One of the games I have the most affection for is Theme Hospital. Not because it was overall the greatest game I have ever played- it was far from it. Nor was it a game that would leave a lasting impact on my views of gaming as a medium. I just love it as a game because of what it expected us to do- build a hospital and keep it hygienic and running well for the patients that come through the door. I have a similar fondness for Theme Park though I played far less of it and while I found Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis' graphics and game mechanics occasionally infuriating- particularly when the dinos got loose- I still liked seeing the park get built in front of my eyes. Thing is, I like these tycoon type games. They're the video game version of a model railway, where the idea of playing is not for some storyline accomplishment or for some challenge of beating the game but rather to engage in something that may never end. However this strength is also in some ways its weakness, for many tycoon games just seem to take the model rail scenario to its limit- trusting the player to provide all his own incentive to continue to add bits to their own hospital/theme park/rollercoaster/railway/crime-against-nature-tourist-attraction. Some games recognise this- such as Lionhead's the Movies which saw your studio compete with other studios to be top dog. The idea of competing with 'other' tycoons rather than set targets made the game feel more competitive and gave gamers more incentive to continue and adapt when their own projects were failing. With that in mind, therefore, I have come up with a few more professions or organisations that could be the context for a tycoon game. Please not some of these have been released by indy devolopers, but on a very low level. Hope you enjoy!