EntranceTop games about trading. Economic online strategies
Hello friends! Here I decided to describe the best and most popular economic strategies for PC. For reference, a city planning simulator is a game in which you can build one or more cities, or even entire planets, various buildings in it, and so on. The economic strategy of the German school is a game genre in which there is a large production chain. There are primary, secondary and tertiary resources. For example, having collected wheat, you must create flour from it, and create bread from flour.
Most city planning strategies have an economic component; you constantly need to monitor the income and expenses of your city. settlements or planets. If you have other games of this genre in mind, write in the comments, I will definitely add them to the list if they are interesting.
SimCity 2000
Release date: 1994
Genre: City planning simulator
SimCity 2000 is the second part of the SimCity series. The first part of the game was released on the console in 1989 and marked the beginning of a new genre - a city planning simulator. The game gained great popularity and therefore a sequel was released. In SimCity, the player usually does not have a specific goal, upon reaching which the game ends. The player controls the city, acting as the mayor. He is given the opportunity to collect taxes, build city buildings and pave roads.
Of course, not all aspects of city life are in the hands of the mayor - he cannot, for example, order where to build private buildings, but can only plan the territory, dividing it into commercial, residential and industrial zones. These zones are subsequently built up by city residents. If the attractiveness of a given zone in the eyes of urban residents is low (which may be due to high taxes in this area or insufficient development of other urban zones), it will not be developed.
The mayor has the ability to construct city-owned buildings, primarily power plants, police stations, fire stations, hospitals, schools and colleges, as well as buildings related to the city's water supply system, and so on.
SimCity 3000
Genre: city building simulator
SimCity 3000 is the third part of the series that has undergone major changes in terms of landscape graphics. The player, as the mayor, has more troubles than the first two parts. Now, in addition to solving issues of taxes and population satisfaction, there are problems with city pollution and garbage disposal, power plants lose their usefulness with age. The number and complexity of urban services increased, and agricultural and industrial structures appeared.
Distributing and earning money is an important part of the game. When constructing new buildings and areas in the city, it is worth considering the cost of land or land. The game now offers the opportunity to make commercial transactions not only in your own city, but also with neighboring cities. The worries of the townspeople and natural disasters will constantly distract you from the construction and development of your city. It is necessary to increase the salaries of teachers, otherwise child crime will increase, to provide doctors to avoid an epidemic in the city. And police firefighters and other city employees will not allow you to wastefully use the city budget. The game SimCity 3000 can be called a complete simulator of city development.
SimCity 4
Genre: City planning simulator
The game allows players to use map modification to create a more convenient building site or to create a beautiful and unique landscape. Players can divide the city's land into special zones: residential, commercial, industrial, as well as create and maintain social security, transport, and utilities. In order for the city to develop successfully, players must manage finances, monitor the environment, and maintain the necessary quality of life for its residents.
SimCity 4 introduced a day/night cycle and other special effects that were not present in previous games in the SimCity series. There are also external tools that allow you to modify buildings. As in previous games in the series, the player plays the role of the mayor, who is tasked with the settlement and development of cities, which in the regional viewing mode act as individual sections or districts of the region. The player can choose any site to develop a city on.
The game also has three modes: God, Mayor, and Sim. In god mode, the player can completely change the landscape on which the city will be built and cause natural disasters. In mayor mode, the player is engaged in building the city and managing its economy and population. In Sim mode, the player creates characters in a rebuilt city who go to work, study, give birth to children, and so on. The game has additions SimCity 4: Rush Hour, SimCity Societies.
SimCity 5
Genre: G joy building simulator
As in previous versions, the key task of SimCity is city building. The player acts as a mayor - he is determined by his specialization and acts in such a way as to create a successful metropolis with happy residents. The game begins with the construction of infrastructure, zoning and provision of resources: Electricity, water, waste removal. As the population, capital, and construction of certain types of buildings grow, new opportunities will open up for the player.
The new version of SimCity is distinguished by deep elaboration: Curved roads, district zoning, visual and audio effects. Zone types will include residential, commercial and industrial. In addition, they created so-called constructed worlds. They allow you to plan your city and provide flexible settings for special buildings due to their modularity.
Anno 1602: Creation of a New World
Release date: 1998
Genre: Economic strategy of the German school, urban planning strategy
From the very name of the game it should immediately become clear that the actions take place starting in 1602. The player must expand the possessions of a European nation and to do this, he must first colonize the island by rebuilding on it and developing the economy. As players progress, they are given the opportunity to colonize more and more islands.
Anno 1602 has the ability to create cities to your liking. The game is mostly economic, but sometimes you have to fight to defend your colony. As the population increases, new opportunities open up. Buildings and ships can be graded to improve their characteristics. The main task is to completely colonize the islands and increase the population.
Anno 1503: The New World
Genre:
Continuation of the Anno game series. The same gameplay remains. The player first looks for a small island, then looks for resources for the development of the state, and only after all this the development starts, houses are built, then districts, then entire cities. Created trade routes, established economic and military ties - all this will increase the chance of final victory. The population segments are the same as in the 1602 version: townspeople, merchants, aristocrats, settlers and pioneers.
The player will find authentic buildings of the 16th century - more than 350 different buildings. Detailed development of cities and infrastructure. Many different climatic zones with unique characteristics and features - from chilly tundras to hot tropics and deserts. Trade and diplomatic relations: from peaceful economic cooperation to military expansion. 4 types of combat units and 26 upgrades. The player can choose the path of economic or military development.
Anno 1701
Genre: economic strategy of the German school, urban planning simulator
Anno 1701 is the third part of the series. As in the first two parts, we land on the island, begin to extract resources, build a village and develop the economy. A wide variety of buildings and combat units. Diverse multi-level production chain of resources (there are primary, secondary and tertiary resources).
The graphics have been improved and the economic component of the game is developed by achieving certain goals in your state. To ensure the transition from one level to another, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for residents of the current level, as well as to reach a certain number of residents. Comfortable conditions are created by providing residents with a full range of goods, the construction of public buildings (such as schools, churches, theaters) and a reasonable level of taxation.
Anno 1404
Genre: Economic strategy of the German school, urban planning simulator
As in previous parts, the main thing in the game is construction, economic development, increasing and pleasing the population. An integral part is also trade, through which funds and missing raw materials are obtained. A large production chain of resources, a large selection of buildings, beautiful graphics and voluminous cities. The deferred cities amaze with their beauty.
The game world is divided into two culturally distinct zones. In Anno 1404, these zones were inspired, although without any claim to historical accuracy, by northwestern Renaissance Europe and the medieval Middle East, referred to as Europe and the Orient respectively. The most important difference from previous parts of the series is the need to build European and Eastern settlements simultaneously in order to ensure the progress of the population and expand construction capabilities. However, despite the ability to directly control the creation and development of Eastern settlements, the focus of the game remains on European settlements. The East remains Europe's trading partner, allowing its population to rise in class.
Anno 2070
Genre: Economic strategy of the German school, urban planning simulator
Anno 2070 - takes us into the future to 2070, which has its own alternative history of human development. Human influence on nature has caused climate change on the planet, which is why the seas began to flood the land. The player will have to build huge megacities on the remnants of the earth's land, economically using the planet's natural resources.
Build giant cities on huge islands and explore new possibilities of the underwater world
Industry or ecology? For the first time, you can choose between two unique playable factions: Tycoons and Ecos. Endless game mode without ending, you can tirelessly improve your creation.
Caesar III
Release date: 2003
Genre: Economic strategy, City planning simulator,
A mixture of economic strategy and urban planning simulator. The game takes place during the dawn of the Roman Empire. The player takes possession of a small plot of land and begins to develop his own civilization, which will be able to compete with neighboring city-powers.
The game provides wide political and economic opportunities, and each new task can be completed in two ways - using diplomacy or brute military force. Caesar III is a classic city-planning strategy that stood at the origins of the genre.
Industry Giant II
Release date: 2003
Genre:
The second part of a business and logistics simulator. The game is set in a time frame from 1900 to 1980, and the player plays the role of a young businessman who must develop his production, using limited capital and being in a compressed time frame.
During the passage, the player will develop his own business: expand production, build new stores, look for new markets, build logistics routes, etc. As incomes rise and the output of goods increases, the surrounding cities will also develop.
Cities XL
Genre:
Cities XL is a city planning simulator similar in gameplay to the games described above: regulate the economy and take care of the needs of residents, engage in construction and improvement. The player's main task is to create a successful metropolis. The game combines elements of economic strategy; it will be necessary to control the expenses and income of the city, which are constantly in short supply.
An interesting feature of the game is the division of the population of your city into social strata. There are rich, poor, and middle peasants. Each social layer has its own needs. The rich can live only in elite areas of the city, so in order to increase taxes and the budget it is necessary to create an elite area and create all the conditions for this. Support for the poor is needed, for example, the availability of work for them.
Cities XL 2011
Genre: Economic strategy, city planning simulator
Cities XL 2011-the second part of the series, as in the first part, you need to build a successful metropolis and satisfy the city residents. Just like in the first part, much attention in the game is paid to the social strata of society. There are 4 classes: unskilled workers, skilled workers, administrators (service personnel) and elite.
Different social strata themselves decide where to live, it all depends on whether you have created comfortable conditions. For example, if there are not enough security, police stations or other buildings in an area, then the elite will never settle in it. Among other things, you will need to deal with the city’s economy, monitor production, agriculture, and commerce in the city. Provide citizens with sports and
cultural leisure.
Cities XL 2012
Genre: Economic strategy, city planning simulator
Cities XL 2012 - continuation of the series. Made on the engine of its predecessor and has undergone very minor changes. New buildings and maps appeared, and some influences on the social strata of the population changed. But overall it's the same game with the same gameplay.
The game allows you to feel like a real city manager, balancing the economic and energy development of cities, forming transport infrastructure and planning housing construction, providing services and recreational opportunities to all residents. Cities XL 2012 features over 1,000 unique buildings across 60 massive, stunningly detailed 3D maps, making it the world's most realistic city builder.
Release date: 1994
Genre: E economic strategy of the German school
The Settlers - released back in the early 90s, gained great popularity and marked the beginning of the Settlers series of economic games. Already in those distant times, a simplified system of self-sufficient farming was born. In the game you will have to create an economy based on a closed society, providing itself with all resources and products.
At first glance, the economy in the game is simple. For example, to get logs, you just need to build a woodcutter's house and build a road to it. However, two problems arise here. First, the trees are running out. And secondly, the logs themselves, it seems, are not used. The first problem is solved by installing a forester’s house, which will plant new trees. And the second is the construction of a sawmill. And such problems with all industries (and there are many of them).
Genre: E
The Settlers II is all about resource gathering and settlement building; creation of an army and expansion in order to capture new sources of resources; attacking the enemy with the goal of intercepting access to resources or destroying his army and camp. The game has both economic and military components.
One of the most favorite strategy games. It won’t be possible to rivet more troops and destroy the enemy base here. Very thoughtful gameplay with many dependencies. German pedantry raised to the absolute level. Despite the fact that the game is not boring, but on the contrary, interesting. A carefully thought-out system of increasing difficulty smoothly leads to enlightenment, creating a competent game balance. Think, think and think again. Well, enjoy the beautiful, somewhat childish and cartoonish graphics.
Genre: Economic strategy of the German school, real-time strategy
As in the second Settlers, in Settlers III the goal of the game comes down to building a functioning economy aimed at producing soldiers and further capturing enemy territories with their help. A serious difference from its predecessor is the lack of roads. The player is asked to lead one of three nations: the Romans, the Asians (actually the Chinese) and the Egyptians on the path to world domination.
A significant part of the game is occupied by the construction and arrangement of buildings. To produce all buildings, stone and wood are required, as well as special construction units. All buildings in the game are divided into industrial and mining, agricultural, military and general. The first group includes buildings that extract natural resources, such as, for example, building materials or minerals (iron and coal) needed in the future for the production of troops.
Agricultural buildings include buildings used to produce food for miners, as well as alcoholic beverages sacrificed to the gods. The group of military buildings includes watchtowers, barracks, a shipyard, and a siege weapons workshop. The fourth group includes: residential buildings used for the production of porters, temples, a market and docks.
Genre: E economic strategy of the German school, real-time strategy
There are four races in The Settlers IV: Mayans, Vikings, Romans and Dark Tribe. In a single player game, you can go through the game campaign for each of the nations and play against the computer on a single map. Multiplayer allows players to fight each other, or play in the “free settle” mode, where you can develop your settlement without the threat of attack from the enemy.
The largest Russian game portal Absolute Games gave the game 90%. The reviewer noted the game's high-quality gameplay and beautiful graphics. Verdict: “As a result, we have Settlers 4 - an excellent, insanely playable, graphically perfect project. “Our Choice”, we highly recommend.
The Settlers: Rise of an Empire
Genre: economic strategy of the German school, real-time strategy
The player's goals in The Settlers: Rise of an Empire are the following: development of the economic infrastructure of a medieval settlement (construction of roads and buildings, extraction of raw materials, production of goods), strengthening and protecting fortress walls, caring for residents. The settlers have various needs that must be met or they will go on strike. The new world is divided into four climatic zones, where seasons and weather conditions change, which affects the efficiency of resource extraction and the speed of expansion of the empire.
Rise of an Empire introduced female settlers for the first time in the series. The population of cities directly depends on the number of marriages. Fairs are the best place to find brides and grooms; They also maintain trade relations with other countries, bring in substantial profits and entertain people. For the first time in the series, the Knight unit appears, reflecting the player’s leadership level. As a military unit, the Knight becomes a key condition for the development of the settlement and the completion of quests.
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom
Genre: German school economic strategy, real-time strategy, city planning simulator
The game has the same gameplay as presented in the latest 3D parts of The Settlers series. The player starts with a simple village and expands it sector by sector to eventually create his own kingdom. During this process, the player must organize production chains and build transport systems as correctly as possible.
In the game, the player is given the opportunity to choose between three unique development paths through which he can achieve victory: military, scientific and trade. Taking the traditional RTS military path of development, the player creates his own army and then, with the help of military might, defeat and destroy his enemies. Following the scientific path of development, the player must focus on researching technological improvements. And finally, following the trade path of development, the player will have to build his economy and try to capture the best trade routes that are on the world map. Whatever development path is chosen, unique units and capabilities will be available on it.
Tropico
Light of Altair takes us into the distant future. Planet Earth was destroyed after the third world war. The surviving countries concluded a truce agreement, but when the exploration of the planets of the solar system began, conflicts began over the colonies. Humanity is divided into several factions. The player will have to begin the exploration of the Moon, building power plants, hydroponic farms, and a laboratory. To extract minerals, improve the operation of buildings, and improve the fleet, it is necessary to master new technologies.
In addition to the construction and management parts, the game also has a combat component; orbital battles will occur regularly, as other factions will constantly try to recapture your colonies. Only you can decide to conduct diplomatic negotiations more often or conduct military operations. Light of Altair is a colony building simulator. The player will be entirely responsible for the construction of the colony, from landing to the complete settlement of the planet.
East India Company
Genre: Economic strategy, economic simulator
In economic conditions close to real ones, players need to establish trade in tea, porcelain and silks. You have to take on the role of a British merchant (merchant) who is busy with the difficult task of increasing trade between Britain and India. In addition to speculative relations, the player will need to compete with competitors from other countries, periodically turning relations into a state of war. The game is suitable for those who like to engage in constant barter in games, increasing wealth and using economic leverage over competitors.
The game is somewhat reminiscent of Anno. True, in order to rebuild the city you need to capture it. The game is suitable for those who love trading and sea battles. Overall the game is not bad, the slightly monotonous gameplay gets boring over time. Graphically beautiful and pleasant, but at the same time it incomprehensibly heats up the video card, although it does not shine with technological perfection.
Cities: Skylines
Release date: 2015 Latest version 2016
Genre: City planning simulator
City construction simulator. The game is a modern city planning simulator with special attention to small details. In addition to the standard construction of main buildings, Cities: Skylines will require laying communications, creating roads, electrifying buildings, etc.
The game has great capabilities in construction and infrastructure development. Initially, the player begins his journey from a small quarter, which can later grow into a multi-million metropolis. Also, the player must constantly monitor the parameters that affect the city residents and their mood.
Transport Fever
Release date: 2016
Genre: Economic simulator, management,
Economic strategy with elements of a logistics simulator. The game covers a wide time frame - from 1850 to 2050. During this period, the player will be able to go through a long journey from a simple steam locomotive and horse-drawn carriages, to high-tech hovercraft and modern electric vehicles.
In Transport Fever, the player will be able to fully build railway connections between cities, organize cargo transportation, and also manage public transport. Among the key advantages, it is worth noting the wide opportunities in the development of the transport business, excellent graphic design and generated cities.
Banished
Release date: 2014 Latest version 2016
Genre: City planning simulator
Strategic city planning simulator. The game offers you to take control of a small settlement of people who are cut off from the whole world. Since there is no way to return to civilized society, the settlement begins to develop, turning into a new city.
The player’s main task will be to constantly monitor the condition of the residents. They have many parameters that are responsible for happiness, health and hunger. Each resident can die or get sick, so in addition to building the city and developing infrastructure, the player must take care of the surviving settlers.
Railroad Tycoon 3
Release date: 2003
Genre: Economic strategy, train games
Economic strategy in railway business networking. The player takes control of a small railway company that has a tight budget and minimal income. To correct the current situation, the player must become a real businessman.
The game touches on many economic details. In addition to the usual progress in the development of the railway, the player will be able to invest money in other companies or receive third-party investments. The game will delight you with a large number of real-life trains, as well as great opportunities for developing your own enterprise.
Offworld Trading Company
Release date: 2016
Genre: Real-time strategy, economic strategy
Urban planning strategy in a sci-fi setting. The game takes place on colonized Mars, which has become a profitable place for extracting valuable resources. Several mining companies are in constant competition, and the player will be able to choose one of them and try to completely oust competitors from the planet.
The main goal of the game is to develop the extraction and processing of valuable resources as quickly as possible, and then absorb smaller companies. Since the action takes place on an uninhabitable planet, the player should take care of life support systems and connecting communications between processing buildings and mining installations.
Forge of Empires
release date: 2012
Genre: Browser MMO
A multiplayer browser-based military-economic online game, the gameplay of which is based on the development of your settlement, starting from the Stone Age and ending with the oceanic future. And although the territory available for construction is initially very limited, it will gradually expand, giving the player the opportunity to build more and more new buildings and decorative elements.
PLAY
Despite the heavy emphasis on economics, the game contains battles. For example, on the global map you can capture new provinces, expanding your empire, negotiate and interact with your neighbors, bargaining with them or fighting. There are also guilds (unions) in the game that allow players to help each other.
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In Farm Frenzy you will learn how to manage agriculture, tend a vegetable garden and raise livestock. At the same time, you will manage the prices of your goods yourself, focusing on the amount of demand. You have to sell your own products and make a profit, enter into contracts and expand production.
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This simulator perfectly attracts players who love the Middle Ages, dragons and trade. Here you will become a trader who has seen the whole world and is ready to share knowledge. In the past, you were a traveler who accumulated many interesting things and was ready to sell them. The simulator will introduce you to the basic rules of market trading.
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Another farm simulator, but the action takes place in Latin America, where during the Cold War you need to build a huge state from a small settlement, initially accepting help from the USSR and the USA. In the future, thanks to his entrepreneurial ingenuity and leadership qualities, he will independently become the most developed and influential political player.
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This economic simulator gives free rein to the players. Who wouldn't want to build a business in space? In this game you will build and develop your space enterprise. The game has simply amazing gameplay and excellent graphics.
6 Anno
One of the very first simulators in the “economy” genre. You will plunge into the times of American expansion. Thanks to your leadership qualities, you will have to expand your possessions from a small island to a huge archipelago. This simulator perfectly combines trade, economics and diplomacy, because when you conquer new territories, new neighbors appear with whom you need to cooperate.
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In the game Transport Tycoon, the player will take on the role of the owner of a transport organization. You must fulfill one main task of the game - earn as much money as possible, as well as develop your company and railway network.
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In this game you are a respected businessman of the Middle Ages, who is part of the largest political and economic Hanseatic League. Unlike other economic simulators, the main goal here is not making a profit. Here the main character strives to become the head of this union.
3
The Capitalism simulator is the real embodiment of business, all its conditions and factors. Here you have to carefully monitor your materials and resources, wisely produce and sell your products, monitor changes in demand and get maximum benefit, otherwise the company will go bankrupt.
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The player needs to take control of a small medieval village. Thanks to the development of production and sale of products, you will be able to develop your settlement.
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It is rightfully considered the best simulator in this genre. Here you have to deal with the construction and development of the city. The construction business is the basis for almost all economic simulators. The player here influences a number of city events and phenomena, including the tax rate, the level of the financial police; the player has the entire city budget in his hands, which he must skillfully manage.
Economic strategies are not only fun, but also a good brain trainer. Where else can you feel like the owner of an entire city, or even an empire, and strain your brains, solving not the usual everyday problems, but determining the fate of the world?
1. Factorio
Factorio is a promising project that continues to develop and has been in early access since 2016.
On an unknown planet, you have to go through a development path from chopping wood by hand to building solar farms, extracting oil and designing robots. Your hero is an astronaut who was unlucky enough to crash. But where he is definitely lucky is that the planet is extremely rich in useful resources and, accordingly, development opportunities. In addition, he can also boast of truly impressive knowledge in almost all areas.
So, the hero begins to build factories and at the same time work to return home. Naturally, he cannot avoid environmental pollution, so the already not very friendly local fauna begins to increasingly show aggression and interfere with the inventor, moving him away from his desired goal.
2. Offworld Trading Company
Offworld Trading Company will involve you in a real economic colonial war. But we will not be talking about the distant past, but, hopefully, the near future. Earthlings have never learned to wisely manage the resources donated by the planet, they have depleted it and are now forced to build colonies on Mars. You will have to maintain and develop these colonies, develop mineral deposits and do other things important for survival on the Red Planet.
But you are not alone here, competitors will try by hook or by crook to achieve economic superiority and throw you out of business. Also, the legislation is not always on your side, so you will have to be sophisticated in order to get the maximum benefit, monitor market trends and constantly jumping prices.
Economic strategy games of the German school have taught us to be slow and measured, but in Offworld Trading Company you will have no time for meditation and sleepy yawns.
3. Banished
Banished is an economic strategy that fully complies with the laws of the genre, but delights with elements that are not quite classic for it. If you are familiar with the game Dwarf Fortress, you will see for yourself that the analogy with this particular project, recognized by gamers as one of the most difficult, suggests itself.
At the beginning, you will have only a few families with a small supply of resources at your disposal. They will have to found a settlement and try, at a minimum, not to let it die, and at maximum, to turn a run-down village into a developed city. At the same time, the strategy changes depending on the time of year, as it would be in real life: you need to sow in the spring, prepare for the heating season in the summer, return to the field for the harvest in the fall, and try not to freeze in the winter.
4.Planet Coaster
What could be better than going to an amusement park? Just have your own amusement park! This is exactly what we all thought in our distant childhood. But Planet Coaster will show us that running a theme park isn't all about unbridled fun, it's also about hard work creating new attractions and keeping the public interested in old ones.
The game differs from its predecessors not only in beautiful graphics and the ability to create the craziest tracks, but also in a detailed simulation of the mood of visitors to your establishment. Each of them is not just a dummy, but a real person with his own tastes and feelings.
Overall, the project manages to combine the seriousness of a simulation in a rather frivolous setting and really fun and at the same time thoughtful gameplay.
5. Production Line: Car factory simulation
If you have dreamed of working in a car factory since childhood, are a fan of industrial automation and neo-industrial style, are seriously thinking about your own manufacturing business, or just like to look at the swarming of hundreds of robots - then this indie game from Positech Games, the creators of Democracy 3, is exactly what you need. , what you need.
From the very beginning, managing a small auto repair shop, you have to confront huge competing factories. Only achieving maximum efficiency will help you not only stay afloat, but also expand production to incredible proportions. In this case, you will have to take into account the cost of each main part of the cars you produce and try to cram as many robots as possible into a limited workshop space.
6. Mashinky
The developer of "Cars" Jan Zelena does not hide the fact that he drew inspiration mainly from that same Transport Tycoon. Surprisingly, of all the heirs of that epoch-making game, Mashinky can be called the most original.
While maintaining the general concept of managing a transport company, the game differs from most competitors in its completely procedurally generated game world, the use of an isometric perspective, a large number of possible upgrades for production and infrastructure buildings and the general atmosphere of a board game.
As of spring 2019, this project is in early access. The full version promises the ability to evolve from ancient steam locomotives to magnetically levitating transport of the distant future.
7. Northgard
Scandinavian mythology, the harsh morals of the northerners, laughing in the face of death, legendary conquests and discoveries - all this still remains one of the favorite topics in popular culture, and the Viking Age is one of the most interesting milestones in the history of mankind.
8. Caesar III
This classic urban-economic strategy from the first half of the 2000s will make you feel like... no, not Caesar to begin with, but a modest imperial governor in one of the provinces of the Roman Empire during its heyday.
You have to develop and support the life of a small Roman town, monitor the happiness of its inhabitants, seek the favor of the Gods and sometimes even repel invasions of barbarians. And to make it even more fun, Caesar himself will periodically give you tasks.
Having achieved success and completed the assigned tasks, you will receive a higher rank and go to conquer even more remote and wild lands. Moreover, at the start of each campaign mission, you can choose whether you want to go to a relatively calm province, or whether you want to conquer lands with an aggressive local population.
9. Factory Town
This strategy game, released in March 2019, is essentially a cute cartoon Factorio in the setting of a small village somewhere between the USA and Canada. We have to transform our settlement from a typical wilderness into a huge factory that will provide a small population with all the necessary, very necessary, not very necessary and other resources. To do this, it will be necessary to organize huge production chains, interconnected by conveyor belts, a network of trolleys and other transport and logistics devices.
All this beauty can be upgraded, increasing its effectiveness, and at the last levels of pumping, your goods and resources will be delivered from one object to another using real magic.
10. Rise of Industry
Despite the fact that at the beginning of the game we are asked to choose between resource extraction, farming, logistics and industry, in the end we will have to deal with all 4 areas of the economy equally - except that the choice made will slightly speed up the development of the corresponding technologies.
As in other full-scale business simulators, here we have to lead a small company and lead it to prosperity through the decades, organizing production and sales, building transport routes and obtaining the appropriate permits from local authorities (this, by the way, is one of the few such games that where this aspect of the business is reflected, albeit in a greatly simplified form). The game also takes environmental factors into account - pollution can deprive you of sources of valuable resources.
Another difference between Rise of Industry and its competitors is that your sales also depend on well-organized marketing campaigns.
11. Light of Altair
Essentially, this game is a cross between Caesar III and the Master of Orion series. Our avatar is an employee of a space corporation, to whom a superior manager entrusts tasks of increasing complexity. First, you just need to set up a corporate settlement on the Moon and bring its economic indicators to a certain level. To do this, you will have to build various buildings, monitor the happiness level of the colonists and do other things familiar to urban planning strategies.
Next, we will successively master the planets of the solar system and go beyond its limits. This is where all the most interesting things will await us. Firstly, as we progress through the story, competing corporations will appear that will strive to overtake us in the difficult task of developing planets. Secondly, what would space be without hostile aliens? The battles here take place in auto-battle mode, so our task comes down to building ships and providing them with the necessary resources.
12. Industry Giant 2
This game can be called an attempt to look at Transport Tycoon and other logistics strategies from the other side. If in transport tycoon simulators our task was to make money by moving other people’s goods, then in “Industrial Giant” we, on the contrary, need to sell our own goods, organizing the full chain of their production, storage, delivery and sale to consumers.
This already difficult task is complicated by the need to take into account many factors, including fierce competition, the level of satisfaction of your employees with their salaries, transport breakdowns, the change of season (strongly affects the business of agriculturally oriented firms) and even technological progress. In Industry Giant 2, it is important not only to organize stable production, but also to regularly update it according to the latest scientific trends - otherwise more progressive competitors will easily overtake you.
13. The Guild II: Renaissance
The Renaissance is an era when the gap between the privileged nobility, the powerful clergy and ordinary citizens began to decrease. If earlier the cream of society, without a twinge of conscience, enjoyed the fruits of the labor of the unfortunate, deprived of fate and constantly oppressed peasants, now the peasants have become wiser, began to master new crafts and achieve a higher position in society. During this prosperous time, they can even achieve career heights thanks to their talent and literacy, because the invention of printing opened up the opportunity for them to study and gain more knowledge about the world around them.
You will be able to feel like a real businessman of the Renaissance, gain access to new professions, develop your own business and become the founder of a whole dynasty of successful entrepreneurs.
14. Evil Bank Manager
As Giacomo Trivulzio, a prominent figure in European wars of the 16th century, said, to wage any war you need only three things - money, money and more money. And if in most games dedicated to that historical period we are asked to mainly deal with the military component of politics, then in “The Evil Banker” our main concern will be making money and investing it profitably.
Let kings, sultans, emperors, dukes and other politicians engage in wars - our task is to supply them with loans, sell them weapons (for our loans) and do not forget to negotiate favorable conditions for ourselves, gradually crushing the financial system of Europe under ourselves.
Just keep in mind that your favorite debtor may be executed tomorrow by a rebellious crowd, a mighty empire may unexpectedly lose a war, the price of a very expensive product may suddenly collapse - in short, anything can happen, and it is better to be prepared for it.
15. Railroad Tycoon Series
This legendary series from the same Sid Meier, who gave the world Civilization, consists of three serialized parts of 1990, 1998 and 2003, and two spin-offs - Railroad Tycoon Deluxe, released in 1993, and Sid Meier's Railroads!, which was released took place in 2006.
All games in the series are united by a common goal - to turn a small railway company into a market leader. In space, the game's setting is limited to the USA and Europe, and in time it covers almost the entire history of the existence of railways - from the first steam locomotives to modern high-speed trains.
The recipe for success, plus or minus, is the same in all parts - you need to competently lay the road taking into account the features of the terrain, do not forget to install stations in large cities and near important industrial facilities, monitor the technical condition of trains and be sure to take into account the needs of cities and enterprises when planning routes.
16. Transport Fever
The legacy of the legendary Transport Tycoon haunts many indie developers. So the Urban Games studio, founded in 2013, decided to refine its railway company simulator Train Fever and turn it into a full-fledged strategy dedicated to the difficult logistics business.
The resulting Transport Fever can already be safely called a new milestone in the history of such games. Almost for the first time in the history of the genre, such a project not only reproduces the basic gameplay of that same 1994 game, but also adds something new to it. The story campaign deserves special praise - here it is not added “for show” and allows you not only to prepare for the game in the “sandbox”, but at the same time learn facts from the history of large transport companies in the USA and Europe.
The only serious problem with this game is the complete lack of online modes.
17.Planetbase
If you are bored with earthly landscapes, and the development of the economy on your home planet already seems something ordinary, go build a bright future on Mars. But don't think that the Red Planet is waiting for colonists with open arms.
The local climate is harsh and unforgiving of weakness, dust storms come here suddenly, and meteor showers do not allow you to relax. In such conditions it is difficult to simply survive, not to mention the construction and development of a colony. But, of course, you have no choice.
In addition to building different modules and providing the settlement with everything necessary, you need to monitor the well-being of your charges, who work tirelessly for the benefit of the colony. They are not soulless robots, but living people who need not only to breathe, eat and stay healthy, but also to maintain a good mood.
18. Tropico 6
In the best traditions of the series, the new “Tropico” gives us the opportunity to steer a small island Latin American state. As in the fifth part, our avatar named El Presidente will have to maintain power over four historical periods - from the colonial era with the ubiquitous pirates and pretentious galleons to modern times with its complicated geopolitical situation.
As always, our state is too small to be considered a serious global player, but it can maneuver between world powers, taking one side or the other depending on the player’s personal preferences or immediate benefits.
Compared to the fifth Tropico, in the next part it became possible to manage an entire archipelago and build bridges between the skeletons, steal Wonders of the World around the world, and also customize both the appearance of El Presidente and his palace.
19. THE PATRICIAN series
It’s the 14th century, the Hanseatic League is in its prime, and you are just beginning your journey from a modest, unknown merchant to the ruler of an entire trading empire.
As a newly minted merchant, you will need to establish connections, make deals, think through how best to dispose of your existing material wealth, in general, worry about everything that kept the medieval wards of Hermes awake at night.
While you are worrying about how to take the highest position and earn more money and privileges, do not forget about the construction and development of cities, the merchant fleet, the welfare of the townspeople, and protection from robbers eager to make money at your expense. However, you yourself can take this slippery slope, laugh in the face of the established order, enjoying your ingenuity and impunity for outrages.
20. Jurassic World Evolution
By releasing a new game based on the famous franchise, Frontier Developments managed to prove two non-obvious things at once - that it is possible to make a good game based on a film and that a good economic strategy does not necessarily have to have primitive graphics. On the other hand, breeding dinosaurs and genetically engineering the development of new species would most likely not be so interesting to gamers without the opportunity to examine in detail the fruits of their efforts.
The basic gameplay of the new game about a dinosaur park generally repeats what we have seen before in similar projects - you need to build cages for dinosaurs, monitor their health and satiety, entertain visitors in every possible way and protect them from all sorts of dangers. And there will be plenty of them here - from a tropical downpour to a T-Rex escaping from the enclosure.
21. The Settlers Series
The Settlers is a series of economic strategies that fully reflect the German mentality and are dearly loved by the Germans themselves. They would definitely give her first place in the top. The first game in the series appeared back in 1993. The advanced graphics of that time and the novelty of the idea ensured the project popularity and popular love.
The name “Settlers” perfectly reflects the essence of the game - construction, economic growth and other efforts for the benefit of the settlement and its inhabitants.
On the one hand, everything happens here quite calmly and measuredly, but on the other hand, if you cannot competently plan your actions to develop the economy and build a settlement, you will hardly be able to calmly contemplate the results of your labors. Here you have dozens of types of resources, and not 3-4 standard ones, while all the resources are needed for something, and the headache of thinking through production chains, and scrupulous work on optimizing all processes.
22. Port Royale 2
After the release of Port Royale 2 in 2003, critics recognized the project as the best pirate-themed strategy game.
The plot takes place in the Caribbean and takes us back to the distant 17th century. You have to choose a country on whose behalf you will engage in peaceful or not so peaceful affairs. The options are quite predictable for those who listened carefully to their history teacher: Spain, England, France and Holland. Knowledge of history will actually come in handy here, because it will help determine which country will be easier to play for. And knowing who is fighting with whom and studying the general political picture of the world will not be superfluous.
Having arrived at your destination, you have to decide what kind of adventure you like: trade and enrichment through profitable deals, buying real estate and some kind of peaceful craft, or the path of a pirate full of risk and danger.
23. Cultures
It seems that the gods no longer favor the brave Vikings and have hidden the sun from them forever. But suddenly a comet, mistaken by the Scandinavians for a lost celestial body, fell to the ground and scattered into six parts. Desperate warriors decided that only by collecting them all could they return prosperity and happiness to their lands. But the trouble is, only one fragment fell near their settlement; for the rest they will have to swim across the ocean. And at the same time open America.
In addition to developing the settlement, you will have to monitor your charges. If women and children take care of themselves and hardly require your attention, then you need to keep an eye on men, otherwise a brave warrior may fall not from the enemy’s sword, but from hunger. By the way, war in Cultures is a secondary activity.
24. Grand Ages: Medieval
Grand Ages: Medieval will take you almost a thousand years ago. Europe of the High Middle Ages will appear before your eyes. Society is developing rapidly, the population is growing, mastering new technologies, expanding trade channels, and experiencing a cultural upsurge. In general, he enjoys all the benefits of civilization.
You will become the ruler of a small settlement, it depends only on you whether it will become a prosperous city, and you - the leader of an entire nation. Develop the economy of the territories entrusted to you, accumulate strength, train warriors, and perhaps you will be able to gain power over all of Europe.
25. Anno 2070
The world of the future is a world of problems that we have created for ourselves. What humanity feared has happened: the level of the world's oceans has risen, there are much fewer places suitable for life, climate change has left an indelible mark on the face of our long-suffering planet.
An economic simulator is not only entertainment. Such games usually reflect real processes occurring in the market, teach survival in the concrete jungle, and business development. Even competitors here behave almost the same as in reality. In pure simulators, there is usually no need to build your enterprise brick by brick; the player immediately receives a ready-made company; at a minimum, he can not ruin it, or, at a maximum, lead to stunning success and add his name to the Forbes list.
Economic development is one of the main, and often the most important, task in strategies, about which we have a separate one, therefore in city planning simulators and survival games this element is clearly expressed and forces the player to move his brains.
13. Transport Fever
Transport Fever is essentially a continuation of the railway simulator Train Fever, an expanded version with new transport, a huge map compared to the original, and work on bugs.
The player will have to build docks, airports, and stations in order to connect cities and provide high-quality transportation. Thanks to these efforts, cities and their economies begin to grow and develop, and as you progress through the campaigns, you will see a fairly authentically recreated 150-year history of transport in Europe and America.
12. Industry Giant II
In Industry Giant II, you become the creator of 80 years of American city history. This simulator has several campaigns, at the beginning of which you have to spend your starting capital within a certain time, and wisely. Villages and cities will grow over time, new technologies and vehicles will appear that will allow products to be delivered from farms to the city.
Naturally, the prosperity of the entrusted region depends on you: if you get too carried away with industry, development may slow down, but if you build more charitable buildings and shops, the city will grow faster.
11.OpenTTD
OpenTTD is almost the same transport strategy as Transport Tycoon Deluxe, only with continuous development. Thanks to the open source, the project's fan community quickly took control of its further development.
An 8-bit landscape of the beginning of the last century will open before your eyes, and in your hands you will find a transport enterprise that needs to be developed in every possible way. It will be necessary to establish communications between cities, build bridges, railways, and airports in order to ensure passenger and cargo transportation, while making as much profit as possible. There is a live Russian server for playing online. First you need to download the original version.
10. Railroad Tycoon II
In Railroad Tycoon II you will have an entire railway company at your disposal. As with all economic simulation games, there will be a lot of planning, calculation and construction. And, as you might guess, we have to build railway tracks, improve stations and trains, and manage transportation. But if you're too busy looking at the trains and the surrounding area, you might not notice how a competitor is buying up the company's shares to put you out of business.
Interesting and varied missions are pleasing. For example, in one of them you need to take the US President along the West Coast within the allotted time. In certain scenarios, it is possible to develop in different regions around the globe.
9. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3
In RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, players also have rails, but it's not about trains, but about roller coasters. You will be given a wad of money and sent to build your own amusement park on an allocated piece of land. It’s a pleasure to equip it - every meter can be filled with attractions, kiosks with food, drinks and souvenirs, fountains, TVs on poles and other rubbish.
But there will always be a shortage of money. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is not only entertainment, but also a serious strategy. You need to constantly monitor how much profit each object brings, place shops with merchandise that matches the theme next to the attractions, and a lot more.
8.Planet Coaster
And we find ourselves back in the amusement park and can do whatever we want with it. You can place simple and safe carousels for the little ones, so that your park becomes a favorite vacation spot for young mothers. You can build a cool roller coaster - young people will line up in a long line to squeal to their heart's content.
By the way, you will have to design the slides yourself. There is both a special pleasure and difficulty in this, because no one has canceled the laws of physics - if you build too many sharp turns, you risk that the trailer will simply get stuck in the middle of the slide.
If you are annoyed by a limited budget, choose the sandbox mode - this way you won’t have to worry about the costs of arranging an amusement park.
7. Banished
Banished is a city-building strategy with a very tangible survival element. The main resource here is not silver or gold, but people. A handful of settlers are forced to put together the first huts in the new village from logs and try, at a minimum, not to freeze or starve. If they succeed, there is every chance of transforming a run-down village into a thriving city with a developed economy and a happy population.
The life of the settlement is depicted quite realistically: for example, agricultural work is tied to the time of year, just like in real life - in the spring you need to sow the fields, in the summer you need to prepare firewood in preparation for the onset of cold weather, in the fall you need to harvest the crops, and in the winter you need to bask by the fireplace.
6. SimCity 4
It was after the release of SimCity that the city planning simulator took shape as an independent genre. The player gets at his disposal not one, but several cities at once, between which it is necessary to establish a transport system for the exchange of resources. Thanks to terraforming, you can create ideal sites for construction, have fun in god mode, sending all sorts of misfortunes to cities. But you will also have to deal with all the problems of the townspeople, otherwise the standard of living will rapidly fall.
Most of the buildings in SimCity 4 are built in neo-Romanesque and Art Deco styles, but there are also quite modern ones - for example, in the game you can see buildings from Frankfurt, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
In 2003, the fourth part of SimCity became one of the best-selling games on PC and received several awards.
5. Capitalism II
To play Capitalism you need to have a good amount of knowledge in the field of economics and finance. This is evidenced by the fact that this game was part of the curriculum at US universities due to the high degree of detail in production and financial processes.
The second part made a lot of changes to the gameplay, but it didn’t make it much easier. The player will have to build his own business (it’s best to start with a store), expand and get rich, if, of course, he succeeds. Competitors are also not sleeping, they also produce and sell, buy real estate and shares, take out loans and study new technologies.
If your future plans include “opening your own business,” try starting with Capitalism, you will learn many valuable lessons.
4. Theme Hospital
Theme Hospital is a funny parody of a medical facility and an economic strategy rolled into one. The gameplay is peppered with constant jokes and comical animation - even the patients die quite funny. And they die, and the further they go, the more often.
In this game, you will take the post of chief physician and will have a lot of headaches: you will have to hire qualified personnel, monitor expenses, receive patients, decorate the premises so that the mood of the suffering will at least lift a little. The more you develop, the more difficult it becomes to diagnose diseases, patients become more capricious, do not want to sit in line and more often give their soul to God.
Considering that the simulator was released in 1997, everything looks quite nice, the game is addictive, although it does not pretend to be serious.
3. Two Point Hospital
The ideological successor to Theme Hospital, which adopted the original game's signature humor and microcontrol-focused gameplay, while significantly improving the graphics.
Two Point Hospital is the same desperate attempts to maintain control over the hospital, while staff running away from ghosts rush through its corridors, and patients dissatisfied with the service (cold, heat, insufficient number of soda machines) die in the wards. The game is designed in a deliberately frivolous style, but don’t let it fool you: to achieve success, you need to be a real management genius.
2. Farming Simulator 17
It used to be that farm work was hard, dirty and often thankless work, and the farmer was always tired and sunburned. Modern farming is a completely different matter. In Farming Simulator 17, you will have many opportunities to develop your own business away from the bustle of the city. You will have at your disposal the latest equipment that accurately copies agricultural machines of leading brands.
Luna parks were built, trains were operated, the sick were treated, it’s time to start organizing... a maximum security prison. It would seem that nothing complicated: you build a concrete box, place cameras, hire strongmen-guards, unleash a horde of maniacs, thieves, murderers and other cream of society, make sure that everything is fine. But it was not there. Building a prison is easy, but making it work is not.
Before you even blink an eye, it turns out that the prisoners staged a riot and sent all the guards to the infirmary, made a tunnel with a tablespoon or stole a garbage truck and are now rushing to enjoy freedom. You need to work on the in-game economy every minute, and absolutely everything affects it, even the mood of the criminals. And by the way, they are all different: for example, those who have a short sentence prefer to behave calmly, while those who are imprisoned for a serious crime can easily start a riot, they have nothing to lose.
Our top economic online games for 2016 give you the opportunity to realize yourself and make your wildest dreams come true in the virtual world.
1. Settlers Online
"" is one of the coolest economic simulators and strategies on the topic of creating industrial chains, cities and economies.
The player’s task is to turn the wilderness into a powerful village with a strong economy - dozens of buildings, industrial buildings, a line of progress and development of your settlers, efforts to protect the village.
A huge variety of resources– wood is simultaneously a raw material for charcoal, a building material, and a component necessary for the manufacture of weapons.
When we mine ore, we smelt it into swords and erect various defensive buildings or workshops. Hunting and fishing lodges, butcher shops, taverns and jewelry - you are gradually creating the settlement of your dreams.
Video: trailer for the game The Settlers Online
The European School of Strategy is a leisurely gameplay and tons of little details. “Settlers Online” is only for diligent players.
2. Travian: Kingdoms
“ ” – the good old “grass” in a new graphic frame and an improved interface.
A concentrate of the experience of hundreds of thousands of players with old ideas on a new background - intuitive and visually attractive.
The eternal war of three peoples - Gauls, Romans and Germans with their own unique bonuses. You act as the leader of a tribe that will soon grow into a small country with two dozen villages and towns.
Continuous development– collecting clay, wood, iron, grain, hiring heroes, clearing oases and alliance wars.
One of the toys that can drag you on for a long time without any graphics or effects - based solely on the emotions of confrontation and clan wars.
Video: trailer for the game Travian
Travian: Kingdoms is a polished platform for economic and tactical players.
"" - from Bigpoint is perfect for all supporters of economic strategies and farms.
In fact, this is an improved and redesigned “Happy Farm”, so you are guaranteed tens of thousands of players and gameplay that has been proven over the years.
An accelerated process of growing crops compared to competitors, many prizes at the initial stage and dynamic training ensure a quick and comfortable start.
Don’t expect deep mechanics from Farmerama, but there will be production chains, farm payback, and competition between businessmen.
Video: trailer for the game Farmerama
Farmerama, due to the dynamics of the gameplay and the support of one of the best developers of browser projects, can provide an excellent product for almost any player - through the entertainment process and competition for the harvest.
4. eRepublik
“eRepublik” - the old woman is still breathing and can be recommended as a time killer.
Play as your real countries, leading them to victory on the battlefield and in the economy. Just start playing, but not just become a master - that's what this toy is about.
At first it will seem to you that it is extremely primitive - push your buttons, get paid for the time you work in production, fight with digital calculations during battles and participate in elections.
But the fun of it is not in the mechanics, but in the politics and interaction with other players - intrigue, joint projects and a rich social life.
Hundreds of achievements, bonuses, pitfalls in the form of fighting between parties and military units “eRepublik” will not let you relax and rest on your laurels.
“ ” – production chains in the colony simulator, the legendary series is now in the browser.
Fairly slow and leisurely gameplay for strategists– don’t expect emotions and large-scale military operations, although missions against pirates have been added in recent updates.
Your task is to ensure a steady flow of settlers into the colony and build a city. But if at first they have enough fish, access to the town hall and primitive entertainment, then each new level will require the construction of huge cathedrals or tournament arenas, complex industrial buildings and woolen clothing stores.
Video: trailer for the game Anno online
“Anno Online” can be recommended to players of the old school and young people, the main thing is that they love leisurely gameplay.
The audience in such projects today is several million people and is actively growing.
Perhaps because not everyone can realize themselves in real life and become a businessman, financial analyst, not to mention the leadership of empires and corporations.
Top economic online games - the best representatives of the genre and controversial dark horses. Write to us about your favorite games and new products so that we can expand our database and remain interesting to the audience.