What are some of the best new tycoon games on PC in 2018? This is an important topic as I continue to develop the gym management simulation game Gym Empire. Primarily I’m interested in what new tycoon games look like in 2018 and what is considered good gameplay from a management simulation game. This is so that I can ensure Gym Empire is up to date and relevant with what modern business management games offer. Giving the best gameplay experience to gamers and tycoon game players. Then of course I’m a huge tycoon game fan myself. So for personal reasons I always like to know what the best new tycoon games available are!
Best Tycoon Games 2018
As 2018 nears completion I’ve decided to compile a list of what I think are the best new tycoon games on PC in 2018. The list represents what I enjoy and like to see most in simulation management games. Therefore it is my personal idea of which are the most exciting looking new tycoon games. In no particular order.
Two Point Hospital
A spiritual successor to Bullfrog Productions’ 1997 game Theme Hospital, Two Point Hospital puts players in the role of a hospital administrator. Tasked with constructing and operating an empire of hospitals. With the goal of curing patients of fictitious, comical ailments.
The thing I like about Two Point Hospital is that it takes us back to the golden age of business sim games. Being the spiritual successor to Theme Hospital it infuses business management with comedy. Done in a way that delivers a great tycoon game experience.
Two Point Hospital manages to capture the nostalgia of the 20+ year old Theme Hospital but merge it with modern graphics and design. The look of the environment is really satisfying and relaxing. The effects are also great. From all the comedic ailments the patients can have. To the satisfying drop effect when you are building new parts of your hospital.
If there was a sub genre of business management games I am aiming Gym Empire towards, it would be this one.
Two Point Hospital was released on 30 August 2018 and is available on Steam.
Megaquarium
From the creator of Big Pharma comes a theme park management tycoon game with an aquatic twist. Megaquarium follows in the footsteps of classic theme park management tycoon games and adds an aquatic spin! Design your displays, look after your fish, manage your staff and keep your guests happy.
Megaquarium manages to capture that key gameplay concept behind all good tycoon games. The feeling of perfecting your world one change at a time that melts away the hours as you play. Sometimes with Megaquarium you’re not quite sure what you final aim is. But that doesn’t stop if from sucking you in for hours on end.
I find that a magical quality of sim games. It’s what makes them so relaxing to play and keeps you coming back for more. There’s no big threat or huge mission to accomplish. Just the satisfaction of building and growing a world at a relaxed pace. Throw into that the relaxing nature of an aquarium and Megaquarium manages to subtly capture that tycoon game magic and draw you in before you know it.
Megaquarium was released on 13 September 2018 and is available on Steam.
Parkasaurus
Parkasaurus is a zany Dinosaur Park management game. It is a dinosaur theme park simulator that challenges the player to plan, design and construct fabulous exhibits. With the aim to maximize both the happiness of their Dinos, and the park guests’ satisfaction and willingness to spend money!
Parkasaurus is a management game I’ve had my eye on for some time. There was something about the colourful and fun graphical style that drew me in. It reminds me of the fun low poly visual style I have planned for Gym Empire. I also found the fun dinosaur twist on Zoo Tycoon a really cool idea.
Zoo Tycoon provided an expansion pack in the form of Dinosaur Digs back in the day. But to have a Dinosaur tycoon game built form the ground up (that isn’t already tied to a big franchise) is a great idea and Parkasaurus delivers on that promise.
Parkasaurus primarily tasks you with building the best dinosaur theme park to attract punters. It actually remind me a lot of playing Rollercoaster Tycoon in this respect. Managing to capture that fun and happy feeling of a theme park. It’s not all fun and games though. Just like any good sim game, it throws in it’s fair share of disasters, with the likes of dinosaurs escaping and wreaking havoc over your carefully designed theme park!
Parkasaurus actually manages to bring even more to the table. The inclusion of mini games like going back in time to discover new dinosaurs and bring them back to for your dinosaur theme park keeps things fresh and exciting.
Parkasuarus was released on 25 September 2018 and is available in Early Access on Steam.
Computer Tycoon
Computer Tycoon is an indie business strategy game about computer evolution and starting your own company in the 70s. The game challenges you to lead the research race until 2034. You will need to create the best hardware and operating system, take care of your infrastructure and handle your marketing. Find video game gems to promote them on your platforms, conquer the global market and in it’s own words “become literally immortal”!
Computer Tycoon is a game that takes the core concepts of games like Game Dev Tycoon and adds in it’s own twist to create a grand strategy tycoon game. As an idea Computer Tycoon is quite unique compared to traditional business simulation games on PC. With the inclusion of a detailed skill tree and the challenge of not just creating a successful business but also trying to dominate the global market, Computer Tycoon provides a huge amount of depth.
I also really like the overall aesthetic of Computer Tycoon. It manages to capture the feel of those early PC days. As well providing an interesting guess into what the future of computers may look like.
Anyone looking for a more world dominating experience than most tycoon games. Or anyone who has an interest in the history of computers, will have a good time with Computer Tycoon!
Computer Tycoon was released on 12 October 2017 but is seeing a lot of updates throughout 2018 in Early Access on Steam.
Project Hospital
As far as simulator games go, Project Hospital is a much more serious take on the hospital simulation game genre than Two Point Hospital. Project Hospital lets you build and manage every detail of your very own hospital and also diagnose and treat individual patients.
Project Hospital lets you approach the game a number of ways. Depending on your game play style you can become an ace doctor, an aspiring architect and a successful manager at the same time. You can choose to design your very own hospital and tweak every detail. Or you can use one of the predefined models and just jump to the doctor’s duty.
There is also the ability to contract different insurance companies to gain access to patients. Each with their own with interesting medical conditions. You can perform examinations, laboratory tests and use various equipment to solve the diagnostic puzzles.
The focus in Project Hospital is very much on realism. Unlike Two Point Hospital the medical conditions are all real world and can actually be quite complex to diagnose. This added realism makes Project Hospital feel like a completely different game to Two Point Hospital and actually makes it feel very unique.
The visual style of Project Hospital matches the more serious tone also. From the realistically proportioned characters to the blood splats on the otherwise sterile hospital floors. With calmer and more neutral colours and also highly detailed medical equipment. Project Hospital very much feels like you are running your own virtual hospital. To the point where I actually finding myself really caring about getting the diagnosis of my patients correct. I genuinely felt guilty when I had to tell patients that we didn’t have the technology to treat their conditions!
Project Hospital was released on 30 October 2018 and is available on Steam.
Tropico 6
Although not technically a 2018 title as it is now due release in 2019. Tropico 6 is another amazing looking management simulation game. The Tropico franchise is a dictator simulator that has you taking on the role of a dictator ruling over an island.
Prove yourself as a feared dictator or peace-loving statesman on the island state of Tropico. Shape the fate of your very own banana republic through four distinctive eras.
Tropico is one of those well known business tycoon games. Over the years the series has grown into a brave political satire that’s as progressive as it is fun to play. As a sim game it delivers on that rich underlying emergent game play. It can be unclear sometimes how the systems in Tropico function. But that delivers a difficult to predict and hard to master gameplay style that keeps you glued for hours.
The upcoming Tropico 6 looks to be yet more of that well known simulation, building and management formula with a nice sprinkling of political comedy.
Tropico 6 is due for release in January 2019 on Steam but beta access is available if you pre-purchase through the Kalypso Shop.
Jurassic World Evolution
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