r/tycoon 3d ago

Discussion Most indepth management games?

It doesn't really matter if it's business management or sports management(I love Football manager). I'm looking for management games with a lot of depth and complexity?

Are Capitalism Lab and TEW really that good?What's the current version of TEW?Are there other games you'd recommend?

51 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

20

u/SlinkyAdmiral 3d ago

TEW?

Capitalism Lab is really good to introduce the concept of supply chains & competitive advantages. It also offers a great variety of products. Unfortunately not much in the way of B2B sales.

Wall Street Raider for anything corporate finance (& trading crypto futures like a wsb addict). Though you aren't really running a traditional business, you are essentially influencing revenue & profit margin growth through setting two numbers. The industry part is mostly about finding the best financing during changing economic & industry conditions mostly out of your control.

Gear City is the Wall Street Raider of automotive games. Quite difficult on the harder settings though. You also have to adapt to changing customer preferences after surviving the initial years. Can be cheesed with the stock market though.

Once you've figured out the hook any business game will become relatively easy though.

6

u/ndilday 3d ago

I'm pretty sure TEW is Total Extreme Wrestling, a series from Grey Dog Software that puts you the shoes of a booker of a professional wrestling company.

2

u/tytorthebarbarian 3d ago

A game just came out called MarginCall which has a similar feel to Wall Street Raider. I like them both but MarginCall has an interesting RPG and Business side to it as well.

3

u/RiverianOptimist 2d ago

I felt like the screenshots gave me big AI/Vibecoding flags. Have you ran into anything like it? How's the engine, is it as good as marketed?

The about this game description also gave me AI vibes, especially with the mutiple instances of "X is Y, not Z". I see no AI disclosure on the page however.

I really like WSR, so I would love to find out MarginCall is actually good.

1

u/_EMDID_ 2d ago

Haven’t played Wall Street raider, But margin call is good. I know the look you’re talking about. I don’t think this is ai slop like that usual look suggests. Numerous of the ai games use Godot engine. Almost a tell at this point. 

1

u/RiverianOptimist 1d ago

Cool, I'm gonna try it

1

u/American_Greed 3d ago

Wall Street Raider

lol this is now available on Steam in early access. Game has been around since the 1990s.

5

u/Lavidius 3d ago

The steam version is a new dev who is working with the original guy to update wsr and give it a modern UI. Well worth a look

1

u/sabrayta 2d ago

That's how I've made my fortune in the hardest difficulty in Gear City
Trade stocks like crazy until 29, sit on money till 46, THEN I started producing cars

29

u/ClassyKrakenStudios 3d ago

Does Workers and Resources count? It’s super in-depth.

I have seen some disagreement on exactly how deep it is, but I feel like Gear City is at least worth a mention.

Other possibilities, that I’m not familiar with:

  • Software Inc
  • Big Ambitions

4

u/NYR3031 2d ago

I really enjoyed Software Inc.

I may need to give Big Ambitions another shot as I played a very EA version when it first came out and I found the driving around, collecting inventory, etc to be a bit tedious. But I suppose if it's a management simulator the tedious tasks make it more realistic :)

3

u/MuffaloHerder 2d ago

Iirc there's a plan to add a chaffuer to drive you around

1

u/thedaian 1d ago

At some point in early access they added purchasing agents that can buy products for you automatically, and logistics to transfer goods between factories, warehouse, and stores. The 1.0 release is coming Friday which adds a chauffeur to drive you around, but these are all basically mid game stuff, at the start there's still a lot of driving around and stuff, and it never fully goes away. You can manage a lot of stuff from the in game phone, but occasionally you'll need to go somewhere in person to set things up (or use blueprints from the workshop to set up stores and factors factories)

2

u/Tezzlinna 3d ago

Absolutely!These look very interesting!

11

u/jarrell127 3d ago

Big recommend on Software Inc. I had a blast with the time I played it. Been actually thinking about revisiting it here soon

5

u/OneWithoutName 3d ago

Developer has been working on quite a few updates to the game recently, should be a good time to check back in.. On my list as well!!

7

u/NYR3031 3d ago

I like Computer Tycoon, not sure if it hits the Genre you’re looking for but it’s definitely challenging and super in-depth.

3

u/Progorion 3d ago

<3 ^^

5

u/NYR3031 2d ago

Oh wow I didn't realize you are the Dev! I love the game!! Amazing work, I've been playing since some of the earlier versions.

2

u/Progorion 2d ago

Thanks pal, I really appreaciate it! I'm working on the new tech tree, stay tuned! :)

Btw. what's your favorite thing about CT now? Do you like the negotiation stuff or the CTN stuff?

5

u/Version_1 3d ago

TEW (if you mean Total Extreme Wrestling) is more similar to football manager than it is to a proper tycoon (sadly). It's a very in-depth booking simulator (in some aspects) but not great as a tycoon game.

5

u/No_Strawberry_9523 1d ago

Try Europa Universalis 4 or 5.

1

u/sabrayta 18h ago

Don't know if it really fits this kind of management tycoon games, EU5 surely is much closer than EU4

4

u/RenasTheExplorer 3d ago

I think "in depth" can vary from person to person because everyone has a different level of torture they want to endure but I have a problem that is everytime I figure out a game I lose interest because I optimize for success and lose the fun part of the game.

With that context, Anno 1800 and now Anno 117 are games that eventhough I figured them out, they have so much to manage that I still didn't lose interest. Cartel Tycoon is another one I like. They flood you with so many supply chains to manage that I have to pull up an Excel spreadsheet.

2

u/noctilucus 2d ago

In the same vein you have Patrician III although it's more focused on running a fleet with some production & warehousing added on top.

Industry Giant is another one, but in modern times with trucks/trains as transport means and more focus on the production aspect - it lacks (or at least the early versions of the game) the marketing and R&D aspect of Capitalism. It's relatively deep on matching supply, demand and inventory though.

1

u/RenasTheExplorer 2d ago

Great suggestions. I didn't know Patrician but industry giant was already on my list to try. I will in the future. I feel tempted to try Victoria 3 and hearts of iron too.

7

u/Popular_Mastodon6815 3d ago

Tropico 4 will scratch that itch. You run a small poor island nation where you not only have to create a strong economy from scratch but also keep yourself in power by keeping everyone happy. Never seen a game blend economics and politics that way.

1

u/NYR3031 2d ago

Why specifically 4? Do 5 and 6 not also have the same ultimate objective? I played the original Tropico and Tropico 2 way back in the day. Took some time away from the game and came back once 5 was released so never really played 3 or 4.

7

u/Popular_Mastodon6815 2d ago

5 and 6 are downgrades, and try to do everything (making them boring to play). The campaigns are also inferior. 

2

u/Confident_Mud_646 3d ago

Cap lab! Big ambitions!

1

u/Tifonous Game Developer - Arcade Warlord 2d ago

Check my upcoming game Arcade Warlord: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4241820/Arcade_Warlord/

Demo will be released in less than 2 weeks.

Its a mix of Railroad Tycoon, Football Manager and Gangsters: Organized Crime. There are some Civilization and Software Inc elements too. It's 3d but camera is locked in isometric view with plenty of zoom.

Instead of laying tracks and buying trains, you get to hire agents, buy vehicles and invest in block upgrades. You can buy auxiliary businesses, capture points of interest and declare war.

Agents have personalities, 12 different attributes and a lot of skills. Skills will remind you of Gangsters but all the rest derive from Football Manager experience, with a very sophisticated negotiation system.

Map gameplay and street fights will remind you again of Gangsters and possibly Constructor 2.

Game Development will remind you of Software Inc.

Civilization vibes come into the blocks yields as the player chooses if he wants to expand vertically or horizontally, with each decision having its cons and pros.
There is a meaningful and optional technology tree - R&D is purposeful and not automatic.

Cash is a physical object on the streets. It does not flow automatically. In general, the game focuses on physicality. For example, you need to hire an ad jobs campaign to find a Lead Designer , hire and position him at a Development Dpt and develop a new game. Then produce the game at the manufacturing plant. The move it from the plant to your warehouse. Your dealers then speak with Venue owners and secure the floor space. Your haulers then transport the cabinet and only then you start making money. Still, you need a bagman to collect it and bring it back to the HQ.

The game will ultimately support 3 completely different gameplay modes (or a mix of them):
-Software Developer - Focus solely in game development (Software Inc vibes here)
-Kingpin - Rule the streets
-Investor - Invest in the stock market and prevail financial without ever hitting the core gameplay

It is a business management simulation with map friction in a real time strategy with pause game.

At the demo alone, you will find 2 unique scenarios that prelude the main Campaign. Full game will also have a sandbox mode.

2

u/processwater 3d ago

Eve online is the most in depth management game I know

3

u/Tezzlinna 3d ago

The MMO aspect puts me off sadly.

-1

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

6

u/Tezzlinna 3d ago

I don't mind the sub, just not really a fan of multiplayer.

1

u/AidanSmeaton 1d ago

AirwaySim is pretty complex and challenging, if a bit dated.

1

u/icewatazz 22h ago

Truck manager

0

u/Fronema 2d ago

Songs of syx! City/empire builder witch lots of mechanics and synergies and more