I wonder how much of our focus on growth in 'city builder' games stems from the US's past with colonization, and its current cultural heft. if the americas and 'virgin' (i.e. easily depopulated) areas existed, would this concept be so popular?
I personally doubt it. The 4x play loop emerges naturally once you start to populate an empty map. There is also enough excuses about historic (pre medieval) colonialism that this give similar justification independent from whatever happened in the USA.
