Management games speak directly to everyone who likes to see everything neat and tidy. Usually, the core mechanics of these games revolve around you being given something to take care of, and your job is to make sure it runs properly and efficiently. They can have a lot of complexity to them, making them a very satisfying experience, no matter your preferences.
If you’re trying to find the best management games, you’ve come to the right place. We have created this list that will give you an overview of the best games in this genre, why they’re fun, and why you should play them.
Video games are great when you can enjoy them with friends, and luckily for you, we have other articles that delve into other genres. Take a look at the best mobile multiplayer games, as well as the best free PC games!
The best management games
Gas Station Simulator
Most simulator games can feel a bit repetitive and lack depth, but that is not the case with Gas Station Simulator. The story goes that you have bought some property and your uncle is helping you run the station by giving you money and tips. Your job is to restore the gas station to working condition, progressively upgrading different aspects of the station such as adding different types of products, decorations, more facilities, etc. The progression is great and the gameplay can get a bit hectic, but thinking ahead and managing deliveries will make sure that you always have enough stock and that you can keep earning money. Hiring help is also an option, which adds even more depth to the game, and confirms its spot among the best management games!
RimWorld
RimWorld is set in a universe that is convoluted in a sense since there is a large diversity of technological advancements spread throughout the different worlds that cannot communicate with each other. You have worlds that are very primitive, while others are extremely well-developed. Your job is to manage a random world and make leaps in cultural progression using the characters that are given to you. The game is presented in a top-down perspective, so you can see everything properly, and the characters you can control are given random personalities that you also have to manage to make sure they do not negatively impact your world. Overall, it’s one of the best management games that should not be overlooked.
Banished
Banished is a very nice game and one of the best management games that takes the classic city builder approach and adds some spice to it, making it appealing because of its design. Your job is to manage a group of people who have been exiled from their tribes and now have to make ends meet and create their own settlement. Each citizen can be given a role that they have to fulfill to bring something to the settlement. Buildings need to be constructed so that the needs of the citizens are met and that they are happy. Failing to meet their requirements can lead to the people becoming sluggish and disgruntled, lowering efficiency. As long as you take good care of your people, you will progress.
Oxygen Not Included
Space games usually make for the best management games, so it’s a win-win situation, no doubt. In Oxygen Not Included, you get to control a small group of alien-like people who have found themselves on an asteroid where there is very little oxygen. Your job is to make sure that these people survive, and the way to do that is to manage different sectors you establish, such as oxygen, food, water, waste, etc. Each Duplicant under your control can do tasks like mine for resources and grow food, but you have to be careful that they do not get caught in the environmental hazards strewn around the asteroid. There is a lot of depth to the game that you’re going to have to explore for yourself, and you can expect to lose yourself for hours!
Satisfactory
While most factory games are in a top-down perspective, Satisfactory breaks the mold and goes for a first-person experience where you have an entire alien planet to explore and build factories on. You have to use the environment to your advantage, as you can refine raw resources in the various factories you can construct. As you progress, you’ll be able to move up when it comes to factory complexity and build entire systems of product construction lines, as well as many conveyor belts to transport your goods from one place to another. However, building factories is not the only thing you do, since you can also just craft a vehicle and explore the world and all it has to offer. Once you get into this game, you’ll see exactly why it’s among the best management games!
Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer is an extremely high-rated game where you play as Stella, a new spiritfarer aboard a ship that transports spirits so they can have their last wishes fulfilled. As you progress through the game, you will pick up more and more spirits. Each spirit has its own backstory about how they died and the reasoning for their last wish, so you can get a lot of storytelling out of the game. The things you have to do to make the spirits happier most revolve around upgrading certain parts of the ship and stacking them on top of each other, like sardines. Overall, a fantastic game and one of the best management games around!
Megaquarium
This is a theme park game that focuses mainly on fish and other aquatic life. You are in charge of managing a giant aquarium that houses hundreds of different types of fish. Like other games in this genre, you start with very little, just a small aquarium and the most basic necessities which you have to use to expand your empire. Once you get going, you can start earning revenue from visitors who want to see your fish, further allowing you to expand the aquarium and make progress in the most efficient way. Megaquarium is proof that you can make one of the best management games without following a strict mold. There are many more features to discover once you actually get into the game, so you better get going!
Two Point Hospital
Hospital games can get a bit monotonous because they deal with common issues that plague society, like death and illness, but Two Point Hospital is much more humorous in nature, changing serious illnesses to comical ones, such as changing the meaning of Pandemic to having a pan stuck to your head. This is what makes the game enjoyable and easy to play. The casual nature of it coupled with the fact that you have a lot of content to explore and facets of your hospital to upgrade makes the game extremely fun to play on a daily basis. In general, you definitely can’t go wrong with Two Point Hospital if you want a fun, complete experience in one of the best management games.
Tropico 6
The Tropico series has produced some of the best management games in history, amassing a ton of fans and a long line of excellent games that capitalize on the aspect of management, progression, and improvement. In Tropico 6, the gameplay is very similar to previous titles except it puts special emphasis on the scale of your islands, giving you a massive map to take control of and to prosper in. You play as El Presidente, a dictator who wants to build the best and most profitable archipelago in the world. Constructing tunnels and bridges will allow you to connect your islands and make them more efficient. Purchasing buildings will increase your revenue, and other than that, you’re free to modify the islands as much as you wish. Go ham!
Frostpunk
From the tropics, we go to a desolate, freezing world in the form of Frostpunk! This is a game where you assume the role of a manager who has to take care of a small settlement in the middle of a frigid, post-apocalyptic world. Even the best management games need to alter the model from time to time! You can take control of the inhabitants of your settlement and have them perform tasks that will help better the settlement. The life of your village is provided by a massive generator in the middle that has to be fed coal/wood consistently so it can provide heat to all of the buildings. As you upgrade the generator, its heating range will increase, allowing you to heat more buildings than before, expanding the settlement. There is also a government system that can either shift into a total cult theocracy, or a complete loss of government, led by anarchy.
Now that we have provided you with the best management games, all you have to do now is to pick one and create your empire! If you want more games covering a variety of themes, then consider checking out our other articles like the best naval games and the best IOS games!