1. Anno 2070 (2011) by Ubisoft

Those are nifty-looking docks.

Anno 2070 is different because it’s inherently futuristic.  It follows a model that global warming made the sea level rise and certain other areas of land completely inhabitable.  Your job as the player is to create a society in the future with both limited resources, but access to robots and other futuristic tech.

Get a closer look at Anno 2070.  

There is a slight political element as well.  You can choose to make your city very industrial and efficient and side with the Tycoons, or you go the more sustainable route but not necessarily more efficient and throw your hat in with the Ecos.  There’s also the option to smuggle wares and forge alliances with powerful figures. 

Anno 2070 is very decision based and the addition of politics and smuggling are nice touches.

Additionally, Ubisoft has since released Anno Online where you can essentially play for free.  

Official Website

Conclusion:

If you’re into city building, there is a city builder game for you in 2015.  If you want to stay small and eco-friendly, there’s a game for you; if you’re more interested in conquest, there’s a game for you; if you want to connect all of your cities and control trade between them, there’s a game for you.  There’s even a game for you if you don’t have a lot of extra cash. 

Each of these games has its strengths, I hope I’ve shed some light on which one (if not many) is the best fit for you. 

If you want to check out some other Builder-Puzzler games, take a look at Infinifactory.  And, since we all know builder games can be terribly addicting, here’s some tips to sitting at your computer all day while being mesmerized by traffic patterns or building houses.