Tropico

As the newly installed dictator of an obscure Caribbean island, you will need to build a path of progress for a nation mired in poverty, civil unrest, and infighting. Oh, and uhh... you'll also need to stash a few million in your Swiss bank account just in case you need to take early retirement. Tropico takes the addictive building-oriented gameplay of such hits as SimCity 3000 and Railroad Tycoon II, combines it with a healthy dose of Latin American political intrigue, and bundles it up in an easy-to-learn, hard-to-master, utterly addictive package. Tropico is first and foremost a builder. Tropico provides more than 100 structures to build, from hotels and spas for tourists; to banana groves, sugar plantations, and copper mines for food and basic exports; to rum distilleries and cigar factories for basic industry. Industry, mining, agriculture, or tourism--you choose to shape the economy to your vision. And don't let your lust for yanqui dollars overcome your concern for the plight of your people.