board games

This game seems to be a cross between Sim City and Monopoly. I got this game for Christmas from a friend. I must say at the onset that I was prepared to be disappointed. I've played more "Tycoon" games than anyone I know. And most of them were junk compared to some of the greats like Zoo Tycoon and Roller Coaster Tycoon.

But I was surprised. This game is good. The many tutorials give you the kick in the pants you will need to get you started. Even if you've played other 'tycoon' games, you =will= need to refresh your knowledge of what you can do in Monopoly Tycoon.

The many scenarios for single players give you ample time to use what you've learned from the tutorials, and there's three levels of difficulty for each scenario. Try playing each scenario in all three of the difficulty modes: Bronze Cup (the easiest), Silver Cup (medium), and Gold Cup (the hardest). Some of the beginning tutorials are fairly easy in all three difficulty modes, but you will eventually find one that you cannot get past, even at the Bronze Cup level, without a little creative thought.

You can build a wide selection of businesses in each block, from apartments (people gotta have a place to live), to businesses, including those available for shopping in daytime (such as clothing stores and markets) and those available for entertainment at nighttime (such as theaters and nightclubs).

Play long enough, and the game adds even more new stores to build. Check the blocks that have apartments with the "poll" tool, and find out what your residents want you to build. People will come to those businesses first. And you'll make money faster than your competition, which is how you win.

There are many characters from the Monopoly game, each with their own personality traits that can be used to your advantage in each scenario. Try playing a few of the single player games as all of the characters and see what I mean.

And there's still people on the Internet that participate in Monopoly Tycoon online. Once you learn a bit more than the basics, try a multiplayer online game. You'll need all of what you learned about the game to win a multiplayer game.

I can recommend this game to anyone that has a love of tycoon games. I like it, and at this price, you can't beat it.

If you are looking for an online version of the Parker Brother's Monopoly game; this ain't it. But, if you are looking for a really fun game with lots of challenging scenerios, then you'll enjoy this game. It is an imaginative The Sims meet Monopoly kind of thing. The graphics could be more sophisticated, but overall it is lots of fun and definitely not a waste of money. I would have liked to rate this a 4.5 because it is really better than the rating of 4 might make it seem.