15. Frostpunk
Frostpunk gameplay
Frostpunk comes from the creators of This War of Mine, where the decisions you make determine whether your people will survive or not.
Set in an alternate version of the year 1886 where Krakatoa and Mount Tambora have erupted, plunging the world as everyone knows it into a volcanic winter, and now you, the player, must lead a group north of London towards coal rich grounds where the only hope for survival awaits them.
The generator, a tall structure made to provide heat and power, is the only hope left in a world that is cold, dark, and starving. Your job is to keep it fed with coal mined from the crater, and to make the decisions that will test your tactical skills, your will, and even your morality.
With all that being said, Frostpunk is actually a difficult game to play and the decisions really do test your morality. Also, if you don’t start off just right, the game will begin to fail resulting in an early death before the major freeze comes along. Can you survive this post-apocalyptic winter wonderland?
The generator is hard at work warming and powering hot houses, workshops, and houses.
Frostpunk’s scenario selection where difficulty, attitude, the needs of the people are adjustable into three different modes.
14. Planetbase
Planetbase Trailer
Madruga Works cooked up this nice little space simulation strategy game where the end goal is to establish a working human colony on a distant planet and survive.
You have been tasked with making that happen and choosing the most suitable planet out of four to build and manage a base.
You will also be responsible for the colony’s access to the necessities like food, water, and oxygen. Also, don’t forget to dodge the meteors as you expand your base to house all the new colonist.
They turn towards the sun who has just appeared over the horizon, ready to absorb it’s power and bring life to basecamp.
Canteen hall where the colonist come to eat. Someone looks unhappy about their meal.
13. Dawn of Discovery
Dawn of Discovery gameplay
Dawn of Discovery is also known as Anno 1404 and follows Anno 1701 and is succeeded by Anno 2070.
Developed as a city-building and economic simulation with RTS elements, Dawn of Discovery sits between fiction and real life historical events surrounding the medieval time period. It even shows the structural part with gothic architecture, and other events like the crusades, and hanseatic trade.
In Dawn of Discovery, you will create and manage your fiefdom gifted to you by an ailing Emperor, and with the help of his cousin and other AI characters, you will begin gathering supplies and complete building requests that will propel you forward in the game.
Making allies and enemies is crucial to your success, especially if you are playing the campaign, then the tasks will help you restore the Emperor and take down his enemies.
This is the player’s estate and seen strolling the grounds are the fiefdom’s loyal subjects.
Venice is a DLC for Dawn of Discovery. Gondolas can be seen making their way through the city.
12. Imagine Earth
Imagine Earth gameplay
Developed by Serious Brothers comes a dystopian futuristic Earth where the raw resources are depleted and power hungry megacorps set their gaze towards space expansion hoping to beat their competitors in harnessing new resources.
In Imagine Earth you will come across real time colony management, ecosystems that retaliate, and even alien invaders.
As the colony manager you are to feed the megacorps new planets where you will colonize them, make money anyway possible, and not kill the colonists. Simple right? Ha! When is something ever that simple.
Upgrading the shield generator to protect against space invaders.
360 Degree view of one of the planets.
11. The Universim
The Universim gameplay
Want to be a God? Well in this indie simulation styled game, you get close.
Universim was developed by Crytivo Games and you assume the role of “God” where you guide a civilization of beings called nuggets through time.
You will unlock new architecture, invent technology, and set off towards other planet colonization. Wait! Another planetary simulation? Yep, but you gain the title of God, and you get control these beings which may or may not have free will.
No worries though, they are kind of cute, and for the disobedient ones you can use your power of wrath and scare them into action.
Medieval nuggets socializing in their simple town.
Nighttime has fallen, and the little nuggets are off to bed.
10. Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville Trailer
Developed with a dark sense of humor comes the third installment of all the Rebuild series, Gangs of Deadsville.
It is a strategy simulation game with a narrative, and everyone’s favorite undead thing; zombies. Years have passed, and the world is now a massive graveyard, but for those who managed to live, they have to gather together to rebuild the city one building at a time.
Expansion is key to survival, but so is fighting off the hungrier-than-ever flesh eaters. None of it will be easy for you, the choices between scavenging, building, and thriving are all up to you.
Player stats where you can see their inventory and skills.
Different characters placed at different parts of the map, a few are equipped as guards, and one as a lookout.
9. Prison Architect
Prison Architect Gameplay
Developed by Introversion Software comes a privatized prison construction and management simulation game.
This one you really get to play god, controlling every little thing. With sandbox mode you can places lights and drains and connect them however you want.
You get to pick who the staff are, the schedules for the inmates, and even the temperature. So, if you are into the complete construction of something, then this is the game for you.
Neatly laid out prison showing that sometimes people take care in strategy.
GANG FIGHT!!
8. Judgement: Apocalypse
Judgement: Apocalypse Trailer
Demon apocalypse? Tactical combat? Survival? Sounds fun. Judgement: Apocalypse is a survival style simulation game where you are to lead a group into escaping hell spawn and building a safe base that will become their sanctuary.
To survive, well what do you normally do to survive?
Gathering supplies, craft equipment, and defending your base as best as you can.
Let’s not forget the juicy parts where you can scavenge, research, and practice dark magick to send the beasts back hell.
Sending hell spawn back to where they came from.
Base defense seems to be coming along just fine.
7.RimWorld
RimWorld Trailer
Originally called Eclipse Colony, RimWorld is another construction and management sim game. Its main objective is to expand the settlement, gather resources, and escape the planet.
Originally it was centered around three character, but now it has a scenario editor that will allow for any number of characters, different plots, items, and maps.
The game ends only when all the characters have escaped the planet, or they have died.
Time to colonize, doop da doop, da doop.
Some got a little creative with building their base.
6. Anno 2205
Anno 2205 Gameplay
Anno 2205 comes after 2070 and is more futuristic than is predecessor, it also offers options like settlement on the moon.
It also offers options like settlement on the moon, but that seems to be the only unique aspect of the game. Other than that, it is like all the other games before it.
It does focus on building metropolises on earth and the moon, increasing population, and keeping their needs fulfilled.
We’re blasting off to the moon!
Sleek and futuristic skyscrapers.
5. Tropico 4
Tropico 4 Trailer
Filled with multiple missions and maps, Tropico 4 expands on the gameplay of No. 3, with more political powers to negotiate with, new buildings, and a plot of assassination, revenge, and regaining lost power.
El Presidente is the victim of an assassination plot, not the target, but the suspect in the US President’s assassination.
Presidente is forced to flee their nation to another part of Tropico where they must work towards clearing their name, they of course do, and learns of the true culprit behind the plot.
All this is going on while building and maintaining a nation. Crazy right.
Cruising down main street, “Hey look, it’s El Presidente!”
You might be able to run, but you can no longer hide.
4. Oxygen Not Included
Oxygen Not Included Trailer
Developed by Klei Entertainment, Oxygen Not Included is a survival sim game centering on three colonists who have found themselves in an asteroid with no memory on how they got there.
The asteroid does have pockets of survivable atmosphere that can change when new natural chambers are opened.
Directing the colonists to preform certain tasks like gathering, crafting, researching, growing food, and even maintaining their health will help establish the colony.
They can’t be controlled directly, but you can provide them with instructions that can be prioritized for them to follow as best they can.
Awe for me? How sweet, now please don’t eat me ya little critter.
Cozy base *Sigh*
3. Surviving Mars
Surviving Mars Gameplay
It is a city building stylized sim game that modeled after real martian data. Focused on building a colony, you must be able to provide working structures, and tech to expand.
All this after picking a space agency and securing the funding to build a base. Most importantly, survive this strange new planet.
Planet Mars has plenty of wind in order to use wind turbines, at least it is green energy.
Dome City come live with us where we put on happy faces and think that living is on the red planet is grand, but no seriously Dome City looks great.
2. SimCity 4
SimCity 4 Gameplay
Developed by Maxis and published by EA Games, SimCity 4 allows you to terraform a region, and then build on it.
With no real plot to follow, SimCity 4 focuses on growing a city and keeping the citizens happy. Unhappy citizens will leave if their needs are not met. As the mayor, you are in charge of providing it all, and running it like a real city.
It is a great responsibility, okay, it’s just a game, but building and running a city is fun and inspiring.
I wonder how the game is going, it needs a giant scoreboard.
To the class of 2012, I say congratulations and good luck.
1.Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines Trailer
Like SimCity, Cities: Skylines is a city-building simulation and is open-ended. But it is unique in its attention to detail, I don’t mean shadows from trees detail, but building powerlines and water lines and connecting them properly.
There is also the fact that you are not restricted to one square region. You can purchase more land after reaching realistic goals, you can also enact realistic policies like green energy which cuts down on the power usage.
Cities is worth a try.
The streets are empty and there are plows out, it could only mean one thing. Winter has come.
The city is a sprawling metropolis and very well organized, I wonder who the architect was?
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