Every week we feature a different game on the Sodaware homepage. This week’s game is “Moon Tycoon”.
One of the first games I ever wrote was a “sim” mining game set on Mars. Players (i.e. me) could buy and sell precious ores, as well as workers and mines. Prices would fluctuate, and there was always the chance that your miners would strike a gas vein and blow themselves back to Earth. Granted, it was only text based but it was still quite fun at the time.
This week’s featured game is Anarchy Entertainment’s “Moon Tycoon”, a space sim that puts my original “Mines of Mars” to shame. One of the constant surprises with indie games is just how high quality they are, and Moon Tycoon certainly left a positive impression on this front.
The graphics are a big step-up from Sim City, and the addition of full 3D is very useful for surveying your base and finding new areas to build. It runs quite well even on old machines, although you’ll need something a little faster to play it with all the graphical bells and whistles.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect is the use of voice actors for the dialog. I certainly wasn’t expecting anything like that, but with the growing popularity of broadband it might become a more common feature.
The game itself is spread over three different campaigns, each which contain plenty of missions to keep you occupied. You’re walked through the first few missions, which involved building houses, essentials such as oxygen and water plants, and also using the spaceport to trade minerals and ores.
There are a wide variety of buildings available, and like Sim City you’ll need to think carefully about where you place industrial and residential buildings in order to keep your residents happy. Placing recreational buildings can also increase their happiness, but placing mines or industrial areas close to their homes will not go down so well.
Gameplay can be as intense or as leisurely as you wish, and there are occasional disasters (such as meteorite strikes) to keep you on your toes. As the “Tycoon” name suggests, making money is also an integral part of the game, and there are different methods of turning your base into a money-spinner. You can trade precious materials with Earth, or build attractions to attract well-off space tourists. The layout of your colony will affect how profitable it is, so a little forward planning is advisable.
Overall, Moon Tycoon is a solid sim game that’s well worth trying out if you’re a fan of the genre. It might not appeal to adrenalin junkies, but it’s a nicely presented challenge for the thinkers out there.
