There was once a demo desk that came with a PC magazine I purchase as a child. On one of those demo disks, there must have been Gazillionaire. I played that demo so many times, and in so many different ways.
Imagine being given the keys to the full features of the Civ game franchise, but only being able to play for twenty turns. That's all I got with Gazillionare, and a few years ago, when it was added to Steam, I must have redownloaded the demo, and never removed it from my library - because yes, this is a game review based on a demo that's in my Steam collection.
Coloured by nostalgia; but informed by a few hours of gameplay, and I must say, that the fundamental formula of Gazillionare holds up, over 20 thousand years later, as the game industry has moved onto microtransactions and all sorts of other things.
From the crude, child-like game art with a raft of gradients that look like they came out of a modern PFP generated NFT collection, to the charming narrative and random events that set you back (or forward) on your quest to become the richest trader in all the known universe, Gazillionaire combines comedy, strategy, risk, reward, and addictive gameplay that just makes you want to play one more turn.
Think of it as the eponymous and addictive Drug Wars, but instead of trading illicit drugs, murdering fellow gang members, and running from the cops; you're paying back a loan, paying taxes (or trying to dodge them) - and trying to carve out a monopoly across the galaxy as you engage yourself in all sorts of economic winds:
- Trading
- Stock Markets
- Port Fees / Facility Fees
- Fuel Management
- Insurance
- Staff Wages and Industrial Disputes
- Geo-Politics on a Galaxy-Wide Scale
- Operating a passenger service
It's such a great formula, and yet so simple. Yet, there's so much depth; from being able to choose your style of space ship and run it around the galaxy, to finding the best deals in the market, and plotting a route.
From fuelling up your ship just enough when galactic turmoil increases energy prices, or being the saviour that brings unfathomable tons worth of jellybeans to a planet in need of aid. You see, this game is unique and charming, and with all the random events that occur; you really get to have some fun and hilarious events that just make you grin from ear to ear.
Go play the demo. It's free. You'll love it. Then put it on your Steam wishlist (where, like mine) - its sat for about a billion years waiting for sale.
One of my all time favourites, even if it is so delightfully simple, crude, and basic. It gets everything right.
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