My passion for city-building games goes back, in my memory, to 1989 with Sim City. I was just a kid, fascinated by the idea of building a city from scratch, watching it breathe, grow, and sometimes fall apart. Since then, I’ve never really stopped.

I went through Theme Park, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Transport Tycoon, CitiesXL, Planet Coaster, Transport Fever... basically anything that let me create worlds that felt rich and alive. What I love are the details: people going to work, buses crossing paths, districts slowly coming to life. That’s where the magic happens.

Then Cities: Skylines came along in 2015, and everything changed. I discovered the power of custom assets. A revelation. I realized that with just a few well-crafted buildings, a familiar façade, a bit of greenery in the right spot, you could give a neighborhood real soul. Not just a functional city, but one with something to say. And of course, I wanted to make my own.

In real life, my name is Chris, a graphic designer based in Bordeaux. But in the world of Cities: Skylines, most people know me as Gruny. I started creating assets in 2018: just three cubes and a flat roof. Nothing fancy. Small shops, simple buildings you could place with MoveIt. But, to my surprise, the community loved it. Other creators gave me tips, I learned, I improved. And above all, I got a huge kick out of seeing my creations appear in other people’s cities.

Since then, my assets have evolved — and so have I. I’ve gained skill, precision, and a sharper eye for detail. But what keeps me going is always the same: seeing my creations come to life in players’ cities around the world. That’s the true reward.

Today, I’m lucky enough to work closely with Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive. I’ve contributed to the French and Dutch regional packs, and created my own pack, Leisure Venues.

These projects allowed me to get hands-on with the complexity of Cities: Skylines 2, to understand its mechanics, and to push the level of detail even further.

My goal hasn’t changed: to create assets that make your cities more believable, more alive, and more human.