For fans of city-building simulator games, the dream of recreating the classic SimCity experience on mobile has been something of a mixed bag. Loads of titles have been released on the App Store, but a lot of them are IAP-ridden money sinkholes, including the official game.

The popularity of the original Pocket City ($3) by indie developer Bobby Li showed that there was a robust interest in this sort of thing, especially the bit where you pay an upfront price and get access to the full game — no sneaky unlocks or microtransactions required.

Now he's outdone himself with the release of its sequel, Pocket City 2.

Where the first game was played purely from a top-down perspective, this one takes place in a fully 3D where you can actually zoom down to street level with your customized mayor avatar and freely roam and explore your town, enjoy a bunch of interactive mini-games, become a homeowner yourself, and have a hand in various events like hosting block parties or surviving natural disasters.

Take a couple minutes and watch the trailer to see what I'm talking about:

Like the previous title, everything in Pocket City 2 is unlocked purely by playing the game, not nickel-and-diming your bank account. Simply completing quests, finding loot, and competing against rival towns is how you will progress. There's not a single in-app purchase to speak of beyond the initial $5 price point. Value, baby!

Your five bucks goes a long way too, given the amount of depth in the game. You've got a day/night cycle, changing seasons, the ability to create different zones (residential / commercial / industrial) to boost your city's economy, mega-projects to invest in, and plenty of metrics to track and optimize:

(For some city design inspiration, check out these winning contest submissions by various game players, all of which can be accessed in-game!)

Moreover, you can invite a friend to collaborate on your city in real-time, get creative in the Sandbox Mode, and play in either landscape or portrait orientation. I'm honestly a bit surprised it doesn't cost more than it does.

Get Pocket City 2 for $5 on the App Store or from the Google Play Store. Happy city-building! ?️?