Soviet city builder Workers and Resources heads to the 1930s in new DLC

Even if you aren’t feeling Cities Skylines 2 right now, there are plenty of options available in the city-building space. Captain of Industry has a big overhaul with trains and space travel. City Tales puts a medieval spin on proceedings. Transport Fever 3 is on the way. And now, 20th-century city builder Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic is winding back the clock with its new Early Start DLC, which lets you approach your construction from an all-new era.

The new Early Start expansion for Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic does exactly what the title suggests: you’ll be able to begin your campaigns in either the 1930s, ’40s, or ’50s alongside the later decades offered in the base game. That of course gives you more time to enjoy the city-building game to its fullest, while also implementing alternative, period-appropriate car, train, plane, ship, and building types. In total, Early Start includes more than 90 extra vehicles across new designs and variants.

With the time shift, there’s a greater focus on coal, which you’ll need for everything from construction to transportation. On the building side, you’ll have to rely on more old-fashioned designs at first, which might be easier to get up and running but are likely to be less efficient, produce more pollution, and offer a worse throughput than their modern counterparts. That, however, should only serve to highlight the value of such technological advancements as you progress far enough to unlock them.

The alternative timelines and additions can be used with maps across the base game and both the World Maps and Biomes DLC. Alongside that, Early Start introduces two new maps, Moscow and St Petersburg. Perhaps one of the nicest features here is the decision to start with a pre-existing population, constructed but empty buildings, or a complete blank slate, meaning you’re able to skip over some of that laborious initial setup if you wish.

The Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic – Early Start DLC is out now on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store priced at $19.99 / £17.99. Buy it before Thursday June 5 and get a 10% discount, meaning you’ll pay $17.99 / £16.19 instead. Head back to the 1930s here if you think you’re up to the task.

For even more tycoon-style organization, here are the best management games on PC. Fancy an even more broad and in-depth simulation? Try one of the best grand strategy games we recommend in 2025.

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