With the exception of a couple of poker apps and puzzle games, it's rare I ever play games on my phone: I stick to my PC and Steam Deck for nearly all of my gaming needs. But yesterday I noticed that the city building mobile game Pocket City 2 had launched earlier this month, and I decided to try it out on my iPhone.city builder.
The first hint that you're not just a god-like being looking down at the city from above is that you get to design your own mayoral avatar when you start playing. Choose your looks, pick out your clothing, and pop a fancy little top hat on your head. There are a few city builders on PC that let you walk around in your own city—Anno 1800, Cities: Skylines , and the upcoming, for instance. But Pocket City 2 takes it to an entirely different level. It basically adds The Sims- or Animal Crossing-style play to the city builder experience, with a little bit of GTA thrown in.
You can visit lots of other stores, too, either by walking up to them in avatar mode or by tapping them from the city view. If you visit a hardware store, you can buy items like a fishing rod or a hammer, and then go catch fish or repair any sections of road that have fallen into disrepair.