CITIES XL has ambition like no other city building strategy sim before it. Rendered in a 3D environment, players are free to create their own virtual communities and megacities, based on structures and locations inspired from real areas in Europe, Asia and America. Taking structures from various different cultures and placing them into a microcosm of the world can bring prosperity to your land. Of course, there are other elements to balance on top of the art of construction. As more people begin to live in your city, you are responsible for keeping them happy, in building local facilities and providing basic supplies for them to live. Depending on the environment and map you choose, you could be at risk of not providing enough water in an arid desert region, or failing to create enough roads and transport in a mountain town. Managing all the different resources and city services will require plenty of dedication. CITIES XL provides an extensive solo mode, with 25 maps, around 500 buildings, complex citizen, traffic and resource simulation with room to expand over time. The real draw is in the massively persistent multiplayer mode, known as Planet. This takes your city online and enables it to interact with other cities around the world. You can cooperate with a friend to build Mega Structures, or visit and participate in events based in neighbouring communities.