Time management games are engaging for users who receive additional resources, ways to extend the time, and extra nuances to increase the difficulty of the gameplay. Unlike hidden-object games from iWin and other casual game genres, time management games can get rather complex because you’re in control of how the game evolves. This genre sometimes mixes with real-time strategy games, as both share a lot in common. If you want to experience this fun and challenging type of game, here are three to start with.
‘Build-a-lot’
1.) This game series is heavily reminiscent of “SimCity,” with a focus on building up neighborhoods instead of running an entire city. You work as a contractor who needs to meet profit, sales and building goals in each neighborhood. You have a variety of items to work with, building types you purchase by buying blueprints, and a number of goals on each level. The beginning levels are simple, giving you tasks such as fixing existing buildings. As the game progresses, you have to build entire neighborhoods from scratch and sell the houses or rent them out. You also get into a commercial building over time, adding another layer of complexity. The mechanics are simple to learn, but this game is no slouch in the challenge department.
‘Cafe Murder’
2.) Restaurant games are standard fare in the time management genre, so game developers have to work hard to stand out from the crowd. “Cafe Murder” adds an entertaining game mechanic to spice up its entry in the restaurant game field. You play as the waitress in a restaurant, and your main goal is to get food to your customers. It sounds like every other restaurant game so far. However, you also have to keep your customers from getting murdered by the psychotic chef who cooks all of the food. This game doesn’t look pretty, but what it does have is a lot of quirky personality that keeps you hooked. You unlock more ingredients over time as you build up your restaurant and keep the kill count of your chef low. Works on iOS.
‘Garage Inc.’
3.) A lot of time management games deal with city building and restaurants, so “Garage Inc.” is a nice change of pace for the game setting. You’re in a 1920s garage, so this is doubly attractive if you have a thing for classic cars, as well as unique time management game settings. You’re an Italian, newly immigrated to Chicago, who has to get profits going so you can pay a Mafia loan back. The graphics look great, and all of the story is delivered through voice acting. The gameplay itself is similar to many time management games. You inspect the cars for issues and repair them before sending the cars back to their owners. As you advance through the levels, you gain employees to help certain parts of the repair process. Works on Windows and Mac.
Share some of your favorite time management games below.
Image by Ian Dick pursuant to the terms of Creative Commons license.
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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