Every game on this shelf asks you to build something that runs without you: a city through history, a freight network, an airline, a factory grid or a hospital full of peculiar ailments. The cards below give you the shape of each one; the full reviews tell you how a fortnight with it really feels.
Start here01A settlement that begins with Stone Age huts and climbs through the ages of history and beyond. Forge points push research, Great Buildings demand blueprints and patience, and hex-grid battles add a tactical bite. The deepest and most rewarding long-haul builder in the yard, provided you enjoy rearranging your streets every few weeks.
Best with friends02A shared map, live goods prices and dozens of rival railway companies all trying to grow the same towns. Rail Nation rewards tidy delivery chains, a well-expanded station and, above all, a hard-working association. Six eras of engines lead to an endgame where the top cities race to finish. The best team game on our shelf.
Prettiest city03Choose elves or humans and grow an elegant city through a research tree of more than two hundred improvements. Guest races arrive through a portal with their own sub-cities, Ancient Wonders reward long planning, and fellowships bring a friendly team layer. Calmer than Forge of Empires, and lovelier to look at.
For number lovers04Take a starting budget of 300 million dollars, a world map of some 2,600 real airports and a fleet of modern aircraft, then decide where to fly. Size each aircraft to the demand, borrow from the bank, fund research and tune your cabin services. A tycoon for people who enjoy a spreadsheet as much as a flight radar.
No sign-up05Open a browser tab and start building straight away, no account required. Lay out buildings on a tile grid, route resources between them and keep production lines fed while the game carries on producing in your absence. A global player market for your goods and a prestige system give a quick-session game surprising depth.
Light relief06Patients arrive with bizarre ailments, each needing the right treatment in the right room. Build treatment rooms, improve your equipment, research new options and expand your clinic from a modest practice into a busy hospital. upjers’ cheerful management game is the lightest, funniest shift in the yard, played straight in your browser.
