Cities: Skylines is an incredibly detailed city-building simulator with an incredible modding community. While the base game has a lot to offer, experienced players might want to elevate the level of detail in their cities or even add more content.RELATED: Cities: Skylines: The Best DLCs You Can Get TodayWith the right mods, Cities: Skylines can drastically change the rules vanilla players are used to and allow you the further realize the vision you have for your city. When combined with the official DLCs, the customization options become essentially limitless.
How to Install Cities: Skylines Mods
There are two ways to install mods in Cities: Skylines. The first and easiest method is only available when you buy the game on Steam. Using the Steam Workshop, installing mods is as easy as clicking the Subscribe button. After that, boot up the game and select the mod in the Content Manager on the main menu.
The second method involves downloading mods from a trusted website, unpacking the download, and placing the files in the mod folder located here:
C:\Users\(YOUR PC USERNAME)\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Mods
After you place the mod files in the correct folder, reboot the game and click on the Content Manager button in the menu. Lastly, select the mods you wish to use. Keep in mind that some mods require other mods to work, so be sure to check the requirements on the download page.
10 Recreating A Classic American Skyline: Space Needle Mod
- Created by Alvin
A significant component of the modding community is recreating real-world landmarks. The Space Needle Mod does an impeccable job replicating the tower and adds it as a unique building that the player can purchase for 115,000 dollars.
The Space Needle is one of the most iconic towers in any American skyline, and it will stand out from the rest of the towers you build. Adding the Space Needle to your game is not just for aesthetic purposes, though, because it also acts as a tourist attraction.
9 Visit A Familiar Location: Los Santos From GTA V Mod
- Created by grockfeller
The Los Santos Mod is an incredibly realized recreation of Los Santos from Grand Theft Auto V. This mod goes the extra mile by also recreating the entire island of San Andreas.
Just make sure to follow the download instructions and enable unlimited money, because as cool as it looks, Los Santos is not profitable. But that is not the point of this mod. Instead, soak in the beauty of this map.
8 Performance Enhancement: Dynamic Resolution
- Created by Gradius Twin
If you are looking for a performance increase at higher resolutions, the Dynamic Resolution Mod is essential. Enabling the mod allows Cities: Skylines to adjust the game resolution to maintain a consistent framerate.
RELATED: Cities Skylines: Essential Quality Of Life Mods
So, if you play at a 4K resolution and the game hits an intense load on your GPU, the mod will lower the resolution to prevent your game from chugging along. It’s an essential quality of life mod if you’re playing on a higher-end display.
7 For The Map Nerds: CSL Map View
- Created by Gansaku
If you are interested in creating realistic and beautiful print maps of your city, you should try out the CSL Map View Mod. While it might be easy to scoff at the idea of a mod that makes a map out of your city, the CSL Map View is a unique experience.
Looking at your city through a top-down 2D lens gives you another layer of tangibility to your city. Sometimes mods are about the little things, and CSL Map View delivers it perfectly.
6 Form And Function: Suburban Powerline Mod
- Created by BadPeanut
If you are sick of using heavy-duty powerlines to carry power around your city, then you should consider the Suburban Powerline Mod.
Not only does this mod clean up the aesthetic of your city, but it is also helpful because it minimizes the space needed for transporting power. Or you can place them alongside neighborhoods to achieve a realistic look for your cities. Either way, the Suburban Powerline Mod is a great tool to add to your game.
5 Up Your Nighttime Game: Modern Lighting Pack Mod
- Created by GCVos
If you want to take your city nighttime lighting to the next level, then definitely install the Modern Lighting Pack Mod. This mod adds a variety of streetlights with various colors of lighting. This mod will drastically change the look of your city, especially at night.
With this mod, you can take the flat standard lighting we are used to and add a significant amount of depth to each neighborhood. For example, a residential district could have an orange hue, and commercial areas can have a cooler LED hue.
4 Design Better Bridges: Moveable Bridge Mod
- Created by beformer
The Movable Bridge Mod adds retractable bridges that allow ferries and cargo ships to pass. That means that you can place harbors further inland and closer to commercial zones and industrial zones, reserving your coastal areas for beautiful residential districts
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Keep in mind that this mod has a few requirements, including downloading pre-designed bridges for you to use. But the extra work is worth it because the animations and function of these bridges are a total game-changer and will likely reshape how you design your cities.
3 Create A Better Connection To The World: International Airport Mod
- Created by Polygon
The International Airport Mod is a massive improvement over the standard in-game building. First, the level of detail and design is much more appealing. Second, the mod uses the Airport Roads Mod, which allows you to customize the runways yourself. So, you can make the airport look how you want it.
Also, this mod can combine with several other layout and plane mods to enhance its level of realism. It is a great mod that completely changes the customization of air travel in Cities: Skylines.
- Created by macsergey
The Intersection Marking Tool Mod is purely aesthetic, but it transforms the look of your streets. Downloading this mod gives you complete control over traffic markings and crosswalks.
RELATED: Things Beginners Should Do First In Cities: Skylines
The traffic markings are gorgeous and let you create realistic street designs. If you want to control the traffic to follow your markings, you can install the Traffic Manager Mod and match your traffic flow to your traffic lines.
1 Next Level Realism: Real-Time Mod
- Created by dymanoid
The Real-Time Mod adds a new level of realism to Cities: Skylines by adding the correct night and day sequencing for buildings and people. For instance, schools will not light up at night because nobody is at school. This mod also enhances traffic patterns by creating realistic rush hour scenarios.
Plus, the mod adds in weekdays and weekends for your population, which means that they go to work from Monday to Friday and party on the weekends.
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