Constructor

This is a real classic! No one has really heard about it! Its a very fun game to play and pack with humour. You basically lead your rowdy stereotypical builders and build a property empire!

But thats not all, you can emply the Mob, Scary Clowns, Hippies and even a dodgy electrician to take out the oppositions buildings. For a game released in 1997 (still playing it after 10 years) it doesn't look half-bad and has some good sound effects and video animations. Each character has a video animation when you click on them or if they use a special ability.

The game has a few difficulty levels for those who like a challenge. Constructor has about 10 different gamemodes, varying from having to make a million, to build a pyramid or just pure and simple open ended fun! The game is deep and has lots and lots features that help you manage your empire. Not only can you attack your opposition, but you can also defend against them! You can either use the Mob or you can build a police station and have them patrol your chosen estates.

For a game that is over 10 years old, the AI is ruthless! They will throw everything you've got against you: they'll use every seedy looking character to try to gain an advantage over you, they'll build on your land (and you can do the same), take over your buildings, even blow them up! However, if you just want a slower pace you can always choose not to play against an enemy and just concentrate on building.

The actual building is quite simple, yet does require some good management skills. There are 4 resources you create (wood, cement, bricks and steel) to build. At the beginning you only build with wood, and once you've build every type of habitible house from that resource then cement opens up and so on. Each level of building has a corresponding level of tenant that can move into a home. You can move different level tenants into a house, but you can't put them into a house that is lower then their level. And how do you get tenants? Well you get your existing ones to make them for you! (Or you can always "convert" some spare workers to a entry level tenant). Your tenants also create workers, policeman hours, mob bribes, special blueprints for grand buildings or just pay you rent.

Each house has a bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom - all can be upgraded - which bring benefits to you and your tenants.

The game has a few flaws, like not being able to use the right mouse button to move your units (instead you have to left click select move and then click on your desired location).