Evil Genius mixes simulation, management and real time strategy putting players in charge of their own evil villain lair as they attempt to complete their plans for world domination one country at a time. Originally launched in 2004 Evil Genius still has a strong cult like following of fans with comparison to the popular Dungeon Keeper series of games which launched several years earlier. With age does come some limitations however with graphics and general polish quickly falling behind other mo...[Read Review]
A Game of Dwarves puts you at the head of a dwarf settlement and gives you complete control of building a new and thriving civilisation. This civilisation of dwarves is highly customisable with the experience focusing on the dungeon simulation and creation elements rather than a robust and deep layer of strategic gameplay. While this means A Game of Dwarves can’t live up to the likes of Dwarf Fortress in terms of challenge it does provide the necessary tools and freedom to create a thriving dwar...[Read Review]
StarTopia was put together by former Bullfrog employees and has you take control of several space stations as you attempt to create a thriving space hub for the galaxy. StarTopia was released back in 2001 and features the same humour filled gameplay that made the Dungeon Keeper series and similar games such as Theme Hospital so popular. The game takes place in a universe that has been devastated by war with players taking control of one of the few remaining space stations and a beacon of hope in...[Read Review]
Spore combines a number of genres together and ultimately unleashes players out to space after starting as a single cell organism. Giving you full control over how your species of creatures evolve throughout their development alongside their overall philosophy and technology Spore is a rare experience to shape the planet and the galaxy. The shining star of Spore though is the creation system that gives players a huge amount of options when creating their creatures which has led to plenty of crea...[Read Review]
From Dust combines a number of genres incorporating strategy, building and god games into one. The game was published by Ubisoft in July 2011 for the Xbox 360 with other platform releases becoming available several months later. Gameplay in From Dust is definitely unique and has players assuming the role of a god like character that controls the game world from the skies. Your job as this figure is to enlighten the nomadic tribe that lives on your island by using the tool sphere that you have at...[Read Review]
Populous: The Beginning blends strategy and god games together to create an interesting and fun hybrid. The game is the third in the series and was developed by Bullfrog Productions who also developed the highly popular Dungeon Keeper series. In the game players will join their tribe as a shaman who wishes to achieve victory over rival tribes and ultimately join the stars as a god herself. There are a total of four tribes in the game (red, green, yellow and blue which the player controls). This ...[Read Review]
Banished is one of the latest additions to the city building genre (launching in early 2014) and takes it into a unique medieval setting. Unlike other games where you have an abundance of resources you’ll find yourself focusing on balancing your scarce supplies to try and thrive. The game starts you off with your own community of outcasts who have come together and decided to start their own settlement. Banished randomly generates a new world each time so it’s always challenging and fresh. With ...[Read Review]
Rise to Ruins (previously Retro-Pixel Castles) challenges you to survive in a game that blends colony management, god like powers and survival into a single game. With noted inspiration from the likes of Banished and Dwarf Fortress but offering something different at the same time Rise to Ruins has wide audience appeal. The core experience in Rise to Ruins though is the management of your village which is presented in a pixel like design. This core game (survival mode) is also designed for playe...[Read Review]
Creatures Exodus was released in 2004 as a compilation package of Creatures 3 and Docking Station. Creatures 3 was one of the most advanced and popular games in the evolution simulation series known as Creatures. Creatures 3 offers similar gameplay to previous games in the series with players hatching creatures (known as Norns) and helping them to mature into intelligent life forms. Players achieve this by breeding and teaching their Norns. With careful breeding players can engineer certain trai...[Read Review]
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is the Xbox 360 exclusive sequel to the widely popular Viva Pinata. With similar gameplay but additional biomes and co-operative play the title is everything you loved plus a little extra. The game was eventually made available on Xbox One through the Rare Replay compilation. In Trouble in Paradise players will return to the magical island of the original game and once again be gardener to the unique pinatas that live there. Starting from scratch players are give...[Read Review]
Viva Pinata turns a unique game idea into a fun sandbox simulation game with beautifully crafted graphics that can be enjoyed by all ages. Viva Pinata is published by Microsoft Game Studios and is available on PC and Xbox 360 (with spin-off games on the Nintendo DS). The focus in Viva Pinata is on designing the perfect garden in order to attract and breed the various pinatas that are present in the game. Viva Pinata offers a visually pleasing game with a focus on younger children and casual game...[Read Review]
Creatures: The Albian Years is a re-released version of Creatures 1 and 2 which also comes with the additional Life Kits and Object Packs which add additional content to the games. The first two games in the Creatures series take place on the planet of Albia which features a variety of environments similar to that found on Earth. Spread across the world are a number of abandoned laboratories that have been left over from a highly advanced race known as the Shee (who have mysteriously left the pl...[Read Review]