Cartel Tycoon (1980s Narcotics Business Sim)
Lol what a perfect idea for a game. I love playing sims, mostly those of the deep dive type made famous by Side Meier. Civilization, duh. In his incredible programming career, dude also started the tycoon craze, whereby the player runs some sort of business. He was not the first to conceive of this idea by any means, but in classic Meier style he made it gold. It started with railroads, it eventually led theme parks, and, yeah, here we go, drugs, prostitutes, casinos, and everything that makes dirty money fun. Start some gang wars, pay off mayors, grow opium, it’s all here where you can be a Cartel Tycoon, capo.
Cartel Tycoon has three modes, including the much-needed “Tutorial.”. As you follow the story you’re introduced to all the mechanics of running illegal business in South America. As with any tycoon title, there’s a shit ton to learn. By means of the story you should find it rather easy, and even for advanced players it’s largely required in order to play properly. Cartel Tycoon revolves entirely around its theme, but the mechanics are largely what one would expect for a business sim, which is the primary sadness. The illegal aspect adds a refreshing, nasty flavor, but as a whole there’s absolutely nothing you haven’t played before; it’s just another business sim with a focus on the 1980s narco trade in South America. Experienced players will also find ways to exploit mechanics almost immediately, because it’s built on recycled ideas. I noticed some occasional problems with transportation of goods as well, but overall the programming is solid. The question simply is whether you’re into taking on another business sim just for the theme, since you’ve likely played this type of thing before, just not as dirty.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Cartel Tycoon
Moon Moose (developer), tinyBuild (publisher)
4.1 / 5
