Published on 28 Apr, 2021
This is The Rally Point, a regular column where the inimitable Sin Vega delves deep into strategy gaming.
Having namedropped Tropico in the very last episode, I discovered two things this week: the happy fluke that it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the first game in the series, and that after years of waiting to use serendipitous , it reads far too pompously to open an introduction with it.
It s a perfect opportunity to bring up why I love the series, because that should counter-balance all the complaining I m going to do. And I m hinging it on this: I don t want Tropico 7. I want another Tropico 2.
City-building game Tropico celebrates 20th anniversary with discounts and free stuff
One of my favourite city-building games of the past decade has to be Tropico. As the newly ‘elected’ despot of an insignificant banana republic, it’s your job to secure your island’s (and your own) fortune by any means necessary. It’s quite compact versus something like Cities: Skylines, but it also has oodles of atmosphere and a banging soundtrack to boot.
The series celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and to kick off the celebrations publisher Kalypso is offering the entire series – including current iteration Tropico 6 – at some respectable discounts. There’s a special event running for the sixth game where you can earn free cosmetic prizes, such as a ‘golden palace’ skin for the capitol building.