SimCity BuildIt Contest of Mayors Guide
SimCity BuildIt Contest of Mayors Guide
The Contest of Mayors is the biggest weekly competition in SimCity BuildIt, and this SimCity BuildIt Contest of Mayors guide explains how it works, how to climb leagues, and what you can win. It is also the best official source of SimCash and Platinum Keys each week, according to community guides. If you want those currencies without paying, the contest is where you earn them.
How the contest works
The Contest of Mayors unlocks at level 11. You open it from the Contest of Mayors tower. Each contest lasts seven days, and you compete against 99 other mayors randomly selected around your level. You complete assignments — produce items, upgrade buildings, collect taxes, launch disasters, and similar normal play — to earn Plumbob points, Mayor’s Pass points and Event Points. After seven days you are rewarded based on your finishing place in your league.
The six leagues
There are six leagues, each with better prizes than the last: Neighborhood, Suburban, Town, City, Metropolis and Megalopolis. When you first start you are placed in Neighborhood League. Finish in the promotion zone and you move up a league. Finish in the demotion zone and you move down. In Megalopolis there is no promotion zone and no demotion zone. Community guides list the Neighborhood promotion zone as positions 1–30, with staying positions 31–100 and no demotion, and Suburban promotion as 1–30, staying 31–80, demotion 81–100. Exact zones for higher leagues vary, so check the league screen in the game for the current season.
Assignments and points
Assignments are how you earn points. Community guides report assignments ranging from 560 to 5,040 Plumbob points and 895 to 2,905 Mayor’s Pass points, unless it is a double-point week, when Mayor’s Pass points double. There are three types of points: Plumbobs (green diamonds, earned by completing assignments), Mayor’s Pass points (which advance your Mayor’s Pass), and Event Points. Pick assignments that match what your city already needs — producing items you are already making, or upgrading homes you were going to upgrade anyway. Doing unrelated assignments just to climb wastes production and storage.
Rewards
The Contest of Mayors is described by community guides as the best way to earn large amounts of SimCash and Platinum Keys each week. Rewards can include Seasonal Currency, Platinum Keys, SimCash, Golden Keys, Simoleons and Speed-Up Tokens. The prize tier depends on your finishing position: Grand Prize, Big Prize, Medium Prize, Small Prize or no prize, with the position ranges tightening as you climb leagues. In Neighborhood League, for example, community guides list Grand Prize for positions 1–5, Big Prize for 6–15, Medium for 16–30, Small for 31–70 and no prize for 71–100. Higher leagues pay better prizes for fewer top places, so climbing leagues matters more than winning one week in a low league.
Golden Tickets
Golden Tickets let you take extra assignments. Community guides report earning them through Mayor’s Pass and by reaching new ranks, with a reported 200,000 Plumbob points for a new rank. Use Golden Tickets on high-point assignments that fit your city, not on low-point tasks. Save them for the days when you have time to play properly — a ticket spent on an assignment you cannot finish is wasted.
Strategy: play your city, not the leaderboard
The best contest advice from experienced players is simple: prioritise assignments that align with your current upgrade goals, and do not do unrelated tasks just to climb. A contest week spent making items you need anyway earns points and progress at the same time. A week spent chasing points on items you do not need earns points and a full storage of useless goods. Plan your upgrades around the contest, not the other way round.
FAQ
When does Contest of Mayors unlock?
At level 11, according to the game wiki.
How long does a Contest of Mayors last?
Seven days per contest.
How many mayors are in a contest?
You compete against 99 other mayors, in a group of 100 around your level.
How do I get promoted in Contest of Mayors?
Finish in the promotion zone of your league. In Neighborhood League that is reported as positions 1–30.
What rewards does Contest of Mayors give?
Seasonal Currency, Platinum Keys, SimCash, Golden Keys, Simoleons and Speed-Up Tokens, depending on league and finishing position.
For the seasonal rewards that run alongside the contest, read our Mayor’s Pass guide in this series, and start at our homepage.