Originally published on The Playing Fields

Move over Saddam, Castro and Mussolini. A new dictator is about to take control - You! Welcome to Tropico, the latest in a long line of Sim games that seem to be flooding the market. So why is this one any different? Well, you get to be bad!

Set in an obscure Carribean island you move in to take control. As with any ruler it’s your job to make your citizens happy. And being a Sim game the easiest way to do that is give them what they want. Build banks, shops, radio stations, golf courses and over a hundred different buildings and businesses. You can even set up a brothel, for the seedier side of town, complete with working girls - $10 dollar good time!

Peace and serenity is the order of the day - but as with most governments or rulers there’s another side to life that you don’t want your now happy citizens to find out about.

With casinos, brothels, and of course, the booming tourist trade, it’s easy to start topping up your unofficial pension plan stashed safely in the unofficial Swiss bank account. Life is good. But just to be on the safe side you better set up some sort of security. A police force - to protect and serve. Some soldiers, just in case of invasion and of course the secret police, to take care of any unwanted business, quickly and quietly.

You’re now set for the good life. Hey hold on a minute - this all seems a bit too easy. But don’t fear, trouble is near. Let's face it you can’t please all of the people all of the time. And that’s where it starts to go wrong. One day your counting your money pile living the life of riley, the next someone’s shouting "Revolution" and you're hiding in a bunker not knowing if your armed guards are really on your side.

And how does this story end? Well that’s up to you, the player. Have you got what it takes or will you end up being overthrown?

If you’re a Sim fan you're bound to like this game. Still in early development and not expected until later this year, Tropico is set to add another angle to the now saturated Sims market. And if nothing else it’s the first Sim game that allows you to set up a brothel - something, I’m sure, some of you have dreamt about since the age of 16!

Sam ‘Cyberchic’ Kilshaw.