ever wonder what it feels like to be Microsoft buying Blizzard & Activision?
then why not try Offworld Trading Company, A game where you could go All out Nestle and buy and monopolize every goddamn fresh water source on the face of the planet.
Offworld Trading Company is a Cutthroat Economic Strategy Game where you and your Frenemies are pitted against each other as Businessmen vying for Monopoly.
The plot is simple enough, Earth's Government gives you and your rivals the opportunity exploit another planet of it's resources to save earth. I imagine it's like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos stripping Mars of it's resources for profit~.
a game of Offworld Trading Company starts with the map fully obscured by the fog of war. you then 'scan' to find resources and plan accordingly. be hasty though as it's a first come, first served basis.
the New Berlin here is the local 'colony'. it grows as time pass by, and so are their needs.
To spice things up you get to choose one of four playstyles.
once you found a good place, plop down your base and and start exploiting.
note: placing a base over resources will remove the resource from the game but will give you a flat value of said resources.
note: the fog of war will be removed upon placing a base.
and this is my base harvesting water and energy, the icons on the map represents resources and their quantity.
on the left menu, from the top you can see your funds and debt,
then the resources and corresponding buildings that produced it., it also shows the "local" market price and 'trend'.
and at the bottom is the your base and it's current level, and below that are special buildings such as Hacker Array and Pleasure Dome~ 😏 (it gives passive income).
note: upgrading your base increases the tiles you can claim, these tiles are plots of land on the map which are required to place structures. you can also claim tiles without building on it.
and the icons on the right side of it represents constructions, patents, research, price manipulation, and the ability to sell resource offworld.
on the menu on the top right, you can see the game time and game speed.
note that the game is played in real-time.
then you and your rival's Company value and stocks. the object of the game is to buyout your opponents to be the sole monopolizing survivor.
there's also Events such as Auction of Tiles, Solar Flares and others.
all your base are belong to us.
on the menu on the bottom right, you can see the black market. actions include recruiting pirates to steal your rivals' cargo ships, sabotaging key buildings or countering by buying a trap card.
The Game ends when you completely buyout your rivals' companies.
Biggest Money maker, Water. Nestle would be proud.
and now for the Review.
When I rate things, I always use a three-point system.
1 for Bad
2 for Okay
3 for Great
Offworld Trading Company. 3/3. It's Solid.
The Good:
Allows you to simulate how the big boys will play when Mars get's colonized.
Has a Tutorial.
Has a 'Campaign' Mode that have expanded Gameplay.
There are other maps available, Mars, Ceres, Io, Europa, and Interdimensional(DLC).
Has Replay Support.
Online Multiplayer Support.
Has Great Soundtrack.
The Bad:
None, it does what it's designed to be.
The Neutral:
No Mini-map, but I think it's part of the game design.
No one to play with. 😢
Final Thoughts:
it's very educational. at the basics, it teaches how supply and demand works, how the internal and external markets works, logistics, and how companies works.
...I bet nestle would be the first to call dibs on Mars' polar ice caps.
...
and that's it from me.
Cheers!.
😆