Capitalism, love it or hate it, it is a thing. How one feels about that word largely depends on factors we simply havent the time to discuss in such an article, an article that is going to celebrate games for the most part. Suffice to say, that for those of us in the West, having negative feelings about Capitalism is akin to a salmon having negative feelings about fresh water. We are going to explore games that put the principles of capitalism to use as a game mechanic. Its only fitting when its considered that a great way to examine the subject of capitalism is through a games paradigm. So, without further ado, lets look at ten games that put making and managing money or resources at the forefront.
10. The Roller Coaster Tycoon Series
It could be argued that based on the title of this article that every game in the RTS simulator genre could either all be included in one example or be every example. However, that would be too easy, and less fun. So instead were going to explore why Roller Coaster Tycoon bears mentioning amongst its counterparts. The goal in Roller Coaster Tycoon isnt simply to build attractions and watch them run autonomously, but to use that process as a means to an end, the end being to make gobs of money. Each customer who walks into the players park has a set amount of money in their pockets. The goal in the game is to make their money your money plain and simple. The money that is earned then goes into making improvements to the theme park itself which will in turn (you guessed it) make the player even more money. Like real life, the goal is to make money. There is no final boss or end game that Im aware of, the player simply builds until they cant build anymore. After which they move on to a new location or game entirely. Other games in this sub genre also feature economic systems of varying complexity, but often the goal isnt to simply generate revenue.