9 Free Cities: Skylines 2 Mods

By Zee | July 25, 2023

When discussing city-builder games, one title that immediately comes to mind is Cities: Skylines 2. Widely acclaimed by critics and players alike, it has established itself as the pinnacle of the genre, reigning supreme at present.

Colossal Order, the developer of Cities: Skylines 2, set out with an ambitious goal: to create a city simulation game capable of accommodating a million unique citizens. Remarkably, they have achieved this feat, delivering a game that stands unrivaled in its sheer scale and complexity. With such vast potential at your fingertips, it’s hard not to be swept away by the endless possibilities for building and managing your own thriving metropolis.

Going above and beyond, the developers introduced modding compatibility, enabling players to customize and enhance their gaming experience. This decision has proven to be a game-changer, as the passionate and creative community has dived into action, producing a staggering number of mods in the hundreds of thousands. With the modding community’s contributions, Cities: Skylines has transformed into a sandbox of limitless potential, where players can turn their wildest urban dreams into virtual reality.

If you’re new to the world of Cities: Skylines 2 and wondering where to start amidst the sea of mods and add-ons, fear not. As an enthusiastic gamer, I’ve already scoured the depths of available content and compiled a list of what I consider the 10 best mods for this fantastic game. Whether you’re interested in adding new structures, enhancing gameplay mechanics, or refining visual aesthetics, my curated list is bound to cater to your preferences.

So why wait any longer? Dive into the enchanting world of Cities: Skylines 2 mods which are available right now. From small tweaks to massive overhauls, there’s something for every player’s taste and imagination. Unleash your inner urban planner, and create the city of your dreams with the help of these remarkable mods. Happy building!

Introducing some of the finest mods to enhance your Cities: Skylines 2 experience, these game-changers are sure to take your city-building adventures to a whole new level. From capturing breathtaking scenes to efficiently managing traffic flow, these mods are here to make your life as a virtual mayor much smoother.

9 . Ultimate Eyecandy v1.5.2 

Don’t let the name deceive you. Ultimate Eyecandy is not about upgrading Cities: Skylines’ already stunning graphics; it’s about granting you unparalleled control over how you present your city. Whether you’re a novice builder eager to share your progress or a seasoned mayor seeking to capture your city’s essence under ideal conditions, this mod is an absolute game-changer.

With Ultimate Eyecandy, you can seamlessly alter the time of day, adjust the sun’s latitude and longitude, control ambient light intensity, manipulate weather patterns, and even change in-game LUTs (Look Up Tables). Want your city to bathe in eternal rain, Seattle-style? You got it. The power is in your hands, allowing you to showcase your urban masterpiece just the way you envision it.

 

8. Traffic Manager: President Edition 

As your city flourishes, so does the challenge of managing traffic. The intricate web of roads, bewildering 8-way intersections, pesky pedestrians complicating the flow, and the game’s AI quirks can quickly turn traffic into a mayor’s worst nightmare. Enter Traffic Manager, a mod that grants you the ultimate authority over your city’s road network.

Say goodbye to traffic congestion woes! With Traffic Manager, you gain complete control over road traffic, empowering you to tweak road restrictions for specific vehicles, set speed limits, and prioritize lanes effectively. Considered a must-have by many players, this mod will revolutionize the way you handle traffic and free you to focus on elevating your city’s skyline rather than resolving gridlock.

 

7. Precision Engineering

Every devoted city builder knows the struggle of achieving precise alignments and layouts, and that’s where Precision Engineering comes to the rescue. If a hint of OCD kicks in now and then, fret no more, as this mod fine-tunes Cities: Skylines’ building mechanics for roads, train lines, pipes, and power lines.

With added features designed to make your dreams come true, Precision Engineering grants you unprecedented control. Expect angle and distance measurements, snapping mechanisms, and guidelines to help you bring order and symmetry to your urban masterpiece. So go ahead, create the city you’ve always envisioned, where every element falls perfectly into place.

With these exceptional mods at your disposal, your Cities: Skylines journey is bound to reach new heights of creativity and efficiency. Embrace the power of Ultimate Eyecandy, Traffic Manager: President Edition, and Precision Engineering, and witness the transformation of your city-building experience. Happy building, Mayor!

 

6. Enhance Building Placement with Building Anarchy

If you’re an avid city-builder looking for more control over building placement, you must try out the Building Anarchy mod. In traditional city-building games, you often encounter predetermined requirements that must be met before you can place a building. For example, certain buildings may need to be located near roads or close to bodies of water. However, Building Anarchy revolutionizes this aspect of gameplay by providing you with complete control over placement modes and allowing you to change the requirements for any building.

With this mod installed, you can unleash your creativity without any restrictions. Imagine placing a magnificent football stadium right in the middle of a serene lake, or constructing a towering skyscraper on a tiny isolated island. Building Anarchy removes the shackles of conventional building placement and lets you experiment with unprecedented architectural designs.

 

5. Easily Locate Assets with Find It!

In the bustling metropolis of your city, it’s not uncommon to lose track of various assets amid the sea of people, buildings, and vehicles. Locating specific items quickly becomes a daunting task. But fear not, for Find It! is here to rescue you from the chaos!

Find It! is a simple yet indispensable mod for Cities: Skylines that significantly improves the game’s search features, granting you added functionality to efficiently find what you need. The mod works by meticulously scanning all assets present in your city and assigning them relevant tags based on their titles, descriptions, and other important details. This process creates a comprehensive database of all existing assets, making it easier for you to locate them at any given moment.

Whether you’re searching for a particular building, road type, or decorative element, Find It! will quickly become your go-to tool. Embrace the convenience of effortlessly tracking down assets in your sprawling cityscape.

4. Manage Your City Effectively with Watch It!

Keeping a megacity running smoothly requires staying on top of crucial statistics like water, electricity, education, and waste management. In the hustle and bustle of city life, tracking these vital metrics can be overwhelming. That’s where the Watch It! mod comes to your aid!

Watch It! is a game-changing quality of life mod for Cities: Skylines that grants you the power to access essential city management statistics with just a simple click of your mouse. It introduces a user-friendly taskbar, providing quick overviews of various vital aspects of your city’s functioning. Need to know the current water levels or electricity demand? Want to check on the status of education or garbage disposal? Watch It! has got you covered.

Not only does the mod present you with detailed information, but it also offers a color-coded visual representation, making it even easier to grasp the status of each statistic at a glance. No more tedious number-crunching or navigating through numerous menus; Watch It! streamlines your city management experience and allows you to focus on creating the thriving metropolis of your dreams.

Installing and using Watch It! is a breeze, making it an indispensable tool for any aspiring city mayor. Take advantage of this mod to gain quick macro insights into your city’s well-being and make informed decisions to lead your city towards prosperity.

 

3. Modern Townhouse

If you’re looking to add a touch of modernity to your Cities: Skylines metropolis, the Modern Townhouse mod by cbudd is an absolute gem. Inspired by the sleek design of a contemporary apartment building in Germany, this mod offers a refreshing alternative to the more traditional structures commonly found in the game.

The townhouse is ingeniously crafted with a small 2×3 footprint, yet it manages to incorporate three floors of living space. Talk about maximizing efficiency and style! To add to its appeal, the second and third floors come complete with charming little balconies, perfect for your virtual citizens to relax and enjoy the city views.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this mod is the incredible attention to detail. It’s evident that the creator poured considerable effort into making it visually stunning and architecturally authentic. The result is nothing short of astounding, bringing a contemporary flair to your city’s landscape. Whether you’re aiming to build a trendy urban neighborhood or an avant-garde commercial district, the Modern Townhouse mod will undoubtedly elevate the overall aesthetic of your city.

 

2. Street Market Props

The bustling atmosphere of a vibrant street market can breathe life into any city simulation, and the Street Market Props mod for Cities: Skylines does just that with flair and creativity. As a nod to the gaming community’s diverse interests, this mod brings the delightful French street kiosks from Bioshock Infinite right into your city.

With a wide array of choices, this mod offers a total of 100 unique props, including various carts for Asian delicacies, books, cheeses, flowers, seafood, and more. These colorful and lively market stalls add authenticity and charm to your urban landscape, making your virtual city feel like a bustling hub of activity.

What sets this mod apart is the meticulous attention to detail from the modder. They have gone the extra mile by creating their own props, giving you even more options to customize your market scene. The mod is conveniently divided into 17 different packs, allowing you to mix and match the kiosks and carts to suit your city’s specific vibe.

From charming awnings to bustling market workers, you have the freedom to personalize every aspect of your street market, adding character and uniqueness to your city. With the Street Market Props mod, you’ll create a dynamic, lively atmosphere that will captivate your virtual citizens and keep them coming back for more.

1. Bordered Skylines

Take a trip into the realm of artistic aesthetics with the Bordered Skylines mod, which brings a distinctive and eye-catching visual twist to Cities: Skylines. This creative tool borrows inspiration from the iconic art style of the Borderlands video game series, infusing your city with a touch of that signature cartoon-y charm.

Borderlands is renowned for its strikingly bold, comic book-style textures and well-defined outlines, making it instantly recognizable to gamers worldwide. Now, with the Bordered Skylines mod, you can bring this unique look to your city-building experience.

The mod introduces an “Edge Detection” feature that transforms the appearance of your city, enhancing the outlines of buildings, roads, and structures with a stylized, inked effect. It’s a remarkable way to give your city a whole new personality and make it stand out from the crowd.

Moreover, one of the beauties of the Bordered Skylines mod is its compatibility with various graphical mods. You have the freedom to experiment with different combinations, allowing you to create a truly customized and artistically captivating cityscape that suits your preferences.

By combining the engaging gameplay of Cities: Skylines with the captivating art style of Borderlands, the Bordered Skylines mod offers a refreshing and visually arresting experience for players looking to add an artistic flair to their urban creations.