So you're stuck staring at those grayed-out areas in Cities: Skylines 1, itching to build beyond those arbitrary borders? I get it completely. When I first played years ago, I spent weeks grinding milestones just to unlock one extra tile, only to realize my highway placement was fundamentally flawed. That sinking feeling? Yeah, let's fix that permanently.
Look, unlocking all 25 tiles shouldn't feel like climbing Mount Everest. Whether you're planning a mega-city or just hate artificial barriers, I'll walk you through every possible method to unlock all lands in Cities: Skylines 1. We'll cover vanilla gameplay tricks, debug mode secrets, and the best mods that actually work in 2024 (spoiler: some popular guides recommend outdated mods that crash modern systems).
Why Bother Unlocking All Lands Anyway?
Beyond the obvious freedom, here's what changes when you unlock everything:
✓ Realistic City Planning
No more squeezing industrial zones beside waterfalls because you ran out of space.
✓ Fix Early Mistakes
That misplaced sewage outflow poisoning your water supply? Relocate it properly.
✓ Specialized Districts
Dedicated farming towns, mountain resorts, or industrial harbors become possible.
⚠️ Performance Hit
My mid-range PC groaned at 25 tiles with mods. Expect frame drops.
⚠️ Overwhelming Scale
Blank canvas syndrome is real. I abandoned three cities before finishing one.
⚠️ Broken Milestones
Unlocking everything trivializes population goals. Kinda kills progression.
How Land Unlocks Normally Work
By default, you start with one tile. As your population grows, you hit milestones unlocking more tiles:
| Milestone | Population Required | Tiles Unlocked | Total Tiles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worthy Village | 480 | 2 | 3 |
| Tiny Town | 1,050 | 2 | 5 |
| Boom Town | 4,200 | 3 | 8 |
| Busy Town | 8,500 | 3 | 11 |
| Big Town | 14,000 | 3 | 14 |
| Small City | 24,000 | 3 | 17 |
| Big City | 38,000 | 3 | 20 |
| Grand City | 65,000 | 5 | 25 |
Reaching 65,000 residents takes forever if you're detail-oriented like me. My first city hit 30k before traffic paralyzed everything. Had I known these tricks earlier...
The Debug Menu Method (No Mods Required)
This is my go-to method when testing layouts. It uses the built-in developer console – no downloads, no mod conflicts. Works on Steam/Epic versions.
Step-by-Step Activation
First, enable the developer console:
-- Check "Enable Developer Mode" (bottom of panel)
-- Save changes and load your city
Now in-game, do this:
-- A gray console appears at top-left
-- Type "unlock all" exactly (no quotes) and hit Enter
-- Close console with same keyboard combo
Boom! All 25 tiles instantly purchasable. No cash cost, no population requirements. But here's what nobody tells you...
⚠️ Critical Notes:
- Disables achievements for that save file permanently
- May cause graphical glitches on some maps (fixed by reloading)
- Doesn't reveal resource views unless you buy tiles
- My experience: Use new saves only. Corrupted two cities combining this with mods.
Mod Solutions for Unlocking Lands
If debug mode feels too "cheaty," mods offer balanced alternatives. After testing 20+ options, these two actually work in 2024:
1. 81 Tiles Mod (Updated Fork)
The original mod broke years ago. This revived version unlocks ALL 81 tiles – yes, beyond vanilla limits. Crazy? Absolutely. But perfect for those epic river delta projects. Requires Harmony mod as dependency.
2. Purchase It! Mod
My personal favorite for flexibility. Instead of unlocking everything, it lets you buy any tile anytime for increasing costs. Early tiles cost pennies, later ones millions. Feels fairer than free unlocks. Find it on Steam Workshop (ID: 1619685021).
| Mod Name | Method | Performance Impact | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81 Tiles 2 | Unlock all 81 tiles instantly | High (not for weak PCs) | Mega-city builders |
| Purchase It! | Buy any tile anytime | Low | Balanced gameplay |
| Unlock All + Free Land (Obsolete) | Broken since 2020 | N/A | Avoid - causes crashes |
Fun story: I once spent 6 hours troubleshooting crashes only to realize an "unlock all lands" mod conflicted with my traffic AI. Lesson learned: subscribe to mods before starting a city.
Essential Settings After Unlocking
Unlocking lands is step one. Don't wreck your city like I did with these oversights:
Budget Adjustments
Suddenly managing 25 tiles? Your budget will hemorrhage. Bump taxes to 12% immediately and pause non-essential services until stabilized.
Infrastructure Priorities
In my failed coastal city, I expanded westward first. Bad move. Focus expansion toward:
- Resource-rich areas (oil, ore)
- Highway connections
- Flat terrain (unless you enjoy terraforming bills)
Disaster Prevention
Unlocked lands contain hidden disasters. Enable "Disaster Detection" in options or risk meteors obliterating your new suburbs.
Why Didn't My Unlock Work?
Common fixes for stubborn situations:
Fix: Verify keyboard shortcuts in Options > Keymapping
Problem: Tiles unlocked but can't build
Fix: Roads might not connect. Check for microscopic gaps.
Problem: Game crashes after using mod
Fix: Remove deprecated mods like "All Areas Purchasable"
FAQs: City Skylines 1 Land Unlocking
Q: Will unlocking all lands disable achievements?
A: Yes, with debug console. Mods don't affect achievements.
Q: Can I unlock lands on PlayStation/Xbox?
A: Only through milestones. No console commands or mods on consoles.
Q: My city has 70k population but only 20 tiles. Bug?
A: Check if you've actually purchased tiles. Unlocking ≠ purchasing.
Q: Best map for large expansions?
A: "Seven Lakes" has the flattest contiguous space. Avoid mountainous maps.
Q: Any downside to 81 tiles mod?
A: Massive RAM usage. Don't install if you have under 16GB RAM.
Final Thoughts From a Seasoned Mayor
Look, I've poured 800+ hours into Cities: Skylines 1. While unlocking everything feels empowering, it can suck the challenge dry. My advice? Use debug mode for testing concepts, then play properly with milestones or mods that maintain progression.
Sometimes constraints breed creativity. That cramped downtown with overlapping metro lines? Turned out better than my sprawling suburban mess. But when you absolutely need to tame that entire coastline for your mega-port, now you know every trick to unlock all lands in Cities Skylines 1 without tears.
Keep building, mayor.
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