Survival Mode

The new Survival mode offers a unique and refreshing gameplay experience that is markedly different from the base game. The player will assume the daunting task of building a city from the ground up.

The small population of a new city will put enormous stress on all retail and production businesses. The strategies required for overcoming the challenges during the city’s initial growth phase will be radically different from what you are familiar with in the base game.

To successfully grow your cities and ultimately build your nation into an economic powerhouse, you must learn new strategies and execute them flawlessly.

How to enable the Survival Mode

To enable the Survival mode, open the DLC menu and enable the [Survival Mode] option as shown below.

When Survival Mode is enabled, the following additional options appear in the menu:

Developed City at the Beginning
Determines whether the game starts with an already developed city. Starting without a developed city makes the game significantly more challenging, as you must build everything from the ground up.

First City Population
This option becomes available when Developed City at the Beginning is enabled. It sets the initial population of the first city in Survival Mode, expressed as a percentage of the normal population used in standard game mode.

Gameplay Mechanism Explained

The gameplay for this City Economic Simulation DLC focuses on building a nation from the ground up.

You will see the following screen when you start a new game with the Survival Mode enabled.

Special Settings in Survival Mode

Survival Mode introduces several unique gameplay conditions:

Most products start locked and require reinvention
Only products in the Food and Beverage mega class and products in which your company has expertise are available from the beginning.

Competing Nation’s Population Display
The population of an imagined “competing nation” is shown at the top of the screen, allowing you to compare its growth against your own. Its purpose is to give players a stronger sense of competitive pressure.

Additional Differences When Using the City Economic Simulation DLC

When the City Economic Simulation DLC is enabled, Survival Mode applies an additional adjustment:

  • AI Company Limit: The maximum number of AI companies is capped at 20, reflecting the early‑stage reality that few firms are willing to invest in a nation during its initial phase of development.