The gameplay of SimCity 2013 is fairly similar to previous SimCity games. Zones are placed down, other buildings are placed to support them, and then taxes are collected.
Choosing a Region
The player must first choose a region; an area on a map, to place their city. They are in predefined spots on pre-baked maps and of a set size. They must then build roads, connecting to the road that will always come into the city from outside, and place zones along these roads.
Zones
The three types of zones are residential, commercial and industrial. Residential is where people live, commercial where people buy things but also work, and industrial is where things are produced for sale by employing people. A balance must be kept between them for things to go smoothly.
Once they are placed, other things are needed. A water source, a fire station, police station, electricity, medical center, government buildings and aesthetic buildings should all be on the list for improving the zones' conditions, and they are all rather specific. Use combinations of them to do what you wish in the city, whether it is to have sewage bursting out of the pipes, to have a town so green it makes others green with envy, or even an educationally focused metropolis.
That is the basic gist of the gameplay; place zones, build roads, and build other buildings, which will have varying effects, and you will be able to shape the piece of land into virtually whatever you want.
