Introduction

Construction and simulation games (CSGs) offer players the chance to build and/or manage something, such as an anthill or a city, while operating within economic constraints. In this book, you’ll learn about the gameplay of construction and management, and consider the unique actions and challenges these games provide. You’ll also study user interfaces (UIs) in these kinds of games. As an example, we will spend time discussing SimCity, which was the first successful construction game. We’ll also look at pure business simulations, games that focus on managing economic processes. The section on hybrid games examines titles such as Sid Meier’s Civilization V; hybrid games blend certain qualities of management simulations and war games.

What Are Construction and Simulation Games?

Construction and simulation games are about managing systems. The player’s goal is not to defeat an enemy but to build something within the context of an ongoing process. The better the player understands and controls the process, the more success she has at building. Typically these games include both a free-form construction mode, in which the player can build things any way she likes, and prebuilt scenarios for her to manage.

Construction and Simulation Games

Construction and simulation games (CSGs) are ones in which the majority of challenges are economic, and concern growth. Construction activity is an essential element of any CSG. Pattern recognition and exploration challenges may also be present. CSGs avoid physical coordination and conflict challenges, unless they are hybrids with another genre.

The first really successful computerized CSG was SimCity, which proved that computer games don’t need high-speed action or violence to succeed. SimCity succeeds in part because it does not have these properties and, therefore, appeals to a broad audience. We’ll examine SimCity in some detail later in the e-book.