Video games based on management do not sound like the most attractive for players, but since the nineties, they have become increasingly popular.
The most famous of them all is still SimCity, a city management game that dominated the early home computer market. Since then, players have been able to manage railroads, hospitals, theme parks and even beach resorts. It seems that managing business and enterprise is just as exciting in the digital world as it must be in real life. In fact, Gamesindustry.biz speculates it could be down to the attention to detail, or the more sedate and managed pace with which we like to see progress. Crucially, rather than tell a story, these titles make a gamer write their own, which is doubtless another huge part of the appeal.
If you look hard enough, you can find a management Sim for just about anything, and one business gamers have enjoyed getting their hands on is a casino. There are plenty of modern titles which allow a player to set up and run a casino, and given the complexities of such an establishment, it leads to some varied gameplay and unique experiences. Most of the gaming world focus on what happens on the customer’s side of the table, as we explored in our article on Zynga Poker, but these alternative games allow the budding Sam Rothstein’s out there to make their fictional fortune, too.
Casino Tycoon
Casino Tycoon dropped in 2001 on PC and offered gamers one of the earliest casino management experiences. It featured cameos from famous fictional characters, such as Marlon Brando from the Godfather, but also focused on the day-to-day running of your casino. You could hire (and fire) staff, buy other casinos and run the table games. It might not be easy to find now, but it is certainly one of the forefathers of the genre.
Casino RPG
Casino RPG is an unusual title that merges casino management with the experience on the other side of the table. It’s a browser RPG but can also be played on social media, and the unique blend of experiences make it worth checking out. With any casino management simulator, it pays to understand the basics of a working establishment, including the rules of the game, but with Casino RPG it is essential. Some games, such as roulette, are very basic and easy to pick up, whilst others are not. Poker, for instance, is a game with many different variants and hand rankings, so it would be of benefit to use the poker hands ranking chart on Poker.org to familiarize yourself with the basics before setting out to manage a casino, even if it is fictional. It will certainly benefit you in the quirky Casino RPG title as you pit your wits against other players online in an experience more akin to an MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online role-playing game).
Vegas: Make it Big
Vegas: Make it Big feels much more like titles such as Sim Theme Park than the others on the list. The core concept is very much the same; you have to build your establishment from the ground up, but to do so you will need to be reactive to customers’ needs and opinions, offering them the experience they want. Just like in the ‘Sim’ games, they wander up to your building with thought bubbles, suggesting the games they wish to play or the mood they are in. You start by buying your lot in Vegas, choosing the theme and away you go. As you progress through the game you get given core objectives to meet too, such as building statues and signs to promote your casino. You will not need to understand the complexities of the games for this challenge though, and to prepare for the experience you are better off understanding how some of the previous business simulators have worked.
Robert J. Smith is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including JoyStiq and Android Authority. In regards to academics, Robert earned a degree in business from Fordham University. Robert has passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.