SimCity Societies was released in 2007, and received mixed reviews, with praise for the game's improved accessibility and visuals, but criticism for being oversimplified and having poor performance.

[3] Prior to its release, when mentioning the depth to which the game would allow customization, a Tilted Mill Entertainment representative stated that those who were proficient in C# and XML will be able to easily edit the gameplay.

[13] 1Up.com compared the same PC version to The Sims series and described the gameplay as being "addictive enough" and having "the pervasive sensation that your city is a single entity" with features, such as achievement awards, to keep players interested.

[11] GamePro described the same PC version as excessively "simplified" and "exceptionally easy" with "frame-rate woes".

[15] GameSpy's review concluded that the PC version "may be enjoyable" to casual users, but it lacks the depth of gameplay for "hardcore" gamers.

[16] IGN described the gameplay as "too arbitrary" and "confusing" and also commented on the lack of connection between sim happiness and "societal values".

The review criticized the lack of realism in the gameplay, giving the example of fire stations making money for the city, but did go on to praise the game's visuals.

The review describes the game as more challenging than the original release of SimCity Societies, but "with just enough content to make it new".

Their review acknowledges IGN's criticism of the original game for lack of direction, and praises the expansion pack for improvements to the gameplay.

[33] 1Up.com also criticised the game's poor performance and described the expansion pack as redundant to the patches available for SimCity Societies.