Distribution and Resource Scheduling Games

[heymrdj]

I'm trying to help a girl that really enjoys these kinds of games. She plays my truck simulator games alot (Euro Truck Simulator 1/2, Extreme trucker ect) but those concentrate alot on the driving aspects. She plays electric box puzzle solving, but obviously there's no resource scheduling. She plays those nuclear reactor games online, where you tune a nuclear reactor just right to service a town, but they don't vary much (they don't show managing the system as electric loads go up and down). She plays some online train stuff, but they pretty much all boil down to throwing switches. Nothing like scheduling pickups with the trains and track resources you have ect. Some of the most fun she's had are the Airport Madness games from Big Fat Simulations, I've bought her every one of those games. But the recent game quality has went way down, as what used to be a feature that was finally added (sandbox mode), is now all the most recent game is, with no goals or wins or anything. So after an hour she gets a bit bored with it.

I know I'm looking for a specific neiche of games, but I figured I'd ask AT anyways. Trains, buses, utilities, just routing and scheduling that stuff is fun and challenging for her. Can be free or paid.

 

[robvp]

Closest things i can think of is pocket planes and pocket trains on mobile

 

[heymrdj]

Closest things i can think of is pocket planes and pocket trains on mobile

This looks interesting, but it'd have to be compatible with some way to get it onto a PC without a phone. She doesn't have a phone (too young) and I have a Windows 8.1 phone.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

She'd probably like turn based strategy games like Civilization V, you essentially have to build up an entire civilization from scratch and manage the resources of each of your cities, you can tailor your gameplay style to someting you find fun, so if you want to go the war route you can, or win through trade and politics with neighbours, or merely through scientific growth.

If she's quite young it's something you can dial down the difficulty and complexity by having small games with a few easy opponents on a small map and work you way up to absolutely epic games.

 

[paperfist]

Does it have to be modern?

The old railroad tycoon games had you pickup cargo and deliver them to various stations that you build. You had to pick various quantities as they become available.

 

[Jodell88]

Open TTD
Simutrans

 

[cbrunny]

Sid Meier's Railroads. An oldie but a goodie. On the harder difficulty settings this should tick the boxes.

 

[paperfist]

Open TTD
Simutrans

Thanks I've been looking for a good train game and forgot about Simutrans. It looks like they have some nice graphic packages now.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Openttd and Simutrans for sure are the best if the building aspect is fun too for her.

Modern option she may enjoy, Cities in Motion ...

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

What about the recent Prison Architect thread?

 

[heymrdj]

Openttd and Simutrans for sure are the best if the building aspect is fun too for her.

Modern option she may enjoy, Cities in Motion ...

I'll look into these, never heard of them but they sound like they are down the right path.

She'd probably like turn based strategy games like Civilization V, you essentially have to build up an entire civilization from scratch and manage the resources of each of your cities, you can tailor your gameplay style to someting you find fun, so if you want to go the war route you can, or win through trade and politics with neighbours, or merely through scientific growth.

If she's quite young it's something you can dial down the difficulty and complexity by having small games with a few easy opponents on a small map and work you way up to absolutely epic games.

She plays my Civ III and 4 on the Xbox and she wasn't too impressed by the paths to choose. I mean she enjoyed the games but they aren't down this line that she's choosing.

Does it have to be modern?

The old railroad tycoon games had you pickup cargo and deliver them to various stations that you build. You had to pick various quantities as they become available.

Not at all, just new to her I hadn't thought of the Tycoon series of games, those could definitely hold something. Thanks!

 

[heymrdj]

Open TTD
Simutrans

Thanks for this suggestion! I think she's gonna like Simutrans.

Sid Meier's Railroads. An oldie but a goodie. On the harder difficulty settings this should tick the boxes.

Hadn't heard of it, but I'll look for it. Thanks!

What about the recent Prison Architect thread?

Somehow I never saw this thread, but OMG this looks epic. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about! I'll get the CC

 

[paperfist]

What about the recent Prison Architect thread?

That's a good one as you literally have to schedule prisoner events. Have to setup kitchen and cooking times along with the resources. Prisoners come in a certain times and you have to be ready to accommodate them.

Even though it's animated it's pretty violent. When crowds get out of control they stab each other to death with blood splats all over the screen. I never checked to see if you can turn it off. It's definitely a planning type game.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

How about an old school game like Master of Orion II?