Prison Architect. 32 best tycoon and economic video games in 2023

Despite simple graphics, the independent Prison Architect was appealing to players' taste.

In the plethora of high-budget games, produced by large studios with the support of major publishers, smaller indie developers have extremely difficult task to break through the competition. However, we have often found out that in order to hit the tastes of players, there is no need for a big pile of cash or a powerful marketing campaign. An innovative and original idea is enough, which will simply catch on. A good example is the independent British Introversion Software studio, which has succeeded in doing so and at least a few times. And since we are talking about tycoons today - there can be only one answer: Prison Architect .

In the game, we play as a warden of a newly emerging prison. We start on an empty field right next to the road, which at the beginning is full of construction trucks with building materials, and then prison trucks with new convicts. Before the first 'residents' arrive, we must take care of at least the basic infrastructure, and then continue to develop the whole center.

It is our duty to take care of the needs of prisoners, such as providing walking space and showers. Of course, we must remember to have an adequate number of guards and to provide the facility with an electrical network and electronic security systems, an armory for guards, a canteen and so on. Each new prisoner increases the amount of our monthly income on the one hand, but also generates certain expenses on the other, so it is essential to ensure that the budget is properly balanced.

However, our efforts are hampered by the fact that each prisoner has his own personality. As long as some prisoners will politely obey our orders (working, training, or just keeping out of the way), there may be many prisoners with a tendency to start fights and riots. Some convicts can also join in gangs, steal forks or even dig tunnels.

Prison Architect made its debut in early access in autumn 2012 and was regularly updated for 3 years. As a result, we got a game that is addictive and extensive, although not free of bugs, and with extremely simple 2D graphics in the top view. 90% of positive reviews on Steam speaks for itself, so if you're looking for a prison tycoon and pure gameplay is more important for you than beautiful graphics, then Prison Architect is a great choice. The game is available on almost all important gaming platforms, including consoles and mobile devices.

1. Official website of the game
2. The game's page on Steam
3. Game's page on the GOG.com

Railroad Tycoon 3

Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon from 1990 is considered a precursor of the tycoon genre.

Railroad Tycoon is one of the most important games in history. The original version of the game was released on the market in 1990. It was founded by industry legend - Sid Meier, and Microprose, an already non-existent company he founded in 1982. This title is widely regarded as the precursor of the tycoon genre, from which, as you can easily guess, its name is has been derived.

The history of the Railroad Tycoon series doesn't end with the cult piece of 1990. In 1998, under Take 2 Interactive, PopTop Software studio created Railroad Tycoon II, and in 2003 it presented the third installment to the public. And that's the game that made it to our list. Why? The main reason is that it came out the latest and therefore offers the best graphics, even though they are no longer impressive. After all, Railroad Tycoon 3 is two decades old.

The reason we added the third installment to this list was also influenced by its positive reception, both from players and critics. Unlike many other series, the subsequent installments of Railroad Tycoon weren't worse than the original, but this doesn't mean that they were better. Subjective feelings determine which game is the best. Nevertheless, the entire trilogy is of a high standard.

The basic assumptions, of course, haven't changed. We're still focusing on developing a transportation consortium, the foundation of which is railway transport. We start in the 19th century. We can choose the starting point. The developers have prepared several different models of existing locomotives, but only railway fans will recognize them. That's why I will refrain from giving examples of machines. In general, I have the impression that few people, other than lovers of the topic, played, play, and will play one of the installments of Railroad Tycoon. Returning to the point, it's worth mentioning the more than 30 types of cargo that can be transported. And even more, because there are 150 types of buildings.

Time hasn't been kind to this series. This also applies to the latest installment of the game.

The gameplay isn't just about the railway. You also have to make decisions about securities, buying other companies, or entering into partnerships with them. You should also be prepared for changing conditions. After all, commodity prices aren't fixed. Inventions and new technologies can also be confusing, leading to a market disruption. You can witness smaller and larger revolutions in the railway industry through the 25 historical scenarios available.

1. The game's page on Steam
2. Game's page on the GOG.com