These games are the perfect foil to multiplayer madness, offering a table of absorbing escapism for one. I built impregnable castles in Stronghold, and I sank days into Game Dev Story-a game about making games.
My villainous lairs in Dungeon Keeper 2 and Evil Genius were beyond comparison. I ran a studio in The Movies, managed a menagerie in Zoo Tycoon, and constructed the pyramids in Pharaoh. I spent countless days building in Sim Tower, SimCity, and Theme Park.
Before kids and other responsibilities, when I regularly gamed into the wee small hours, playing management sims was one of my favorite things to do.
