Best Free Tycoon Games

Simulation games are one of the most expansive and popular game genres the world over. It’s also one of the most popular on mobile because the controls work very well on touch screens. They’re easy to play, fun to engage with, and some of them can last for years. Simulation games are fairly easy to explain. It’s a game where things happen automatically and you just kind of push things along in certain directions with your decisions. The idea is to emulate a specific activity (often real life) as closely as possible. There are also a ton of mobile games that combine genres with simulation for varying experiences. If you want the best bang for your buck, here are the best simulation games for Android!

  1. Best Free Tycoon Games On Steam
  2. Best Free Tycoon Games Steam
  3. Best Free Online Tycoon Games
  4. Best Free To Play Tycoon Games
Here are some more excellent Android games to check out!

15 best strategy games for Android!

Slant's New Tool to Help you find the best product for your budget. Best Simulation games on Steam. Stardew Valley is a very simple game where you're free to do. Best Tycoon Games on Steam? Hey all, I'm looking for a new tycoon game on Steam. I'm a big fan of Capitalism Lab, and I currently have the following tycoon/simulation. We have 22 of the top curated Tycoon games just for you! Play online for free with Armor Games, including Corporation Inc, Boom Town and Idle Web Tycoon. We have over 421 of the best Tycoon games for you! Play online for free at Kongregate, including Tangerine Tycoon, Factory idle, and AdVenture Capitalist.

15 best board games for Android!

The Escapists

The Escapists is a sandbox simulator with some puzzle elements as well. Players break out of prison with a variety of methods. You can tunnel under the prison or steal a guard uniform along with many other scenarios. However, you also have to look and play the part. That means showing up for evening count, hiding your tools, and getting along with the other inmates. The game itself includes six prisons to escape from, a rudimentary crafting system, stats to improve, and more. This is one of the few good simulator games with a single price and $6.49 is quite reasonable for what the game has.

Fallout Shelter

Fallout Shelter dominated headlines back in 2015 when it came out. It's lauded for its fun game play, classic Fallout quirkiness, and excellent freemium strategy. In this one, you build a fallout shelter and populate it with dwellers. The dwellers do various jobs to keep the vault going. They also interact with each other in a variety of interesting ways. You can even have them make some babies if you want to. The idea is to create the best vault ever, explore the wasteland, and create a thriving community of living people. Even now, it's one of the best simulation games there is.

Farming Simulator 18

Farming Simulator 18 is the latest in the long running sim series. You build and maintain your own farm. That includes crops, animals, and all kinds of other stuff. The game features dozens of machines to collect and use. Additionally, there are AI helpers that make some stuff a lot easier. There is actually a second yearly farming sim game. Both of them are above average when it comes to sim games. Both of them also come with a price tag along with downloadable content.

Game Dev Tycoon

Game Dev Tycoon is one of the newer simulation games on mobile. It's technically a port from PC, but that doesn't make it bad. You start out with nothing and slowly build a huge game studio. You improve your skills, make various decisions, and try to sell the best games. It's one of a few game developer sim games. However, this one seems to check all of the right boxes. It's also a rare pay-once game with no in-app purchases. The mobile version includes a piracy mode, an updated story line, and touch screen controls.

Godus

Godus is one of the more active simulation games available. You are in charge of building a new civilization. Except you also play God. You can move landscapes around to fit your needs. You'll also be responsible for the well-being of your inhabitants. However, you can also throw meteors and cause natural disasters if you want to. It's almost like a light version of the popular PC series Black and White. It is a freemium title, though, and has many of the same pitfalls as other freemium simulation games.
We have some more fun game recommendations for you!

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Harvest Moon: Light of Hope

Harvest Moon: Light of Hope is one of the newer games in the franchise. It launched on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch before mobile. Many know about the Harvest Moon franchise. It combines farming simulation with some adventure and puzzle elements. Players grow crops, participate in events, and complete missions from the villagers. This is a pay-once game and the most expensive up-front price on the list. However, this is literally a console and PC game on your mobile device. The list of complaints from other players include long load times and the occasional bug. We hope they get those issues sorted out. However, it's still one of the best simulation games on mobile.

Infinite Flight Simulator

Infinite Flight Simulator is another excellent flight sim. It features 35 total aircraft (18 available as in-app purchases) along with 14 regions to fly through. You can customize your conditions by changing the time of day and the weather. You can also have online multiplayer as a paid add-on. There is also a logbook, achievements, and more. It's a fairly extensive and good looking flight sim. However, it's also one of the more expensive simulation games.

Motorsport Manager Mobile 3

Motorsport Manager Mobile 3 is a racing sim. Players build a racing team, a race car, and and manage things like upgrades and improvements. You then race against the competition. This one gets fairly granular as well. Players have to plan for things like pit stops, weather changes, rule changes, and random crashes on the tracks. Your driver and crew also gain levels and are more proficient in certain things than others. It's one of the deeper racing sims on Google Play and it's also relatively new. It goes for $3.99 with some optional in-app purchases as well.

Plague Inc

Plague Inc has been around for a long time but remains one of the best and most in-depth simulation games available. In this one, you’ll be in charge of creating a disease and then orchestrating its spread in order to wipe out humanity. You’ll have access to 12 disease types, an AI that makes it challenging to infect everyone, and you’ll have 50 countries to infect. It also comes with leaderboards, achievements, and the developers have added some expansions over the years. Most of the in-app purchases just unlock more content to play with.

Pocket City

Pocket City is a city builder sim similar to Sim City. Try saying that one three times quickly. It has most of the mechanics of a city builder. That includes the actual construction of a city, the careful mixing and matching of various types of buildings, and the ability to unlock new land as you go. This one also includes fun, random events like block parties and also things like weather disasters. It's playable in portrait or landscape mode and it's also playable offline. The free version is the base game with advertisements. The premium version goes for $3.99 and contains extra features, a sandbox mode, and it removes the ads.
We're almost through! Here are a couple more game list recommendations!

15 best Android games of 2019!

15 best Android tower defense games! (Updated 2019)

SimCity BuildIt

SimCity BuidIt is about the best SimCity experience you can get without an emulator. It plays like the old games. You'll build a city, deal with acts of God, and solve problems like brown outs and fires. The game includes decent graphics, a social element with a gift system, and various rewards. The developers also hold contests and events to help keep things interesting. The freemium strategy on this one is a bit heavier than most. Thus, those who really don't like microtransactions should probably skip this one and try something like Pocket City instead.

The Sims Mobile

The Sims Mobile is the official mobile game of the popular PC series. A lot of the elements carry over from the PC versions. You create people, give them names, improve their skills, and live their lives. You can customize stuff like hair and fashion along with accessories. There are also a bunch of activities to play with. Players can even socialize in the online multiplayer mode. Of course, you can also build houses, add decorations, and landscape your property as you see fit. It's not too far off from a PC Sims game until you factor in the freemium element. However, it's a simulation game with no competitive elements so you can't really win anything. Thus, even the freemium aspect isn't that bad.

Soccer Manager 2019

Soccer Manager 2019 is a lot like Motorsport Manager Mobile 3 but for soccer (European football) fans. Players take control of a club, improve the players, make trades, and play games. The game includes 800 clubs from 33 countries with somewhat recent rosters. Additionally, players control things like contract negotiations, promotions, and live game adjustments. The are some things we would change, but overall the game is among the best in its genre. It's a freemium so prepare yourself for that, but at this point almost everyone should be.

Star Traders

Star Traders is technically a strategy game. However, we included it here for the same reason we included Godus. You are essentially simulating the career of a space inhabitant. You’ll explore new planets and new sectors while you form alliances with various factions or go at it as an independent contractor. The game is very deep and allows you to play in a variety of ways. You can be a pirate, a military combatant, or even just trade stuff if you want to. It’s wide open and a really fun world to be a part of. The game has a free version and a paid version. Neither of them have in-app purchases or advertising.

Zombie Combat Simulator

Zombie Combat Simulator is a bit of a wild card on the list. It's actually a decent simulator. Players position living and dead characters around the map and then see what transpires. You can control things like health, damage resistance, and even what weapons everyone carries. Additionally, there is a third person shooter mode where you can control one of the characters you place into the sandbox. There isn't really any story here or anything that drives the game forward. However, you can simulate as many scenarios are you want. Finally, the game includes online and local multiplayer modes as well as offline single player support.
Best Free Tycoon Games

Thank you for reading! Here are some final recommendations

15 best Android survival games! (Updated 2019)

15 best sports games for Android

If we missed any of the best simulation games for Android, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest app and game lists!

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The Best Tycoon Games - Free, No Download (Online) and Paid

Looking for a collection of the best tycoon games? A popular game genre, there are so many available these days that it can be difficult to pick one to play.

This page features my personal favourite games from the genre with a mixture of options (free, paid and browser based) that will ensure everyone can find a game that suits his or her needs.

The games listed on this page offer many different experiences from rollercoasters to lemonade to being a fairy godmother. The ones on this page feature a review of the game, a video of the gameplay and any relevant links to play or purchase the game.

With so many tycoon games out there, I couldn't possibly include them all, as such I've limited this list to the 25 games that I consider to be the best. For more recommendations, start with the great collection available at Big Fish Games or for free online options try the high quality online games by Upjers.

I love these games and I'm always looking for new ones to play, so please don't hesitate to stop by the comment section and share your own favourites.

All images on this page have been provided by publisher media departments for the purpose of critique.

What Is A Tycoon Game?

Learn More About The Genre

At their core, they focus on management and building. Some have a larger focus on building (such as cities, theme parks or zoos) while other focus more on managing finances, staff or moods of customers.

The genre's mix of strategy and creativity make it a great alternative to other games currently on the market.

What Is The Best Tycoon Game? - (Not All Tycoon Games Listed)

1 - My Sunny Resort

Create Your Own Resort Corporation

If creating a theme park, restaurant, city or business isn't something that interests you, then a resort might just be the next best thing. My Sunny Resort not only gives you control over a unique beach side resort but also staff, finances and even individual rooms in your resort.

It also avoids the pitfalls of other similar games with less down time thanks to the way you'll have to interact with your guests to maximise the amount of money you make from each one. This can be as simple as assigning them to a more expensive room that meets their needs, selecting a restaurant for them to dine out or an activity to extract the last few dollars.

This intense amount of customisation will have you spending hours on your resort as you go from a single room to an island full of volleyball courts and high profile rooms with all the luxuries you could ever want a resort.

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2 - Rollercoaster Tycoon (Series)

One Of The Best and My Personal Favourite

RollerCoaster Tycoon is often considered one of the very best tycoon games. Players are placed in charge of a theme park and go about building rides, hiring staff and managing the finances. Players can also design their own roller coasters to bring visitors to their park.

The game is split into several scenarios that are completed by achieving particular objectives in a specific period. Awards are also handed out to parks based on their safety, tidiness and the rides on offer.

Currently, there are three games in the series and several expansion packs to go along with them. If you are interested in playing, look for the bundled packages, which include the game and the expansions at a nicely reduced price (while giving you access to a large amount of content).

If you want a free game like Rollercoaster Tycoon, then check out Carnival Tycoon ( #16 on this page).

If you are interested in playing the original Rollercoaster Tycoon, then I recommend purchasing RCT from Good Old Games (GOG.com) to remove compatibility issues with newer computers. The second and third game in the series won't have these issues and can be found from a variety of retailers including Amazon and Steam.

The RCT Franchise

Platforms
RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999)
87
Windows
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (2004)
81
Nintendo 3DS
RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile (2014)
35
Windows, Mac, Linux
Metacritic scores are for the first platform listed, refer to Metacritic.com for other platforms.
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Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 - A Tycoon Classic

Rollercoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack [Download]

Amazon offers digital download and physical shipping of the Triple Thrill Pack which includes the original Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 and its expansion packs (Time Twister and Wacky Worlds).

While the original game was definitely my favourite in the series (and one of the best tycoon games of all time) RCT2 is a close second and with this bundle the amount of rides and scenarios you'll get is more than enough to keep you busy.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Gameplay

3 - Prison Architect

An Upcoming (But Already Available) Game

Prison Architect is a game developed by Introversion Software which has you take control of your own maximum security prison.

The game has been available for alpha purchase since late 2012 but has since been completed. This title offers a amazing experience and despite taking some time to release was well worth the wait.

Inspiration for the game comes from a mixture of other titles, but the most notable is Bullfrog's Theme Hospital with its building elements and similar view perspective. As you would expect from the genre, players have great control over the prison operations from staff, cell blocks, finances and keeping the inmates manageable.

I bought my alpha game version only a few months in and it has been a joy to watch this game develop into the impressive full version.

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Prison Architect Alpha Preview - An Overview Of What To Expect

4 - My Fantastic Park

A Free And Online Alternative To Rollercoaster Tycoon

My Fantastic Park is one of my favourite alternatives to the Rollercoaster Tycoon series and can be played online for free within your browser, making it a great way to pass time regardless of your computer system (great option for laptop gamers especially).

The game is published by Upjers who run many great browser based experiences, which means a high quality of service and game up time.

As you would expect from the title, you are put in charge of developing your own amusement park with the game pushing you forward with challenges. The game is beautifully presented and offers a huge number of attractions and decorations to spread across your park.

The sheer amount of customisation in the game will have you playing for hours on end as you mix and match your favourite rides to meet the demands of your ever growing visitor population.

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5 - Railroad Tycoon (Series)

Build And Manage Your Own Railroad Company

The Railroad Tycoon franchise began in 1990 with the most recent additions being Railroad Tycoon 3 (2003) and Sid Meier's Railroads! (2006).

The games focus on building railroads and managing a railroad company. Players are in control of laying tracks, purchasing trains, making train schedules and building stations.

It's easy to learn and is a visually attractive experience. My favourite feature of the series is how the game makes you feel like a mighty powerful business person while requiring minimal micromanagement.

The pick of the series for me is without a doubt Railroad Tycoon 2, which scored a high 89 on Metacritic.

The Railroad Tycoon Franchise

Platforms
Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon (1990)
N/A
MS-DOS, Amiga, Macintosh, Atari ST
Railroad Tycoon II (1998)
89
Windows, Mac
Sid Meier's Railroads! (2006)
77
Metacritic scores are for the first platform listed, refer to Metacritic.com for other platforms.
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My Favourite Game From The Series

Railroad Tycoon 2 Platinum Edition - PC

Choosing my favourite game from the Railroad series isn't easy but I have to go with Railroad Tycoon 2 (Platinum Edition in particular) simply because the game mechanics were highly polished and provided the best tycoon experience.

Grabbing the Platinum Edition means you'll also get the expansion packs that add even more content to an already impressive and game.

Rail Road Tycoon 2 Gameplay

6 - OpenTTD

A Free Version Of Transport Tycoon

OpenTTD is a fan developed remake of the popular Transport Tycoon game. The original game was released in 1994 but because of its age (and lack of availability) I strongly recommend that gamers try out OpenTTD instead.

At the core of OpenTTD is a business simulation game, supported by simple 2D graphics. The player controls a transport company (did you guess that from the title of the original game?) and must expand it while competing with other transport companies. The ultimate goal is to gain as much profit as possible by transporting goods and people by air, sea, road and rail.

The game offers a very similar experience to Transport Tycoon but has been updated (and supported) to work with modern operating systems, so I have to definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of a transport based tycoon experience.

OpenTTD can be played for free by using a different set of base graphics if you do not own the original Transport Tycoon game. You can read more about installing OpenTTD over at the OpenTTD installation page wiki.

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OpenTTD Gameplay

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7 - Zoo Tycoon

Create Your Own Zoo In This Popular Game

The Zoo Tycoon series started back in 2001 and puts the player in charge of building up a successful and profitable zoo while also completing several scenarios and goals in Scenario Mode. Free Play Mode allows the player to create and design their zoo without specific objectives and less limitations.

The game focuses primarily on business simulation: players must design zoo layouts, insert animals, hire the necessary staff and build various stalls to keep visitors happy.

The games are available on several platforms including Mac, PC and Nintendo DS. If you are looking to purchase the game, I recommend either the Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection or the Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection (my personal favourite shown below). These products combine the original games with the various expansion packs available, giving you tonnes of potential content in a single bundle at a reduced price.

Zoo Tycoon Franchise

Platforms
Zoo Tycoon (2001)
68
Windows, Mac
Zoo Tycoon (2013)
68
Metacritic scores are for the first platform listed, refer to Metacritic.com for other platforms.
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Zoo Tycoon 2 - Grab The Ultimate Collection!

Zoo Tycoon XBOX ONE

If the Zoo Tycoon series sounds like a tycoon game that interests you then consider grabbing the latest release (Xbox 360 and Xbox One)

Create your exhibits, look after your animals and above all make sure your guests are happy in a beautiful world. For those that don't have an Xbox console then consider going back to Zoo Tycoon 2 which while it can't compete with the graphics of the latest release still has impressive Zoo based gameplay.

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Best Free Tycoon Games On Steam

Zoo Tycoon (2013) Trailer

8 - My Free Zoo

Control Your Own Zoo in This Free Browser-Based Game

My Free Zoo draws inspiration from popular games like Zoo Tycoon and Wildlife Park to deliver a highly polished and visually impressive playing experience.

Of course the game has particular appeal to animal lovers with its cute animal management focused gameplay. You won't spend all your time managing animals, though you will have to carefully design enclosures, build supporting stalls (food) and of course look after the finances.

As you go through your My Free Zoo adventure you'll level up and slowly gain access to new animals and objects to increase your park's popularity. Just like in similar games, you are guided through your adventure by receiving main and side quests.

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My Free Zoo Trailer

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9 - Wildlife Park (Series)

A Game Like Zoo Tycoon

The Wildlife Park Series is a collection of management and construction simulation games with many similarities to Zoo Tycoon. You are put in charge of a wildlife park and required to maintain the finances and guests that enter your park. The game has massive appeal to animal lovers, as it features over 60 different animal species.

Popular animals available include lions, tigers, polar bears, pandas, dolphins, goats and even hammerhead sharks. Players are also able to breed animals to create new additions into their zoo (only if you provide excellent conditions for an animal species).

If you are a fan of Zoo Tycoon or have ever wanted to design and manage a wildlife park filled with tonnes of different animal species then this is a great option. All the animal species are beautifully animated and even watching them interact with each other is an exciting experience.

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Wildlife Park 2 - Gold Edition!

Wildlife Park 2, Gold Edition

Wildlife Park 2 Gold offers the original Wildlife Park 2 game and the Crazy Zoo expansion pack which adds over 30 new animals and plants. Including Ducks, Koalas, Black Bears, Kangaroos and even Spider Crabs

The expansion pack also offers players many new buildings like helicopter rides and shark cages.

Wildlife Park 2 Gameplay

10 - Fairy Godmother Tycoon

A Fun and Unique Game

Fairy Godmother Tycoon has a heavy focus on business simulation and maximising profit in a unique game environment. Players must establish a successful potion shop in several of the cities available in the game.

Players are given control of a potion shop and must handle the budget and day-to-day activities of the business. This includes supplies, pricing and researching new potion recipes. The weather can also have an impact on the mood and purchase needs of customers.

The game also offers many interesting characters to interact with, including hired goons, loan sharks and freelance workers (all with a fairy tale theme behind them). Occasionally players will even get a visit from a popular fairy tale character that will trigger special events.

Fairy Godmother Tycoon offers hundreds of options within 9 different villages and 2 different game modes.

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Fairy Godmother Tycoon - Become The Best Fairy Godmother In This Unique Tycoon Game

Fairy Godmother Tycoon - PC

Build up your own potion empire and make the Fairy Godmother proud. Research new and exciting potion recipes while managing your stock levels to turn a nice profit.

With superior store management and customer satisfaction you can earn enough profit to defeat your competitors.

Fairy Godmother Tycoon Gameplay

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11 - SimCity (Series)

A Popular City Building Game

Best Free Tycoon Games Steam

SimCity is a city-building game that also has a console series available. The game originally appeared in 1989 as SimCity and since then has grown to be a popular franchise.

The goal is basically the same for each entry in the series, with each addition adding more options than the previous version.

Players must build and develop a city while focusing on maintaining the happiness of their population and their cities' bank balance. In the later additions to the series, players are also given lots of choice regarding terrain adjustments to create more customisation. SimCity 4 is definitely the most popular game in the series.

If you are looking for something different, then SimCity Societies offers a different style of gameplay compared to the other instalments. The game puts emphasis on social engineering and also doesn't include the tax or zone systems present in the previous games.

This offers players more freedom and flexibility when designing their city. The game also boasts tonnes of visual customisation options for buildings and people.

PC SimCity Releases

Platforms
SimCity (1989)
Acorn Archimedes, Acorn Electron, Amiga, Amiga CDTV, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, BBC Micro, C64, DESQview, DOS, EPOC32, FM Towns, iOS (iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad), PC-98, GBA, OLPC XO-1, OS/2, Linux, Mac OS, Mobile phone (Symbian or Java), NeWS, Web browser, SNES, Tk, Unix, Windows, X11 TCL, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Wii
SimCity 2000 (1994)
Mac OS, DOS, Amiga, Microsoft Windows, Various, SNES, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, N64, GBA, PSN, OS/2
SimCity 3000 (2000)
77
Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
SimCity Societies (2007)
63
Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Metacritic scores are for Windows only, refer to Metacritic.com for other platforms.
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SimCity: Limited Edition

That latest SimCity game release stayed very true to the origins of the game and despite some early launching problems (now long over) the game is an absolute joy to play for both veterans and newcomers to the SimCity series.

I loved every minute I spent in the game which also gave me a great nostalgic feeling. Create your ultimate city with this ultimate SimCity experience.

SimCity Gameplay - SimCity (2013)

12 - Restaurant Empire

Build Your Own Restaurant Empire From The Ground Up

Restaurant Empire was released in 2003 with a sequel (Restaurant Empire 2) released in 2009. The player is in charge of every aspect of his or her restaurant (and eventually restaurants) including the design, cooking, menu and even staff hiring.

You start with a small amount of cash and your uncle's restaurant, from which you can expand and purchase other restaurants to eventually build a massive empire of cooking. The game features many different restaurant and food types (American, French, or Italian) with the sequel adding German food as an option. There are also hundreds of recipes and even secret recipes that the player can find.

The main game is played throughout Story Mode which also offers the player challenges to improve their empire. There is also a Sandbox Mode where players are free to do anything they want.

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Restaurant Empire - A Restaurant Tycoon Experience

Restaurant Empire 2 [Download]

The second game in this popular series of restaurant tycoon games has you tackle a variety of fresh new missions and cooking styles. The game also offers hundreds of interior design options. There is also a trial option available.

The second game in the series addressed my main issue in the original which was lack of dish variety. The inclusion of new dishes really helped boost the realism in this tycoon game.

Restaurant Empire 2 Gameplay

13 - Game Dev Story

The Best Tycoon Game For iOS and Android

Game Dev Story brings the popular tycoon genre to your smartphone (iOS and Android) with a highly polished and unique experience that will appeal to every gamer's dream of running their own game development studio.

In Game Dev Story, you take on the role of humble video game development team and their journey to becoming a leader (or failure) in the gaming industry. Not only do you advance your company but you also move through the history of game development with new technology becoming available and tastes changing based on the real life history of the game industry.

Players focus their control on the production of hit video games which must make more money than their development costs. In Game Dev Story you'll have control of staff, game genre and the speed of game development which all impact on the final product that your team produces. After completion, the game is released to the public and is scored by critics which is always an exciting experience as you watch the praise roll in.

The simplicity of the game is its greatest asset and will prove to be addicting with fans of gaming and the industry

Game Dev Story Gameplay - (From iOS)

14 - Garbage Garage

Manage Your Own Scrap Yard

Garbage Garage offers something different in the tycoon/management genre by putting you in charge of your own scrap yard. You deal in junk cars, trains, boats, planes and even spacecraft in this uniquely fun browser game that has you managing the finances of your very own junkyard and even going head to head with other players in the arena.

Best Free Online Tycoon Games

Ultimately your goal is to become the most successful junk dealer in town as you expand the yard, decorate it and upgrade the various buildings to provide your income. All of this profit accumulates in your own custom ride that is half car and half deadly piece of machinery in the arena.

This car is highly customisable as you upgrade stats like life, attack, defense and speed while customising the colours and body kit of your ultimate ride. Players will also unlock items for the 5 available car slots for an added layer of customisation.

15 - Rail Nation

A Fun Rail Business Simulation Tycoon

Rail Nation is a strategic business simulation game that can be played within your browser. The player purchases rail stations and trains while allocating your resources as necessary for maximum growth.

You start the game with a small amount of cash and use this to go about building your empire. There are plenty of locations that you can purchase with the ultimate goal being an impressive rail empire.

The game play is solid and very enjoyable and offers plenty of interesting things to do, allowing players to build and mix things together to find the perfect balance for customers. The game is very easy to learn and the controls are extremely straightforward.

Rail Nation Gameplay

16 - Cinema Tycoon (Series)

Create and Manage Your Own Cinema

Cinema Tycoon has two games in its series. Both of these games put you at the head of a cinema and it is up to you to grow it into the best cinema around.

The game is very fun to play and has a great layout that is easy to navigate and perform the required actions on your way to the top. Fans of tycoon games may find it a little on the easy side, but the massive number of upgrades will make up for it.

Cinema Tycoon 2 has been higher rated than the original by critics (and I personally also enjoy it more) so I strongly recommend starting with the second installment of this series.

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Cinema Tycoon 2 - My Preferred Game From The Series

Cinema Tycoon 2: Movie Mania [Download]

The second game in the Cinema Tycoon franchise follows a similar gameplay style of the original and has you in charge of a growing cinema business. You'll hire the appropriate staff, set your prices and stock the candy bar with your favourites.

Of the two games in the series I definitely found Cinema Tycoon 2 to be more polished and generally more enjoyable overall.

Cinema Tycoon 2: Movie Mania

17 - Monopoly Tycoon

The Popular Board Game In A New Form

Monopoly Tycoon brings the popular board game into a tycoon-style game focused on the construction and subsequent management of various properties and utilities. It can be either played against the computer or with friends online, making it a great option.

The player is in charge of a business that owns various stores and blocks of land (housing and apartments) that are based on the Monopoly game board. Depending on the chosen difficulty, the objectives will range from gaining a financial to a political advantage over your opponents.

However, regardless of the difficulty selected, the underlying objective is to create the most wealth in a specific time period.

I really liked my time with Monopoly Tycoon (I was always a fan of the board game so I think that helped). If you also had a lot of fun with the board game during your childhood then I strongly recommend you check out what the game has to offer.

Monopoly Tycoon - Board Game Turned Tycoon Game!

Monopoly Tycoon - PC

Fans of the Monopoly board game will love the shift to a Tycoon game platform.

Purchase blocks of land, businesses and apartment blocks to generate rent with the intention of making more money than your computer (or human) rivals.

Playing Monopoly Tycoon

18 - Lemonade Tycoon

For Those Times When Life Gives You Lemons

Lemonade Tycoon is available for PC or your iOS device. It's simple in design and is very easy to learn, making it a great accessible tycoon game (especially if you are new to the genre).

Strangely enough, the goal is to sell lemonade while making profit. Players have control of numerous business aspects including recipe, pricing and locations. The game even features news and weather which will change the way customers interact with your store.

Lemonade Tycoon 2 builds on the original gameplay and is set in New York City. The sequel also allows players to own multiple stands across multiple locations.

Each game version has only slight differences based on the platform. I preferred to play the game on my iPhone as a casual game option.

Lemonade Tycoon Gameplay

19 - Plant Tycoon

Breed, Nurture and Grow Plants in This Great Game

Plant Tycoon was developed by Last Day of Work and puts the player in charge of planting and growing seeds from over 500 species of plant in order to find the 6 magic plants available in the game.

The game runs in real-time much like the other games created by Last Day of Work (Virtual Families and Virtual Villagers). This means that even when you aren't at your computer your plants continue to grow.

Money is earned to buy supplies, upgrades and extra seeds by selling plant creations to customers in the nursery. There are also many other mini-games and optional activities available in the game such as bug catching and plant snapshots.

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Plant Tycoon - Buy and Download Plant Tycoon

Plant Tycoon [Download]

Best Free To Play Tycoon Games

Start with a small handful of seeds and grow them into the 6 magical plants by cross-breeding over 500 plant species.

Plant Tycoon is one of the best Tycoon games available and will have plant lovers and tycoon fans alike hooked.

20 - Fish Tycoon

Breed and Sell Fish In This Addictive Game

Fish Tycoon was originally released in 2004 for the PC and has since become a port for cell phones (iPhone and Windows) and the Nintendo DS system. The objective is to breed the 7 magic fish available in the game.

The player takes control of a fish store where he or she must care for hundreds of different species while also breeding them to unlock the 7 magic fish. Players must also manage the fish store's finances to keep it profitable.

Overall the game is very similar to Plant Tycoon in design but replaces your plants with fish. If you find yourself hooked on what the latter offers or simply aren't interested in plants then Fish Tycoon makes a nice alternative.

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Fish Tycoon - Buy and Download Fish Tycoon

Fish Tycoon [Download]

Breed tonnes of different exotic fish together in an effort to discover the 7 magical fish.

Don't forget to feed and care for your fish, all in a real-time aquarium environment. You can even sell the best fish in your store to purchase plenty of un-lockable equipment.

Fish Tycoon Walkthrough

21 - The Wrestling Game

Build and Upgrade Your Wrestler In This Simple But Fun Game

Wrestling fans can rejoice with The Wrestling Game which lets you take your star from zero to hero in a game focused on the world of wrestling.

Playing as an inexperienced wrestler looking for that one big break you'll join an online world of other wrestlers as you train hard, battle against others an progress your career. In terms of games that capture the WWE, this is one of the best and does it all within your browser.

While the game started with humble beginnings, the recent addition of 3D wrestling matches adds much more life to the experience, adding an extra layer to the management focused gameplay. For wrestling fans that also love their tycoon games you now finally have a choice that lets you manage a wrestling career.

As of early 2015, the game has already captured an audience of over 200k wrestling fans and regular has thousands of players online.

The Wrestling Game 3D Preview

22 - Prison Block

Survive Prison In This Management Game

Prison Block is a browser-based game that takes place in a prison, combining management and strategy into a single experience. You'll have to manage all parts of prison life, from fighting other prisoners, to making cash for jobs and upgrading your cell to offer permanent stat boosts.

With tens of thousands of users, hundreds online during the day and a player base that continues to grow rapidly, it is a great experience for anyone wanting a free tycoon game with a prison theme.

The level of depth for a free browser game is particularly impressive with many elements being very well-designed and lots of gameplay mechanics to master.

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23 - Carnival Tycoon

A Game Like RollerCoaster Tycoon

It's free and playable completely online in your browser with no download required.

The game challenges you to build a successful carnival and has 3 different difficulty levels to keep you busy (best to start on Easy as it provides a good tutorial about the game fundamentals and systems).

Like most tycoon games Carnival Tycoon has heavy emphasis on making sure the visitors in your carnival are happy. However, you must find the fine balance between what makes them happy and what is most profitable to your business.

Carnival Tycoon allows players to build tonnes of different stalls and rides, allowing you to build the perfect carnival.

24 - Airport Tycoon

Become A Tycoon Of The Air In This Airport Management Game

Airport Tycoon gives you 24 months and $12.5 million to turn your average airport into the most popular airport around. You have complete control over many of the airport aspects, including how many runways you have (and their maintenance), cafe/shop products, baggage handling and passport control capacity, destinations (10 possible locations) and marketing campaigns.

The game uses a simple graphic interface and is played with only the mouse. Players upgrade aspects of their airport as they see necessary and then receive a monthly report about how the various airport aspects performed.

25 - Youda Fisherman

Your The (Youda) Fisherman In This Tycoon Game

Youda publish many great tycoon and strategy style games, my personal favourite being Youda Fisherman. In that game, you aim to rebuild a once popular fishing business by buying blueprints and hiring fishing ships in return for oil.

The game is played with the mouse and the in-game interface allows players to hire ships, defend against pirates and trade objects. Each level has a different objective which could be collecting 10 boxes of fish to collecting a hundred logs of wood.

Slowly the player unlocks new buildings, which unlocks even more content. There is a limited version of the game available for free but the full version will set you back $9.95. This game is included in the free games section because there is so much content in the limited version it's almost a complete game in itself.

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Youda Fisherman Gameplay

Did You Find A Tycoon Game You Liked? - Why Do You Love Tycoon Games? What Is The Best Tycoon Game?

  • The jurassic park tycoon game was pretty decent and has a flavor of its own.

  • I loveeeee theme park world

  • Thanks for sharing these insights! You should considered including Virtonomics in the list.

  • Simunomics and TradingtoIndustry.com could be a cool addition to above games.

  • I've played rollercoaster tycoon, zoo tycoon, lemonade tycoon, and fish tycoon . None of them compare to Rollercoaster Tycoon and it's by far the best simulation/tycoon style game. I'll have to check out the others though and see what they're all about.

  • The Movies

    Startopia

  • Why has no one mentioned Pizza Tycoon? A well built simulation game, with mini games included to 'expand' your business. Oh well, life ain't fair.

  • Wow this really brings back memories of my childhood. Nostalgia at its best!

  • I absolutely loved Transport Tycoon. I lost days of my life playing this when I was younger. I'll check out this version, as its difficult to find one that works well on a modern computer

  • So much enjoyment out of one Squidoo page, your rightfully #1! Keep on squiddin' :-)

  • nice lens

  • i really like all the tycoon game.. they are amazing . it helps me to relaxed after work.

  • I love tycoon game, it's a time killer

  • Really Addictive games Thanks for sharing. And Zoo tycoon is my favorite one

  • SimCity was cool - however, SimTower was always my fave!

  • Rollercoaster and Railroad are my favorites! I still enjoy playing the 1st Roller Coaster Tycoon game.

    I want to try SimCity, it looks super fun!

  • One of the best lenses I've ever seen, brings back a lot of memories

  • I do - am a big fan of old fashioned games like Pharaoh and Poseidon.

  • I love tycoon games! Thanks for sharing this great list. Got a few on here I haven't tried yet!

  • Sim City the old 2D Version on my Amiga A600 was the most addictive game I have ever played.

  • New to the site but like what I have seen so far!! Absolutely love Rollercoaster Tycoon 3. Became really addicted to it at one point! Have to admit to not having played many of the the others though.

  • Roller Coaster Tycoon is by far the best tycoon game out there. I still play number one and number two.

  • Wow you listed some of my favorite tycoon games here although its been a while since I had time to sit and play. Great lens

  • Great lens!! I will make sure to share this with some friends, spreading some love.

    Cheers, Mike

  • I remember all the times I've played Rollercoaster Tycoon (the first one). It was so fun. I didn't even know what I was doing at the time, but I made awesome attractions and the people were happy. Then it was fun killing others. yup. :D And Railroad Tycoon was really fun multiplayer!

  • Memories!

  • Awesome site! Have also got a nice list of all tycoon games in existence. I have let anyone that views my page to come here to see the best. However if youve already played the best and are looking for MORE tycoon games be sure to check the massive lists here out https://hubpages.com/games-hobbies/best-of-all-tyc..

  • thank

  • Rollercoaster Tycoon is the best! I'll have to try Zoo Tycoon. Great list!

  • Loved transport tycoon so will try openttd

  • great list Thanks!

  • What a great in depth Lens, Tycoon games are my favorite games, as well as Call of Duty :) I have to say i prefer Railroad Tycoon 3 opposed to Rollercoaster Tycoon as i find it is much more complex with having a seeded economy and stock market. Kills many hours! I think you should add CAPITALISM 2 to your list, this is a top economics/ tycoon game and i highly recommend to all.

  • great lens!

  • I will always go on my PC and play a Tycoon game, good lens!

  • Great list of games.Tycoon Game is a very interesting game.Thanks for sharing this awesome list of games.

  • Awesome list, only read half and still enthralled, well written and constructed lens.

  • Awesome list of games.I really like some of these games.Thanks for sharing this nice post.

  • Brings me back to when I was a kid, bout to try the Becher Bar game now

  • My kids really like the Zoo tycoon games and little farm games (Hayday on Ipad)

  • I really loved playing SimCity 4. It was a great fun. It was sad to see subways, farms and others game content (that were in the standard edition) become addons (with money),or even gone, in SimCity 5! I'm looking forward to a new city tycoon game in the futur.

  • There is no The Movies on the list. It doesn't have tycoon on its cover, but neither does Wildlife Park, and it is still very much a tycoon game. You make movies, deal with staff and actors, with either a hands on aprrouch going as far as a movie maker studio where you pick each scene in the movie, or simply let the writers do it.

    Also its the staff, and actors, plus your studios tech that make up the movie qualty, especially with stunts installed seeing how they will use the first take good or bad when a stunt goes wrong. It does have a sandbox mode witch I loved, where you could turn off failed stunts among other things, but with every set to normal mode its one of the best business games I've played.

  • Absolutely loved the Zoo Tycoon series and Sim City. I played them for hours. Also like the Youda games for something a little less in depth but still great fun. Thanks for creating such a great page

  • Thanks for bringing back the memories of the classic Railroad Tycoon games!

  • Great list!

  • A cool list of tycoon games, Roller Coster does seem to excite more.

  • I'm not really big on tycoon games. I am more of a MMORPG or Shooter gamer. Roller Coster Tycoon was a very fun game though.

  • I really like some of these games because there is some strategy involved.

  • Very cool lens! Tycoon games are always fun!

    -SZ

  • Tycoon Game is a very interesting game. I like Youda Fisherman

  • I love these Tycoon games. Starting with nothing and building it into a huge empire is always fun. Great lens.

  • These best of lists are actually super useful. Thank you!

  • The tycoon games are addicting! The free ones are awesome as well..

  • I like tycoon games.

    Thank you for you list of games ;)

  • I had some fun playing roller coaster tycoon and railroad tycoon, but my favorite is undoubtedly ZOO TYCOON!

    Very good lens!

  • That much Tycoon games! Who had thought. Great lens.

  • Roller coaster tycoon was amazing! Such a throwback!

  • roller coaster tycoon all the way, so much fun. Love the attention to detail right down to the fuzzy walking animal entertainers.

  • awesome post! i love tycoon games!

  • My daughter has Railroad Tycoon and I think it is Best Tycoon Game

  • Will get this tycoon games for my kids. They loved it!

  • You really put some work into these sites and Tycoons was VERY well put together with research, and it helps when you are writing about what you know and not what you think you know. perfect work

  • My nephews have a few favorites you've featured here ;) Cool reviews.

  • Nice lens. I've played Corporation Incorporated a few times and enjoyed it, I haven't played the others although obviously I've heard of some of them.

  • Wow didn't know there were so many! Nice lens!

  • Great lens!!! But I prefer strategy games, like the ones from Kairosoft. You should compare your lens to my lens on Grand Prix Story.

  • I adored Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 but was getting too addicted. So, I had to quit.

  • Old school Railroad Tycoon I fan here. When they changed all of the settings and functions, I lost interest. I'm an Atari guy and all of these new 3D aerial and 360 degree capabilities always seem to throw me for a loop.

  • You should replace Youda Fisherman with Youda Marine and thn put Youda Marina into 23rd. Now it's a good list! (I really don't see how Fisherman is better than Marina)

  • I have only gotten into Tycoon games recently, and this lens is a very useful resource for me, thanks :)

  • By the way, you can add Locomotion to the list. I've been playing with this game for 7 years, and it's still amazing :)

  • SimCity (3000) is the best! This lens just forced me to install and play SimCity and Transport Tycoon :)

  • corporation inc? never heard of it.

    Is it really that much better then Sim Tower and its japanese sequel Yoot Tower?

  • Amazing Collection. I like Rollercoaster Tycoon =)

  • Does anybody know a tycoon game about singers, talent show, etc.???

  • I like Rollercoaster Tycoon the best. I also like the Zoo ones too.

  • Wheres Airline tycoon ? by far the best tycoon game out there