Cytopia vs LinCity-NG
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cytopia | LinCity-NG |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Game Servers | Game Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,166 | ★ 634 |
| First released | 2018 | 2005 |
| Replaces | SimCity | SimCity |
What are Cytopia and LinCity-NG?
Cytopia
Cytopia is a free, open-source retro city-building simulation game with isometric pixel graphics. It is built to be moddable and runs on desktop platforms for offline play.
- Isometric city building
- Moddable game engine
- Retro pixel art style
- Cross-platform desktop
LinCity-NG
LinCity-NG is a free, open-source city simulation game where players manage a sustainable economy and population. It offers a single-player sandbox that can be packaged for shared hosting in community builds.
- City economy simulation
- Sustainability mechanics
- Sandbox gameplay
- Cross-platform
Cytopia vs LinCity-NG: key differences
Both projects are written in C++. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Cytopia versus GPL-2.0 for LinCity-NG. LinCity-NG is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cytopia. LinCity-NG is the more established project (first released 2005), while Cytopia arrived in 2018. Cytopia has the considerably larger community, at 2,166 GitHub stars versus 634.
Why pick each one
Choose Cytopia if…
- Lightweight and fun
- Easy to mod
Watch out for
- Still in development
- Single-player only
Choose LinCity-NG if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Cytopia or LinCity-NG better?
Neither is universally better. Cytopia has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cytopia and LinCity-NG free and open-source?
Yes. Cytopia is licensed under GPL-3.0 and LinCity-NG under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cytopia and LinCity-NG with Docker?
Cytopia: check the project docs for container support. LinCity-NG: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Cytopia or LinCity-NG?
LinCity-NG has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Cytopia. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.