Power Network Tycoon is the latest strategy and building sim creating a buzz of electricity on Steam, and with good reason. Thrust into a thriving island community, it is your job as the eponymous power network tycoon to build an effective power grid from the ground up to support the needs of the local residents and businesses. As your community expands and evolves, its power needs change too, forcing you to strategically plan ahead to avoid disastrous outages. With the community feel of Cities Skylines 2 and the engineering education of Factorio, Power Network Tycoon is a must-try for any simulation fans out there.
On the surface, Power Network Tycoon is a simulation and building game of the like we have seen ten times over. Farming Simulator asks you to build a farm. Rollercoaster Tycoon asks you to build a theme park. PowerWash simulator…well, you get the idea. But, once you delve a little deeper, Power Network Tycoon is much more than a point-and-click sim.
This one is certainly not for the faint-hearted. To be a successful power network tycoon, one must be prepared to delve into the complicated world of real-life engineering practices, including ‘advanced physics-based calculations found in industrial electrical design software’. Power Network Tycoon is the self-proclaimed “most realistic power network simulation on the market” for a reason.
Power Network Tycoon is not without drama either. Extreme weather events can threaten to completely destroy your electricity empire if you are not prepared. Thunderous storms, baking heatwaves, and terrifying twisters are just a few of the weapons in Mother Nature’s arsenal, and a true electrical genius must be ready for all of the above. This sim is all about providing consistent power while also prioritising the safety of your island residents – to the point that electromagnetic field strengths and fault conditions must be regularly measured.
The Power Network Tycoon Demo is currently available to download on Steam, while the full early access version is now available for $14.99 / £12.79. You can get it right here.
Alternatively, you might want to try some of the best strategy games, or maybe take a dive into the best simulation games on PC.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.