created when two roads overlap each other. Regular, Two-lane Roads that are available at the start can be built for free but other roads that are unlocked in later levels must be purchased. These roads are also capable of supporting Vehicles, Pedestrians, and Street Events but not all roads have this capacity. Cobblestone streets, which are Two-lane roads priced at 10,000 Simoleons and unlocked at level 10, can only Support Pedestrians and Street Events. To check, simply tap and press the road options in this mode.
  • Upgrade Roads – This mode highlights roads that are due for an upgrade because of the amount of traffic it gets. These roads will be highlighted yellow if they have moderate traffic and red if they have heavy traffic. These upgrades will cost some Simoleons even if you started with the free Two-lane Roads. These upgrades are unlocked at level 9. Take note that not all types of roads are upgradeable.
  • Bulldoze Roads – This mode allows you to destroy roads that you’ve built. This mode lets you destroy roads by straight lines. If you have any curved roads, you’ll have to destroy parts of them one at a time.

While roads can be built in any form you like, doing them in a simple grid is usually the best route, especially for beginners. Simple grid layouts will lower the need for road upgrades since it keeps the traffic flowing. If you don’t have the money for road upgrades yet but have several roads with moderate and heavy traffic, spreading your buildings around can temporarily solve the issue.

Place Housing Equal to Service Buildings’ Capacity

simcity buildit housing

Residential buildings are important for growing your city’s population, earning Simoleons, and gaining experience points to level up. Upon constructing a Residential Building, Sims will immediately move in and increase your population count.

When building housing, you’ll find 3 icons on the lower right section of your screen:

simcity buildit housing icons
  • Build Residential Zones – This mode displays the total number of housing you have along with how many are abandoned, ready for upgrades, or epic buildings. Epic Buildings are unlocked at level 24 and are buildings that have been fully upgraded before being converted into an epic project.
  • Land Value – This mode shows you the level of wealth of your housing by highlighting them in blue. The darker its blue shade is, the more expensive and luxurious it is. Specialization buildings can add to your land’s value.
  • Wealth Forecast – This mode shows you what kind of homes will result in upgrading your houses. Those highlighted in yellow will turn into Standard Homes, yellow-orange turns into Premium Homes and orange turns into Luxurious Homes.

No matter which of the 3 modes you are in, it will give you an array of options for residential housing and allows you to rearrange the positions of your residential buildings.

The game limits the number of residential zones you can build at a time. It will not show you an exact number, but if you keep placing new homes without upgrading your existing ones or finishing their construction, the game will not allow you to put more residential homes. Because of that, it’s important to pay attention to your current housing and make sure that they are getting an upgrade and their needs sorted out before placing more.

If you don’t have enough money to provide services for each of them, such as water, power, sewage, and so on, we recommend holding off on placing new residences or even bulldozing ones you’ve already placed. These services do not need to be near these buildings. They only need to be in the same region.

simcity buildit housing demands

Each housing zone has a Service Demand, a starting Max Population, and requirements which you can see by tapping and pressing one of the items. To make it easier for you to compare your options, we’ve listed them in the table below:

Housing ZoneMax PopulationService DemandRequirements
Residential Zone1,836LowNone
Art Nouveau Zone1,836LowLevel 6
Old Town House300LowLevel 6
Latin America Zone1,836LowLevel 6
Parisian Zone2,019MediumAirport
London Town Zone2,111MediumAirport: Deliveries to London
OMEGA Zone2,550HighNeoMall
Tokyo Town Zone2,204MediumAirport: Deliveries to Tokyo
Green Valley Zone2,347MediumRegion Unlocked: Green Valley
Cactus Canyon Zone2,347MediumRegion Unlocked: Cactus Canyon
Sunny Isles Zone2,347MediumRegion Unlocked: Sunny Isles
Frosty Fjords Zone2,347MediumRegion Unlocked: Frosty Fjords
Limestone Cliffs Zone2,347MediumRegion Unlocked: Limestone Cliffs

Unlike other buildings, residential buildings do not have a price listed as their cost is in the form of resources used to construct and upgrade them.

Having residential buildings close to commercial buildings, specialization buildings, and certain service buildings will increase your Sims’ happiness, resulting in thought bubbles occasionally appearing above them. Opinion bubbles, when tapped and cleared, can earn you special items that you can use to increase your storage capacity or expand your land. Having these buildings in clumps and placing structures that boost population on the other hand will help you reach population requirements for other buildings and upgrades.

simcity buildit housing population

Once a residential building becomes fully upgraded, it can be converted into an Epic Building through an Epic Project. You’ll need to have the Department of Epic Projects built, must be level 24, and have specialization buildings surrounding the building you want to use before you can start an Epic Project.

Epic Projects are 24-hour events where epic offers will appear on specialization buildings surrounding it which will ask for a random quantity of an item (excluding special and OMEGA items) in exchange for 1-6 epic points. Epic Buildings have 31% more population and can generate Speed-Up Token parts based on what tier they reach at the end of an Epic Project:

  • Turtle – 40 Epic Points – generates Turtle Speed-Up Tokens
  • Llama – 100 Epic Points – generates Llama Speed-Up Tokens
  • Cheetah – 200 Epic Points – generates Cheetah Speed-Up Tokens

Place Commercial Buildings Next to Residential Buildings or Factories

simcity buildit commercial

Commercial buildings primarily restock materials that you can use for constructing and upgrading your buildings. These materials are dependent on resources you produce from industrial buildings. Aside from this, they increase the chances of thought bubbles appearing above residential buildings when built close to them.

However, unlike specialization buildings, they do not provide population boosts. Because of this, their placement next to residential buildings should not always be prioritized above specialization and some service buildings.

Having your commercial buildings close to each other will make product collection easier, but you can also tap on the arrows to the left or right of their name to shift from one store to another. Placing them next to factories may also be a good idea for easy collection of materials and to fill up empty spaces that are surrounded by pollution. All Commercial buildings share the same size of 2×2.

To give you an idea of what commercial buildings you can build, what products they can create, along with their prices, size and requirements, we’ve listed them on the tables below:

Building Supplies Store

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build1100 Simoleons
132,000 Simoleons
★★2524,000 Simoleons
★★★3332,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Nails2 Metal5 min180 Simoleons
Planks2 Wood30 min3120 Simoleons
Bricks2 Mineral20 min13190 Simoleons
Cement2 Mineral 1 Chemicals50 min14440 Simoleons
Glue1 Plastic 2 Chemicals1 hr15440 Simoleons
Paint2 Metal 1 Minerals 2 ChemicalsNot Produced but 1 Hr when upgraded to 1-star upgrade16320 Simoleons

Hardware Store

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build42,500 Simoleons
1615,000 Simoleons
★★2827,000 Simoleons
★★★3635,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Hammer1 Metal 1 Wood14 min490 Simoleons
Measuring Tape1 Metal 1 Plastic20 min6110 Simoleons
Shovel1 Metal 1 Wood 1 Plastic30 min9150 Simoleons
Cooking Utensils2 Metal 2 Wood 2 Plastic45 min17250 Simoleons
Ladder2 Metal 2 Plank1 hr20420 Simoleons
Drill2 Metal 2 Plastic 1 Electrical Components2 hr30590 Simoleons

Farmer’s Market

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build85,000 Simoleons
2019,000 Simoleons
★★3231,000 Simoleons
★★★4039,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Vegetables2 Seeds20 min8160 Simoleons
Flour Bag2 Textiles 2 Seeds30 min17570 Simoleons
Fruits and Berries1 Tree Sapling 2 Seeds1 hr, 30 min18730 Simoleons
Cream1 Animal Feed1 hr, 15 min23440 Simoleons
Corn1 Minerals 4 Seeds1 hr24280 Simoleons
Cheese2 Animal Feed1 hr, 45 min26660 Simoleons
Beef3 Animal Feed2 hrs, 30 min27860 Simoleons

Furniture Store

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build108,000 Simoleons
2221,000 Simoleons
★★3433,000 Simoleons
★★★4241,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Chair2 Wood 1 Hammer 1 Nails20 min10300 Simoleons
Table2 Nails 1 Planks 1 Hammer30 min16500 Simoleons
Home Textile2 Textiles 1 Measuring Tape1 hr, 15 min25610 Simoleons
Cupboard2 Glass 2 Planks 1 Paint45 min26900 Simoleons
Couch3 Textiles 1 Glue 1 Drill2 hr, 30 min331,810 Simoleons

Gardening Supplies

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build1413,000 Simoleons
2625,000 Simoleons
★★3837,000 Simoleons
★★★4645,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Grass1 Shovel 1 Seeds30 min14310 Simoleons
Tree Sapling1 Shovel 2 Seeds1 hr, 30 min16420 Simoleons
Garden Furniture2 Plastic 2 Textiles 2 Planks2 hr, 15 min21820 Simoleons
Fire Pit2 Brick 2 Cement 1 Shovel4 hr281,740 Simoleons
Lawn Mower3 Metal 1 Electrical Components 1 Paint2 hr30840 Simoleons
Garden Gnome2 Cement 1 Glue1 hr, 30 min341,600 Simoleons

Donut Shop

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build1817,000 Simoleons
3029,000 Simoleons
★★4241,000 Simoleons
★★★5045,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Donuts1 Sugar and Spices 1 Flour Bag45 min, 30 sec18950 Simoleons
Green Smoothie1 Vegetables 1 Fruits and Berries30 min201,150 Simoleons
Bread Roll1 Flour Bag 1 Cream1 hr251,840 Simoleons
Cherry Cheesecake1 Flour Bag 1 Fruits and Berries 1 Cheese1 hr, 30 min272,240 Simoleons
Frozen Yogurt1 Sugar and Spices 1 Fruits and Berries 1 Cream4 hr281,750 Simoleons
Coffee1 Seeds 1 Sugar and Spices 1 CreamNot Produced but 54 min when upgraded to 1-star33750 Simoleons

Fashion Store

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build1922,000 Simoleons
3130,000 Simoleons
★★4342,000 Simoleons
★★★5150,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Cap2 Textiles 1 Measuring Tape1 hr19600 Simoleons
Shoes1 Plastic 2 Textile 1 Glue1 hr, 15 min21980 Simoleons
Watch2 Plastic 1 Chemicals 1 Glass1 hr, 30 min22580 Simoleons
Business Suit3 Textiles 1 Glue 1 Measuring Tape3 hr, 30 min321170 Simoleons
Backpack2 Plastic 2 Textiles 1 Measuring Tape2 hr, 30 min34430 Simoleons

Fast Food Restaurant

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build2525,000 Simoleons
3736,000 Simoleons
★★4942,000 Simoleons
★★★5750,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
Ice Cream Sandwich1 Cream 1 Bread14 min252560 Simoleons
Pizza1 Flour 1 Cheese 1 Beef24 min282560 Simoleons
Burgers1 Beef 1 Bread 1 BBQ Grill35 min313620 Simoleons
Cheese Fries1 Vegetables 1 Cheese20 min331050 Simoleons
Lemonade Bottle2 Sugar and Spices 2 Glass 1 Fruits and Berries1 hr371690 Simoleons
Popcorn2 Corn 1 Microwave OvenNot Produced but 27 min when upgraded to 1-star431250 Simoleons

Home Appliances

Requirements & Costs:

 Level RequirementPrice
Build2930,000 Simoleons
4140,000 Simoleons
★★5352,000 Simoleons
★★★6160,000 Simoleons

Products:

ItemMaterialsTime (Not Upgraded)Level RequirementTrade Depot Max Value
BBQ Grill3 Metal 1 Cooking Utensils2 hr, 45 min29530 Simoleons
Refrigerator2 Plastic 2 Chemicals 2 Electrical Components3 hr, 30 min351060 Simoleons
Lighting System1 Chemicals 1 Glass 1 Electrical Components1 hr, 45 min36890 Simoleons
TV2 Plastic 2 Glass 2 Electrical Components2 hr, 30 min381280 Simoleons
Microwave Oven4 Metal 1 Glass 1 Electrical Components2 hr42480 Simoleons

Vu’s Random Generator

Requirements & Costs:

Level 3, Vu Tower, 2,000 SimCash

Unlike other commercial buildings, this building does not have its own products and merely mimics other existing commercial buildings. It changes every 24 hours and cannot be upgraded.

Place Service Buildings Close or Far Away from Residential Buildings

simcity buildit services

When it comes to service buildings, some of them must be close to residential buildings for their benefits to be applied while some don’t have to be. To make things easier for players, we’ve categorized each of them as area-dependent and independent.

Area-Dependent Service Buildings Should be Close to Housing

simcity buildit area dependent

Service Buildings such as Fire, Police, Health, and ControlNet need to be close to residential buildings to apply their effect. Just like most buildings, they have their own area of effect, price, and requirements which we have listed below for easy comparison:

Fire

simcity buildit fire

This service is unlocked at level 5 and prevents fires from destroying buildings.

StructureSizeAreaRequirementsPrice
Small Fire Station1×16×8Level 53,100 Simoleons
Basic Fire Station2×210×12Level 55,500 Simoleons
Deluxe Fire Station4×222×22Level 521,000 Simoleons

Police

simcity buildit police

This service is unlocked at level 12 and keeps crime in the city under control.

StructureSizeAreaRequirementsPrice
Small Police Station1×16×8Level 125,100 Simoleons
Basic Police Station2×212×12Level 129,400 Simoleons
Police Precinct4×224×24Level 1236,000 Simoleons

Health

simcity buildit health

This service is unlocked at level 16 and helps keep your Sims healthy.

StructureSizeAreaRequirementsPrice
Small Health Clinic1×16×8Level 166,200 Simoleons
Health Clinic2×212×12Level 1612,000 Simoleons
Hospital4×224×24Level 1632,000 Simoleons

Among these four services, they all have Maxis Manor listed in their options. Maxis Manor can be constructed to replace Fire, Police and Health buildings. It also offers Dr. Vu’s special items for sale.

StructureSizeAreaRequirementsPrice
Maxis Manor2×222×22Level 22
Vu Tower
1,000 SimCash

ControlNet

simcity buildit controlnet

This service is unlocked at level 30 and controls all futuristic technologies.

StructureSizeAreaRequirementsPrice
Small ControlNet Tower1×16×6Level 30, OMEGA Residential BuildingFree
Basic ControlNet Tower1×28×12Level 30, 8 OMEGA Residential Buildings15,000 OMEGA Zones
Deluxe ControlNet Tower2×216×14Level 30, 16 OMEGA Residential Buildings37,000 OMEGA Zones

Independent Service Buildings With Pollution Should be Away from Housing

simcity buildit independent

Service Buildings such as Power, Water, Sewage, Waste Management, and Drone Buildings do not need to be near residential buildings for their roles to be fulfilled. They only need to be connected to these homes through roads. Because of this, there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to the placement of Service Buildings, especially those without a Pollution Radius. In many cases, the best location to place them is the empty lots surrounding factories.

When constructing one of these service buildings, their window will show you the total capacity of all buildings that provide the service and the total demand or the number of houses that need the service. To prevent Sims from becoming unhappy and abandoning a housing unit, you must build enough service buildings to meet the demand.

Each of these buildings has a set capacity of homes they can service, price, pollution radius (if any), and requirements which we have listed below for easy comparison:

Power

simcity buildit power

This service is unlocked at level 1 and distributes electricity to the city.

StructureCapacitySizePollution RadiusRequirementsPrice
Wind Power Plant61×1NoneNone6,000 Simoleons
Coal Power Plant122×210×10None4,500 Simoleons
Deluxe Wind Power Plant222×2None2,000 Population15,000 Simoleons
Solar Power Plant354×2None23,000 Population22,000 Simoleons
Oil Power Plant404×28×840,000 Population15,000 Simoleons
Nuclear Power Plant604×312×1270,000 Population35,000 Simoleons
Fusion Power Plant753×3NoneUniversity90,000 Simoleons
OMEGA Power Plant1002×2NoneLevel 30, 3 OMEGA Zones10,000 NeoSimoleons (increases by 10k for every building to a max of 300k per building)

Water

simcity buildit water

This service is unlocked at level 1 and distributes water to the city.

StructureCapacitySizeRequirementsPrice
Basic Water Tower91×1None6,000 Simoleons
Water Pumping Station553×215,000 Population45,000 Simoleons
OMEGA Water Tower1001×1Level 30, 3 OMEGA Zones10,000 NeoSimoleons

Sewage

simcity buildit sewage

This service is unlocked at level 8 and manages wastewater from the city.

StructureCapacitySizePollution RadiusRequirementsPrice
Small Sewage Outflow Pipe71×110×10Level 84,000 Simoleons
Basic Sewage Outflow Pipe282×212×12Level 812,000 Simoleons
Deluxe Sewage Outflow Pipe553×2NoneLevel 835,000 Simoleons
OMEGA Sewage Treatment Plant1002×2NoneLevel 30, 3 OMEGA Zones10,000 NeoSimoleons

Waste Management

simcity buildit waste management

This service is unlocked at level 14 and manages garbage from the city.

StructureCapacitySizePollution RadiusRequirementsPrice
Small Garbage Dump15 Waste Management2×210×10Level 146,000 Simoleons
Garbage Dump31 Waste Management3×212×12Level 1412,000 Simoleons
Garbage Incinerator40 Waste Management2×216×16Level 1415,000 Simoleons
Recycling Center70 Waste Management3×2NoneLevel 1460,000 Simoleons
OMEGA Recycling Center100 Waste Management2×2NoneLevel 30, 3 OMEGA Zones10,000 NeoSimoleons

Drones

simcity buildit drones

This service is unlocked at level 30 and can replace Fire, Police and Health services. This building must be built per 1 OMEGA Zone created.

StructureCapacitySizeRequirementsPrice
Small Drone Base41×1Level 30, OMEGA Lab, OMEGA ZoneFree (Level 1) 200,000 NeoSimoleons (Level 50+)
Basic Drone Base91×2Level 30, OMEGA Lab, 8 OMEGA Zones6,700 NeoSimoleons (Level 1) 250,000 NeoSimoleons (Level 28+)
Deluxe Drone Base202×2Level 30, OMEGA Lab, 16 OMEGA Zones21,000 NeoSimoleons (Level 1) 300,000 NeoSimoleons (Level 16+)

Government

simcity buildit government

Unlike the previous service buildings above, government buildings do not provide any services or effects to residential buildings but are essential to unlocking your city’s operations. While these buildings can be freely moved like other buildings, they cannot be stored or bulldozed. Aside from this, the government tab will also display which residential buildings contain Sims who are likely to upgrade (represented by a green happy face) and Sims who are likely to move out (represented by a red sad face).

Below are the buildings you can create from the government tab:

StructureSizePollution RadiusBuild LimitRequirementsPurposePrice
Town Hall2×3None1Level 1Used to access the City Journal100 Simoleons
City Storage3×28×6 (Hidden)1Level 4Used to unlock City StorageFree
City Hall2×3None1Level 5Used to collect Tax Revenue100 Simoleons
Mayor’s Mansion3×3None1Level 6Used to access City Achievements100 Simoleons
Department of Epic Projects2×2None1Level 16Used to unlock Speed-Up Tokens and Epic ProjectsFree
NeoBank2×2None1Level 30, Small ControlNet TowerUsed to Store NeoSimoleonsFree
OMEGA Research Center2×2None2Level 30, NeoBank (First) Level 45 (Second)Used to process OMEGA MaterialFree (First) 2,000 SimCash (Second)
OMEGA Research Booster2×2None2OMEGA Research CenterUsed to reduce OMEGA transformation time in the OMEGA Research Center750 SimCash
OMEGA Lab2×2None10OMEGA Research Center, 4 OMEGA ZonesUsed to produce OMEGA MaterialFree (First) 2,500 NeoSimoleons (Second)
OMEGA Storage2×2None1OMEGA LabUsed to store OMEGA itemsFree

Place Industrial Buildings Away from Housing and Near the Main Road

simcity buildit industrial buildings

Industrial buildings or factories serve to manufacture raw materials that are used for the construction of buildings and the production of commercial goods such as nails and planks. However, each one of these buildings except for the final one produces pollution around its area which negatively affects your Sims’ happiness.

To avoid this, we highly recommend placing residential areas as far away from factories as possible and instead placing other buildings around them. From our playthroughs, we’ve discovered that placing factories at the edge of your territory is effective as it halves their area of influence.

Placing them near main roads is ideal since placing them next to an area that you can expand on will still affect that area later once you purchase it. Whenever you’re in the industrial buildings tab, you’ll be able to view the areas affected by pollution.

Placing your factories close to each other makes it easier to collect the items that they produce once they’re done. This is also true for when you place commercial buildings next to them as well. If they are far away from each other, tapping the arrows to the left or right of their name lets you move through factories quickly.

To give you an idea of each factory’s cost, slots, pollution radius, and requirements, we listed them down for you in the table below:

StructureProduction SlotsSizePollution RadiusRequirementsPrice
Small Factory22×212×12NoneFree
Basic Factory32×210×104,000 Population500 Simoleons
Mass Production Factory42×28×827,000 Population7,000 Simoleons
High-tech Factory52×26×680,000 Population20,000 Simoleons
Nano-tech Factory52×2None150,000 Population50,000 Simoleons

Place Specializations Close to Residential Buildings

simcity buildit specializations

Structures under Specializations serve to boost your residence buildings’ population, influencing upgrades. Other than that, they don’t serve any other purpose other than being used as a requirement to build more specialization buildings. They are generally expensive and cost Simoleons, SimCash, Golden Keys, and Platinum Keys.

Most must be placed next to roads with the exception of Landscapes which can be placed in between buildings. Make sure that their areas of effect fit within the scope of your territory so that their positive influence will not go to waste. These cannot be demolished but will instead be put in storage if removed.

Some of these buildings have a green arrow next to them in the build mode. These are Hot Spots, specialization buildings that can be upgraded. There are several types of specialization structures and we’ve listed them all below:

Parks

simcity buildit parks

Parks are natural spots for relaxation and recreation. They are unlocked at level 3 and are typically has a large boost area and boost size. We recommend placing this on a spot surrounded by residential homes and next to a road. There are currently no Park Hot Spots in the game. Among the parks you can place, we’ve listed a few that we believe are good choices that are very affordable but still gives the most beneficial boosts:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Plumbob Park1×16×820%140 SimCashLevel 3
University Park Cafeteria2×28×1025%14,000 Simoleons10,000 Population
Reflecting Pool Park1×28×620%6,000 Simoleons2,000 Population
Peaceful Park1×26×1025%8,000 Simoleons5,000 Population  

Most of the other items have the same population boost percentage and area of effect but have higher prices. Other items that have higher areas and boosts on the other hand tend to feel too overpriced. While other specialization buildings have a way larger area of effects, these have higher population boosts than most.

Landscape

simcity buildit landscape

Unlike most buildings Landscapes are special in a sense that they don’t need roads to function or utilize their positive effects on Residential Buildings. These are unlocked at level 6 and can help fill up those empty spaces in between buildings and are recommended to be placed in the middle of several residences in order to maximize their effect.

Since there are many items in the Landscapes tab, finding which one gives the biggest boost for the most affordable price can be challenging. To aid you with this dilemma, we’ve listed a few that we highly recommend:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Food Alleyways1×212×1216%50 SimCashLevel 6
Plumbob Bridge1×216×1616%50 SimCashLevel 6
University of Sciences Bridge1×214×1416%30 SimCashLevel 6
Brass Arch Bridge1×214×1416%30 SimCashLevel 6

These items not only provide a visually interesting appeal to your city, but it also provides a large boost for a very low price and requirement level. Most of the other items that give you a 16% population would usually cost 100+ SimCash, Golden Keys, or Platinum Keys.

Trees and ponds that are already on the land before you build anything on them do not hold the same effects as built landscapes. These are merely there for aesthetic purposes and do not fulfill any other role so feel free to build on top of them. They cannot be moved nor can they be returned to their previous state after something has been built on top of it or next to it.

Education

simcity buildit education

Education buildings are unlocked at level 10 and will require you to build the Department of Education before building any of the other structures in the tab. Unlike other specializations, there aren’t many options in Education and some of those buildings require you to build the buildings before them (ex: you have to build a High School before building a Community College). While they provide very high population boosts, they are also quite expensive. So instead, we will provide you a list of education Hot Spots that are available per region:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostEpic PointsPriceRequirements
Contemporary Art Museum3×212×14 to 26×2815%-80%1-51,200 Leaf SimoleonsDepartment of Education, 1,000 Regional Population, Green Valley Region
Martial Arts School3×212×14 to 26×2815%-80%1-51,200 Lime SimoleonsDepartment of Education, 1,000 Regional Population, Limestone Cliffs Region
Northern Lights Research Institute2×212×12 to 26×2615%-80%1-51,500 Fish SimoleonsDepartment of Education, 1,000 Regional Population, Frosty Fjords Region
Oceanographic Institute2×312×14 to 26×2815%-80%1-51,200 Wave SimoleonsDepartment of Education, 1,000 Regional Population, Sunny Isles Region
Secret Research Lab3×212×14 to 26×2815%-80%1-51,200 Cactus SimoleonsDepartment of Education, 1,000 Regional Population, Cactus Canyon Region

Transportation

simcity buildit transportation

Transportation helps your Sims travel from place to place and is essential to a growing city. It is unlocked at level 10 and will require you to build the Department of Transportation before you can build other structures in the tab. Like Education, transportation buildings are typically expensive with a high population boost.

Among all the buildings we highly recommend the London Bus Terminal as it has a pretty decent population boost of 20% and a wide-area reach for a lower price than most. However, you’ll need to have at least 3 London Town Homes before you can build it.

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
London Bus Terminal2×216×1420%5 Golden KeysDepartment of Transportation, 3 London Town Homes

There are also a few Transportation Hot Spots that you should consider adding to your cities:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Bicycle Rental2×212×12 to 24×2415% to 80%1,500 Leaf SimoleonsDepartment of Transportation, 1,500 Regional Population, Green Valley Region
Hoverboard Terminal2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Leaf SimoleonsDepartment of Transportation, 3,500 Regional Population, Green Valley Region
Tuk Tuk Station2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Lime SimoleonsDepartment of Transportation, 1,500 Regional Population, Limestone Cliffs
Big Rig Route3×212×14 to 26×2815% to 80%1,200 Cactus SimoleonsDepartment of Transportation, 1,500 Regional Population, Cactus Canyon
Quad Bike Station2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Fish SimoleonsDepartment of Transportation, 1,500 Regional Population, Frosty Fjords
Taxi Stop2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Wave SimoleonsDepartment of Transportation, 1,500 Regional Population, Sunny Isles

Beach

simcity buildit beach

Beach Specialization structures are unlocked at level 15 and can only be built on beaches. When comparing population boosts and prices of beach structures to parks, the latter tends to be more practical since parks are less expensive, provide better boosts, and can be placed in more locations. That said, if you are only after the visual appeal, beaches would definitely make your city more interesting.

However, if you value population boosts more, we recommend spending your currencies on other specializations. Among the options in the beach tab, we do have a few that we can recommend for boosting population at a more affordable price:

StructuresSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Surfer Beach1 tile wide3×1210%20,000 SimoleonsLevel 15
Lifeguard Tower1 tile wide4×1220%10 Golden KeysLevel 15 Surfer Beach
Relaxing Beach1 tile wide3×2020%12 Golden KeysLevel 15 Surfer Beach

Entertainment

simcity buildit entertainment

Sims also crave entertainment in their everyday lives. Entertainment buildings are unlocked at level 20 and require you to build Entertainment HQ before the other structures in the tab. They provide high population boosts but will usually cost SimCash, Golden Keys, or Platinum Keys. Below are a few good options from the Entertainment tab:

StructuresSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Hotel2×210×1025%8 Golden KeysEntertainment HQ
Expo Center6×418×1640%10 Golden KeysEntertainment HQ
Track and Field Stadium6×420×2050%16 Golden KeysEntertainment HQ

There are also a few Entertainment Hot Spots that you should consider adding to your cities:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Pet Park3×212×14 to 26×2815% to 80%1,200 Leaf SimoleonsEntertainment HQ, 3,000 Regional Population, Green Valley Region
Tea House2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Lime SimoleonsEntertainment HQ, 3,000 Regional Population, Limestone Cliffs
UFO Landing Site3×212×14 to 26×2815% to 80%1,200 Cactus SimoleonsEntertainment HQ, 3,000 Regional Population, Cactus Canyon
Longship Museum2×312×14 to 26×2815% to 80%1,200 Fish SimoleonsEntertainment HQ, 3,000 Regional Population, Frosty Fjords
Luau Party2×312×14 to 26×2815% to 80%1,200 Wave SimoleonsEntertainment HQ, 3,000 Regional Population, Sunny Isles

Mountain

simcity buildit mountain

Mountains are similar to beaches in that only specialized Mountain structures can be built on them. But unlike beaches, they have a much higher population boost. They are unlocked at level 23 and have no Hot Spots. Mountain structures have a mix of expensive and inexpensive options and below are some of our recommendations:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Cozy Cottages1 tile wide3×1220%10,000 SimoleonsLevel 23
Mountainside Cottages1 tile wide4×1225%4 Golden KeysLevel 23 Cozy Cottages
Mountain Lift2 tiles wide4×2030%30,000 SimoleonsLevel 23 Mountainside Cottages
Mountainside Train Station4 tiles wide6×2040%15 Golden KeysLevel 23 Mountainside Cottages
Ski Jumping Hill2 tiles wide6×2040%15 Golden KeysLevel 23 Mountain Lift

Gambling

simcity buildit gambling

Gambling structures are very lucrative and are one of the specializations that bring in the most population. They are unlocked at level 25 and require you to build Gambling HQ before you can build the other structures in the tab. While these structures cost Golden Keys, they don’t require too many of them to purchase high population-boosting buildings. Below are a few options that we highly recommend building:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Gambling House2×28×1020%3 Golden KeysGambling HQ
Sleek Casino2×212×1025%5 Golden KeysGambling HQ
Sci-fi Casino2×212×1230%8 Golden KeysGambling HQ
Luxurious Casino2×216×1650%10 Golden KeysGambling HQ
Luxurious Casino Tower2×216×1660%12 Golden KeysLuxurious Casino

There are also a few Gambling Hot Spots that you should consider adding to your cities:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Mahjong Hall2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Lime SimoleonsGambling HQ, 3,500 Regional Population, Limestone Cliffs
Oasis Casino2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Cactus SimoleonsGambling HQ, 3,500 Regional Population, Cactus Canyon
Ice Casino2×212×12 to 26×2615% to 80%1,500 Fish SimoleonsGambling HQ, 3,500 Regional Population, Frosty Fjords
Volcano Casino2×312×14 to 26×2815% to 80%1,500 Wave SimoleonsGambling HQ, 3,500 Regional Population, Sunny Isles

Landmarks

simcity buildit landmarks

Landmarks are the most expensive specialization structures in the game. They are unlocked at level 30 and require the Department of Culture to be built before you can build other structures in the tab. Because of their costs, we generally advise against buying these structures over other specialization structures since the others can offer high boosts for lower costs. Still, there are a few options that we think are worth getting:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Arc de Triomphe3×214×1640%16 Golden KeysDepartment of Culture, 5 Parisian Zones
MaxisMan Statue2×216×1650%FreeDepartment of Culture, Vu Tower Level 18
Nazca Bird4×412×1220%20,000 SimoleonsLevel 30, Department of Culture

Mayor’s Pass

simcity buildit mayor's pass

Structures in the Mayor’s Pass tab are unlocked at level 11 and contain structures that can be placed once you reach a certain tier in Mayor’s Pass. To know more about Mayor’s Pass, go to “6. Earn Cash and Rewards” in the “Take on Assignments” section. These structures’ population boosts range from 20% to 65%. Below are the usual structures you can find under this tab:

StructureSizeAreaPopulation BoostPriceRequirements
Castle of Towers3×322×2220%2,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 1, Premium Pass
Country Castle2×322×1820%5,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 2
Island Fort3×324×2425%36,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 10, Premium Pass, Placed on top of water next to a road
City Palace3×326×2630%112,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 19, Premium Pass
Explorer’s Castle4×426×2635%126,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 20
Beach Castle5 tiles wide18×3450%270,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 29, Premium Pass
Castle of the Knights4×626×3065%509,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 39, Premium Pass
Grand Fortress4×624×2850%541,000 PlumbobsReach Tier 40

Each season has unique buildings that are only available during that season. Because of this, we highly recommend checking this tab for buildings you may be interested in at the start of a new season.

4. Keep an eye on Your Resources

simcity buildit resources

Resources that you produce from factories and stores as well as special items you obtain from your Sims’ thought bubbles play a valuable role in your city’s development. While special items are obtained at random and cannot be controlled, materials from factories and stores can still be replenished effectively. Below are some tricks we’ve learned from our playthrough:

Keep Your Factories and Stores Busy

simcity buildit busy factory store

For as long as your game is open, we highly recommend constantly giving your factories and shops materials to manufacture and restock. Factories can work on two or more materials at a time while shops can only restock one slot at a time.

Since these resources have different production and stocking times, choosing those with short durations while you’re active is ideal so you can quickly restock again. Choosing those with longer durations when you’re about to end your gaming session on the other hand will make the time spent away worth it when you come back.

Increase Your Storage

simcity buildit storage

All those resources you’ve worked hard to produce will only go to waste if you don’t have enough space in your storage. At the start of your playthrough, you can only have 30 resources at a time. As soon as you reach level 4, you can build a City Storage, raising the limit to 40.

However, if you want to continue increasing the cap, you’ll need to gather special items, specifically Storage Cameras, Storage Locks, and Storage Bars, from Sims’ thought bubbles. For every batch, you can increase the cap by 5. But as you do, the required quantity of items will also increase.

Buy Resources from Other Cities

simcity buildit buy resources

In some cases, you may find yourself in need of materials that you cannot obtain immediately due to your factories or stores currently busy producing a different item from what you need or that item takes too long to create. When that happens, you can buy your materials from Globe Trade HQ or from your friend’s city’s trade depots. Take note that their prices can be changed and may be cheaper or more expensive than the usual price.

To help you make a more informed decision when making these deals, we’ve made a table to compare the max prices of each material you can manufacture, supply and obtain arranged based on source or collection:

Factory

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Animal Feed140280420560700
Chemicals60120180240300
Electrical Components160320480640800
Glass120240360480600
Metal1020304050
Minerals4080120160200
Plastic255075100125
Seeds306090120150
Sugar & Spices110220330440550
Textiles90180270360450
Wood20406080100

Building Supplies Store

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Nails80160240320400
Planks120240360480600
Bricks190380570760950
Cement440880132017602200
Glue440880132017602200
Paint32064096012801600

Hardware Store

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Hammer90180270360450
Measuring Tape110220330440550
Shovel150300450600750
Cooking Utensils25050075010001250
Ladder420840126016802100
Drill5901180177023602950

Farmers Market

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Vegetables160320480640800
Flour Bag5701140171022802850
Fruit & Berries7301460219029203650
Cream440880132017602200
Corn28056084011201400
Cheese6601320198026403300
Beef8601720258034404300

Furniture Store

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Chairs30060090012001500
Tables5001000150020002500
Home Textiles6101220183024403050
Cupboard9001800270036004500
Couch18103620543072409050

Gardening Supplies

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Grass31062093012401550
Tree Saplings420840126016802100
Garden Furniture8201640246032804100
Fire Pit17403480522069608700
Lawn Mower8401680252033604200
Garden Gnomes16003200480064008000

Donut Shop

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Donuts9501900285038004750
Green Smoothie11502300345046005750
Bread Roll18403680552073609200
Cherry Cheesecake224044806720896011200
Frozen Yogurt17503500525070008750
Coffee7501500225030003750

Fashion Store

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Cap6001200180024003000
Shoes9801960294039204900
Watch5801160174023202900
Business Suits11702340351046805850
Backpack430860129017202150

Fast Food Restaurant

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Ice Cream Sandwiches2560512076801024012800
Pizza2560512076801024012800
Burgers36207240108601448018100
Cheese Fries10502100315042005250
Lemonade Bottle16903380507067608450
Popcorn12502500375050006250

Home Appliances

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
BBQ Grill5301060159021202650
Refrigerator10602120318042405300
Lighting System8901780267035604450
TV12802560384051206400
Microwave Oven480960144019202400

City Storage Expansion Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Storage Bars6501300195026003250
Storage Camera6501300195026003250
Storage Lock6501300195026003250

Land Expansion Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Dozer Blade8001600240032004000
Dozer Exhaust8001600240032004000
Dozer Wheel8001600240032004000

Beach Expansion Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Ship’s Wheel15003000450060007500
Scuba Mask15003000450060007500
Lifebelt15003000450060007500

Mountain Expansion Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Snowboard15003000450060007500
Compass15003000450060007500
Winter Hat15003000450060007500

Tokyo Zone Upgrade Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Lucky Cat220044006600880011000
Lantern220044006600880011000
Bonsai Tree220044006600880011000

Parisian Zone Upgrade Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Fashion Clothes18003600540072009000
Luxury Bag18003600540072009000
La Baguette18003600540072009000

London Zone Upgrade Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Bobby’s Helmet200040006000800010000
Teapot200040006000800010000
Telephone Box200040006000800010000

Disaster Requirements

Itemx1x2x3x4x5
Vu’s Battery5001000150020002500
Vu’s Gloves5001000150020002500
Vu’s Remote5001000150020002500

Change Building Materials

simcity buildit building materials

If it is just not possible to get the materials a building needs, you can always choose to change the building materials for it. You can do this by selecting the building and tapping the refresh button just below the rewards. Take note that changing the building materials will take 30 minutes so only do this if you have time to spare and you have no other choice.

5. Expand Your Territory

As you grow your city, you’ll eventually run out of space to build. When this happens, you have two options:

Get More Land

simcity buildit land

As you level up, you’ll eventually be able to expand your territory be able to build on adjacent land, beaches and even mountains:

  • Land Expansions are unlocked at level 10 and require you to collect Dozer Blades, Dozer Exhausts and Dozer Wheels for them.
  • Beach Expansions are unlocked at level 15 and require you to collect Ship’s Wheels, Scuba Masks and Lifebelts for them.
  • Mountain Expansions are unlocked at level 23 and require you to collect Snowboards, Compasses and Winter Hats for them.

These required special items can be obtained randomly from your Sims’ thought bubbles.

Go to Different Regions

simcity buildit regions

Once you reach level 25, you’ll start unlocking new regions. Each region has its own theme, currency, local products produced by their unique factories and shops, local service, and an increased demand for a specific service:

Green Valley

simcity buildit green valley

This region is made of a small island that connects two larger pieces of land with two bridges. It has a lush green environment and an eco-friendly theme. This region also has a few beach zones, has Organic Food as its local service, and has a high demand for Waste Management services. Their local products include Recycled Fabrics, which are manufactured by their Green Factories, and Reusable Bags, Ecological Shoes, and Yoga Mats, which are supplied by their Eco Shop.

Sunny Isles

simcity buildit sunny isles

This region is made of four islands of varying sizes connected by bridges. It has many beautiful beach zones and a tropical theme. Their local service is Tourist Info and has a high demand for Power services. Their local products include Coconut, which is harvested from their Coconut Farms, and Coconut Oil, Face Cream, and Tropical Drinks, which are supplied by their Tropical Products Store.

Cactus Canyon

simcity buildit cactus canyon

This region is a desert land with no water as well as beach or mountain zones. Instead, it has a large land area with cactus canyon zones. This region also has Gas Stations as their local service and has a high demand for Water services. Their local products include Crude Oil, which is produced by their Oil Plants, and Motor Oil, Car Tires, and Engines, which are supplied by their Car Parts Store.

Frosty Fjords

simcity buildit frosty fjords

This region is made of two snowy lands and one land with lush greenery, all connected with bridges and surrounded by multiple mountain zones. This region also has Central Heating as their local service and has a high demand for Power services. Their local products include Fish, which is grown by their Fisheries, and Canned Fish, Fish Soup, and Salmon Sandwiches, which are supplied by their Fish Marketplace.

Limestone Cliffs

simcity buildit limestone cliffs

This region is filled with beautiful green fields and hills with a large amount of land shaped like an H. However, this region has no beach or mountain zones. It has Street Food as its local service and has a high demand for Sewage services. Their local products include Silk, which is harvested in their Mulberry Grove, and Strings, Fans, and Robes, which are supplied by their Silk Store.

6. Earn Cash and Rewards

simcity buildit earn cash rewards

There are many ways to earn Simoleons, SimCash and other currencies in the game without having to buy them with real money along with other rewards. Below are some that we discovered in our playthrough:

Build and Upgrade Residential Buildings

simcity buildit build upgrade

Building and upgrading residential buildings is one of the surefire ways to earn Simoleons. Unlike other structures, building and developing these homes do not require any Simoleons to be spent and will instead ask you for materials. These materials can be manufactured by your Factories, supplied by your commercial buildings, or bought from Global Trade HQ or your friends’ cities.

Collect Taxes

simcity buildit collect taxes

Once your city has reached level 5 and you’ve built a City Hall, the building will periodically collect taxes from its citizens. A Simoleon icon will appear above the building once there is revenue that you can collect.

The longer you’ve been away or the longer you haven’t collected any, the more you can obtain. Tapping the City Hall will tell you the tax rate, the total population, and the total daily income. The more developed your city is, the higher your tax revenue will be.

Choose Deals Wisely

simcity buildit deals

Occasionally, you will encounter thought bubbles with a Simoleon icon. Tapping on it will show you a trade deal. These deals will typically ask for a few pieces of a material or special item in exchange for Simoleons. While it may be tempting to quickly accept all deals that come your way, not all deals can be beneficial.

Some are underpriced and will cause you to lose valuable resources for just a portion of their max price. You can check “4. Keep an eye on Your Resources” under “Buy Resources From Other Cities” to see the price list we made for these items as reference.

Sell Resources at the Trade Depot

simcity buildit trade depot

Upon reaching 8,000 population, you will unlock the Trade Depot. This building is found below the large billboard, by the road that connects your city’s roads to the main road. It does not need to be built and will allow you to post materials and special items to sell for Simoleons to other players. You can advertise an item for free but must pay 1 SimCash for each succeeding one.

Alternatively, you can wait for 1 minute after the first to get free advertising. You can add up to 5 quantities of an item to one slot and can decrease the price to 1 and increase it up to a certain extent depending on the item. If you want to post more items, you can buy extra slots using SimCash. We highly recommend selling items that take a long time to produce or are hard to obtain as they are what most players look for.

Any items you do not successfully sell will eventually be bought by Daniel (the NPC on your friend’s cities list) so if you’re not in a hurry to gain Simoleons, you can post them at the highest price possible to get the most profit. To get an idea of the max prices you can assign to your items, you can check “4. Keep an eye on Your Resources” under “Buy Resources From Other Cities.”

Buy and Sell

simcity buildit buy and sell

One way to earn extra Simoleons without having to depend on the materials you produce is by buying and selling. You can look at the items posted in Globe Trade HQ and buy items that are posted cheaply. The items listed can be refreshed every 30 seconds. Upon tapping on the item, the game will take you to that player’s Trade Depot, allowing you to see their other wares.

To help you decide which items are worth taking, you can refer to the table under “4. Keep an eye on Your Resources” under “Buy Resources From Other Cities.” Alternatively, you can go to your friends’ cities and buy their wares. Daniel’s City is always worth buying from since he will always sell lower than most people.

Accomplish the City Journal’s Tasks

simcity buildit city journal

Tapping on the Town Hall will show you your City Journal. This contains tasks you need to accomplish to earn a surprise reward. These tasks may range from producing certain materials, making deals with Sims, earning a certain amount of Simoleons, and so on. Surprise rewards may contain Simoleons, SimCash, and or Special Items that you can use for expansions, upgrades, or disaster launches.

City Achievements

simcity buildit city achievements

By level 6, you’ll be able to build a Mayor’s Mansion. Tapping on it will give you access to City Achievements. These are long-term goals that you can passively work towards while you play the game. The tasks listed here range from gaining a certain population, providing a specific service to your residential buildings, collecting a particular amount of taxes, and so on.

Each achievement has three levels, with each increasing the number or difficulty of the goal along with the rewards you can earn. Rewards obtained from City Achievements come as SimCash.

Complete a Collection in the City Album

simcity buildit city album

Once you unlock the city album, you can earn a reward for completing the collections highlighted in gold and shown on the left side. Rewards vary from different currencies and special items.

Vote or Participate in City Design Challenges

simcity buildit city design

At level 9, you become qualified to vote and earn rewards in City Design challenges. However, if you want to submit a design that you made, you’ll have to wait until you reach level 17. Rewards you can obtain include Design Simoleons, which are used to buy Services and upgrade roads, and Blueprints, which are used in Blueprint Exchange to get gorgeous buildings.

Fight Dr. Vu’s Monsters

simcity buildit dr vu boat

You’ll eventually be able to summon and fight Dr. Vu’s monsters by tapping on the boat to the south of your city. These monsters will appear every few days but can be summoned immediately by paying SimCash. To fight off these monsters, you’ll need to launch War Disasters and earn War Points.

These Disasters need specific War Items which can be obtained by completing War Deliveries in the War Deliveries Depot, the building found next to the Airport Terminal. Disasters can also be upgraded when you collect additional Disaster Cards. Using upgraded Disasters will earn you even more, making it easier to defeat Vu’s Monsters.

Each Disaster requires you to have varying amounts of energy before you can launch them. Take note that some monsters are immune to some Disasters and thus cannot be launched against them. There are also four randomly selected Disasters to which these monsters can be vulnerable which can be seen on the right side of the monster view when you’re fighting the monster.

simcity buildit vu pass

More Disasters can be unlocked when you collect Disaster Cards which are earned from Vu Pass. Vu Pass gives you rewards for every disaster you launch. If you purchase the premium Vu Pass with real money, you’ll get even more rewards.

Take on Assignments

simcity buildit assignments

At level 11, Assignments are unlocked and can be accessed by tapping on the hexagon icon at the lower left corner of the screen. This page shows you a list of tasks you can take on which has a specific deadline. You can only do one Assignment at a time and will only be rewarded if you accomplish them on time.

Watch Ads

simcity buildit watch ads

Occasionally, you’ll find a clip icon in one of the thought bubbles that pop up in your city. Tapping on this will let you earn Simoleons, SimCash, or a Special Item in exchange for watching an ad.

simcity buildit watch ads 2

Alternatively, you can go to the shop, which can be accessed by tapping the yellow shopping bag icon on the upper left corner of your screen and tapping Watch under Earn SimCash. You can watch an ad in the shop every 2 minutes.

Play Other Games

simcity buildit play other games

Inside the shop, you can also tap on SimCash Offers to find a list of games you can play along with tasks you need to accomplish in them. This is a good way to discover games you haven’t played yet while earning SimCash on the side. Completed rewards will be claimable from your Messages.

Daily Bonus

simcity buildit daily bonus

Daily Bonus can be claimed at the shop once you get to level 7 next to “Earn SimCash.” You can obtain Simoleons, SimCash, keys, and materials. Every 7th chest is a Golden Chest so be sure to not skip a day!

simcity buildit outro

And this marks the end of our Beginner’s Guide to SimCity BuildIt! We hope that it helps you make the best business decisions to grow and flourish your city! While this article covers many parts of the game, it barely scratches the surface of its features and what you can do in SimCity BuildIt.

That said, if there are any effective tips or tricks that you’ve discovered that we did not cover in our guide, we’d love to hear about them! Feel free to share them in the comment section below as they could help fellow players with their own cities!