SimCity BuildIt Happiness and Services Guide
SimCity BuildIt Happiness and Services Guide
Happiness decides whether your city grows or shrinks, and this SimCity BuildIt happiness and services guide explains the eight essential services and how to use them. Happy neighbourhoods attract more residents, according to EA Help. If citizens are not happy, they abandon their homes and leave town. Every service you build is really a happiness decision.
The eight essential services
EA Help lists eight main areas of Essential Services: government buildings, basic services (power, water, sewage and waste), and emergency services (fire, police and health). Each one has a coverage area. If a home is outside the coverage of a service it needs, that home is unhappy. Check coverage by selecting the Government icon in the Services menu, according to EA Help, to see how happy each zone is. The smiley face happiness counter on the left of your screen shows your overall happiness — if it is not green and smiling, something is missing.
Power, water, sewage and waste
Power and water are the first services every home needs. As your city grows, demand rises and you need more capacity — bigger power plants, more water towers, and upgraded sewage and waste facilities. Place power plants and water towers so they cover homes while keeping pollution away from residential areas. Factories and some power plants pollute, and polluted homes are unhappy homes. Keep utilities close enough to cover, far enough not to pollute.
Fire, police and health
Fire stations, police stations and hospitals protect residents and keep them happy. Place them centrally in dense areas so their coverage circles overlap the most homes. Community guides recommend placing fire and police stations near busy and commercial areas to cut response times and reduce crime and fire risk. Hospitals and schools improve health and education, which boosts desirability. If a home is outside fire, police or health cover, it will complain — check the opinion bubbles over homes to see what residents are asking for.
Specializations add happiness
Specializations — parks, education, transport, entertainment, landmarks, worship, beach, mountain and gambling — add an extra layer of happiness on top of essential services. Parks and plazas near homes are the cheapest way to lift happiness in a neighbourhood. A home next to a park is happier than the same home next to a factory, and happier homes hold more people and pay more tax. Use specializations to lift the areas where homes are already built, not just in new districts.
What to do when citizens are unhappy
Tap the opinion bubbles over homes to learn what residents want. The bubble tells you the missing service or the problem — no power, no water, no police cover, too much pollution, too much traffic. Fix the specific problem the bubble names, not a random service. If several homes complain about the same thing, that service is the bottleneck for the whole area. Upgrade or add that service before you build more homes. Read our guide: How to Keep Citizens Happy in SimCity BuildIt.
Growth vs happiness
Do not build homes faster than services can support. A common beginner mistake is to build many homes at once, watch population jump, then watch it fall as unhappy residents leave. Build a few homes, add the services they need, check happiness, then build more. Slow, happy growth beats fast, unhappy growth every time, because abandoned homes earn nothing and cost Simoleons to rebuild.
FAQ
How do I keep citizens happy in SimCity BuildIt?
Cover homes with power, water, sewage, waste, fire, police and health, and add parks and specializations nearby.
How do I check happiness in SimCity BuildIt?
Check the smiley face counter on the left of your screen, and select the Government icon in the Services menu to see happiness per zone, according to EA Help.
Why are my citizens leaving?
Usually a missing service, pollution from factories or power plants, or traffic problems. Tap opinion bubbles to see the exact complaint.
Do parks increase happiness?
Yes. Parks, plazas and specializations near homes boost happiness and desirability.
Should I build services before homes?
Build services alongside homes, and check coverage before adding a new neighbourhood. Homes without services will not stay happy.
Start at our homepage — and read our best layouts guide on this site for how to place services efficiently.