Simon LeonardWhether you’ve got dreams of becoming a real estate tycoon, planning out your own town to be better than it is right now, or just total world domination, there are plenty of games out there that can help you realize that dream – in the online world at least. The housing market can be an intimidating place for anyone who isn’t a millionaire, and the city planning sector is a nightmare even for the people who know what they’re doing. So whilst we wouldn’t dream of quashing your career dreams, we can suggest a handful of games that will help you experience what the job might be like without quite so much of hard work.
Empire Reels
There’s perhaps nowhere on Earth where the sprawl of a city is quite as exciting as in New York. The Big Apple is a true behemoth of human achievement, and Empire Reels has managed to capture it in all its glory. This game takes the form of a slots online game, meaning it’s simple to understand and quick to get started with. Not only this, but it’s browser-based, too, so there’s no download necessary. The slot takes a classic approach, with spinning reels where you must match the symbols to win prizes.
There are some wildz modifiers, too; if you land on them, you can unlock some special features, but we won’t spoil the surprise as it’s more fun to find out about them yourself. The graphics are really beautiful in this game, with neon lights that almost buzz and skyscrapers that exude the very essence of New York architecture. Whilst this game doesn’t require you to have a degree in city planning, it will certainly provide an inspirational break from your studies.
Sim City 4
You can always count on any of The Sims titles to be endlessly playable, and every single installment lives up to the hype. While the original will appeal to fans of retro-style gaming, the newest edition of Sim City 4 has all of the great production qualities of the newer Sims games with plenty of their sense of humor too. It was released back in 2003, but you’d never guess from playing it. The graphics are flawless, and the gameplay is sufficiently complex to be engaging but not so confusing that it’s off-putting. You will take the role of the mayor of a brand-new city, meaning it’s up to you to make sure that everything works as it should.
You’ll need to zone areas as commercial, residential, and industrial and in the right ratios to ensure steady growth in your city. You’ll have to think about taxes, too, to ensure that you’re attracting the right sort of people and so that you can raise enough money to provide a good infrastructure for them. Plenty of green space, organic farming, excellent education, as well as a hospital, police, and fire service will make sure that people want to move to your area, whilst heavy industrial areas, polluting sewage works, and a lack of facilities will see people refusing to pay taxes or, worse, leaving the city. This game is great fun and has lots of chaotic extras (think tornados and alien invasions), which keeps gameplay feeling fresh forever.
Civilization VI
Some people enjoy the softly softly approach to city planning, whilst others would rather take the slash-and-burn route. If you’re of the latter camp, then you might enjoy heading back to the dawn of civilization and proving yourself over all other leaders. This game is on its sixth installment now and still has the great game developer Sid Meier at the helm.
Civilization VI asks you to take the role of one of the great leaders from history and forge an entirely new civilization for your country. You win the game by either becoming the greatest scientific success, converting everybody to your belief system, claiming the most land as your own, or being the greatest cultural attraction. Whilst it sounds simple, the gameplay is fiendishly complex, encouraging you to thoroughly understand each step before diving in.
James Gordan
Simon Leonard