GMR: Casino Inc.

The problem with tycoon-style games—outside the fact that they appeal mostly to control-freaks, spreadsheet nerds, and other middle manager types—is that they tend to be overdesigned. The more features and details put into a sim, the more there is for the player to keep track of and micromanage. Things can quickly get out of control, which is the main problem plaguing Casino Inc., an otherwise clever and funny tycoon game that puts you in the shoes of a casino owner.

Unlike other like games, Casino Inc. expands your range beyond the walls of your building, incorporating the entire city in which your casino resides. You must compete with other casinos and attractions in your neighborhood by offering more than just gambling—bars, nightclubs, arcades, etc.—and advertising around town with billboards. Casino Inc. also takes a note from The Sims by giving individuals, both customers and employees, complex personalities you must cater to.

Casino Inc. is a kick for awhile, but it quickly becomes unmanageable. You can manage as many as eight casinos at once, but cleaning up all the puke, busting all the cheaters, and keeping all the hookers happy in just one house of cards will have you running around like a mobbed-up businessman with his head cut off.