Pocket City in IOS

Build your own city as mayor!

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

93/100

Pocket City is the city builder I’ve been waiting for on mobile. It completely removes the predatory 'wait-to-build' timers and microtransactions that plague the genre, offering a pure, premium simulation experience. You feel like a real mayor as you balance residential, commercial, and industrial zones while managing taxes and public services. The progression is perfectly paced—unlocking new buildings feels earned, not bought.

The game looks beautiful in its clean, colorful aesthetic, and the performance is flawless even as your city grows into a massive metropolis. I love the addition of 'Disasters' and 'Events' which keep you on your toes. Whether you're playing in portrait mode on a bus or landscape on an iPad, Pocket City is a deep, rewarding, and incredibly relaxing simulation that respects the player's time.

Reviewed on: Sun May 19 2024
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. Now this is more like it. Pocket City is what mobile gaming should be: a honest-to-god video game that you buy once and actually own. It’s an incredibly competent homage to SimCity 2000. It doesn't have the complexity of a modern PC title like Cities: Skylines, but for a handheld experience, the balance is almost perfect. The UI is clean, the feedback loops are tight, and it actually challenges you to manage a budget rather than just clicking 'collect' on a timer.

It’s a bit on the easy side once you figure out the optimal zoning ratios, and the visual style is a little 'sanitized' for my taste, but these are minor gripes. It’s functional, it’s fair, and it’s deeply satisfying to watch your little blocky metropolis grow. In an App Store filled with predatory trash, Pocket City is a beacon of old-school design philosophy. I’m impressed, though I still wish it had a bit more grit in the simulation.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Zero microtransactions or wait timers
  • Deep but accessible simulation mechanics
  • Excellent mobile UI and offline play
  • Can become too easy in the late game
  • Visuals are a bit simplistic/cartoonish
  • Disaster events are somewhat repetitive

Technical Report

Performance: Runs flawlessly even on older hardware; extremely well-optimized.

Accessibility:
  • Cloud Saves
  • Multiple Layout Modes

Audience Fit

Buy if: You miss the classic SimCity era and want a premium, offline building experience.

Skip if: You prefer high-end realistic graphics or the social 'neighbor' mechanics of F2P sims.

Similar Games:
  • SimCity 2000
  • TheoTown
  • Pocket City 2

Reviewer Context

  • Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old critical gamer
  • Hardware: iPad Mini 6
  • Playtime: 15 hours
  • Status: Built several successful megacities

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.0.41Sat Nov 12 2022

- Adjust UI to allow for Dynamic Island on iPhone 14

- Minor UI fixes


Build your own city as the new mayor. Create residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Build parks and recreation spots. Respond to crime and disasters. Watch your city come alive!

No microtransactions or long wait times! Everything is unlocked and rewarded through gameplay.

Pocket City re-imagines classic city building simulation gameplay for iOS devices.

Note: Landscape and portrait mode can be toggled in the settings menu during gameplay, or by tapping the icon at the top right of the start screen.


Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (9.7‑inch), iPad Pro (9.7‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th generation), iPad (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5‑inch), iPad Pro (10.5‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation), iPad (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch), iPad Pro (11‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (5th generation), iPad mini (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation), iPad (7th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Air (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (8th generation), iPad (8th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation), iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th generation), iPad (9th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M2), iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M2), iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (A16), iPad (A16) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M3), iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M5), iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (6th generation), and iPod touch (7th generation).

Build your own city as the new mayor. Create residential, commercial, and industrial zones. Build parks and recreation spots. Respond to crime and disasters. Watch your city come alive!

No microtransactions or long wait times! Everything is unlocked and rewarded through gameplay.

Pocket City re-imagines classic city building simulation gameplay for iOS devices.

Note: Landscape and portrait mode can be toggled in the settings menu during gameplay, or by tapping the icon at the top right of the start screen.


Ratings & Reviews

4.7 out of 5 with 5078 Counts
Age Rating 9+

Screenshots

Pocket City screenshot 1Pocket City screenshot 2Pocket City screenshot 3Pocket City screenshot 4Pocket City screenshot 5Pocket City screenshot 6Pocket City screenshot 7Pocket City screenshot 8

Pocket City is a classic city-building simulation reimagined for mobile. Players take on the role of mayor, designing a city from the ground up by zoning land, building roads, and providing essential services like power and water. Unlike other mobile builders, everything is unlocked through gameplay without microtransactions or timers. The game features dynamic events, disasters, and quests, allowing players to build a thriving metropolis in either portrait or landscape mode.

Features

1

No microtransactions or long build timers

2

Dynamic weather, disasters, and city events

3

Portrait and landscape mode support

4

In-depth zoning and infrastructure management

5

Upload your city to the cloud to share with friends

Tips

Promotion Videos

Pocket City Official Release Trailer [iOS & Android] - YouTube

Related Videos

News on this game

Pocket City 2 comes out as love child of SimCity, GTA, and Animal Crossing

After nearly 5 years since its original release, city-building simulator Pocket City has gotten a sequel. One-man studio Codebrew Games has...

Android Police - Mon May 29 2023

Premium SimCity-like 'Pocket City' is out for Android

It's a premium single purchase simulation city-builder from Codebrew Games - a one-person indie studio from Toronto, Canada.

Android Police - Sat Sep 29 2018

Gameplays

Q&A

Yes, Pocket City includes a Sandbox mode where you have unlimited money and all buildings are unlocked from the start.

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