Developed under Swedish publisher Paradox, the original Cities Skylines game and its sequel, released in 2015 and 2023, respectively, are robust city-building simulators in which players can contour their own metropolis however they see fit. However, whereas the first Cities Skylines has established itself as a mainstay in the genre, with Stockholm even famously using it to plan a new transportation system, Cities Skylines II has been scrutinized for its extensive technical issues since launch.
In order to improve this situation, late last year, Paradox and Colossal Order, the studio responsible for both entries, have mutually agreed to part ways. Replacing Colossal Order as the main developer of Cities Skylines II come 2026 was Iceflake Studios, known best for their work on survival city-builder Surviving the Abyss. This being said, while the studio has been steadily supporting Cities Skylines II with constant updates, it seems that they’ve also been working with The LEGO Group on their own entry in the franchise: LEGO Skylines.
Officially revealed during gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, what most sets LEGO Skylines apart from the two other games in the franchise (besides, you know, the LEGO bricks) is the increased emphasis on customization and personalization.
“What most sets LEGO Skylines apart from the two other games in the franchise is the increased emphasis on customization and personalization.”
Behind closed doors at gamescom, I got to play around 45 minutes of it and left quite impressed by how much it retains what makes Skylines great while also delivering on its promise of increased player expression. To set the scene, my hands-on preview included two modes: a guided tutorial-like level, inspired by the start of the game, and a late-game sandbox save file.
From the get-go, this tutorial section (made specifically for this gamescom demo) was far more approachable than anything I remember from putting in some considerable time with Cities Skylines, which is something LEGO Skylines producer Joanna Ronkanen assured me is intentional: “One of our biggest goals [was] to just make it the most accessible city-builder that it can be. Let’s see if we can match that goal!” On the other hand, Ronkanen was also keen on emphasizing that “you could be a hardcore Cities fan and still feel at home in LEGO Skylines.”
Speaking of feeling at home, my very first task was to help a family settle in nicely in what was then literally just a road built in the middle of nowhere but which hopefully would, at some point, become a bustling metropolis. To help them settle in, I had to meet needs such as a store to buy produce and, unique to LEGO Skylines, as far as I can remember, a need for two certain types of decoration. How said decorations effectively looked like was more or less up to me, as long as I chose them out of the right categories.
“I could have played hours more of LEGO Skylines.”
On the topic of the look behind the decorations in this early preview, LEGO Skylines art director Jonna Liikanen mentioned that the final release “will also have some tropical paradise-looking city buildings” and even “some medieval stuff in there”. When asked about it, Liikanen confirmed that everything in the game is made out of LEGO bricks available in the real world as well, with the only liberty taken being colouring certain blocks differently. With regards to potential bricks from branded sets making their appearance in LEGO Skylines, neither Ronkanen nor Liikanen could confirm much: “the LEGO brand itself has so many great IPs that we could leverage, but it’s still something we’re not ready to discuss”, Ronkanen told me.
After becoming more and more familiar with the game, it was time for me to load up the late-game save file that I had available. In this particular scenario, I had to make sure that a higher percentage of the citizens in this city attended a higher education institution, which sounds a lot like your typical Cities problem to solve. Ronkanen later confirmed that LEGO Skylines is “not necessarily completely on par [with Cities Skylines], but it’s very close to it.” With some helpful hints along the way, I eventually addressed my city’s education and completed the demo.
By the time things came to a close, I could have played hours more of LEGO Skylines. My overall conclusion, then, is that if this demo turns out to be in any way indicative of the final release, Ironflake might just have something really special here. “It’s such a dream come true”, Ronkanen tells me about her and her studio’s work on LEGO Skylines so far. I hope that’s something I’ll be able to exclaim come release time, too.
