Tycoon games can be some of the most enjoyable and open experiences in gaming. Whether you’re looking at building the farm/park of your dreams or looking to torment your NPC guests there is really something everyone can enjoy. If you’re looking for a new Tycoon game to try out on Xbox Series X/S, here are some of the best you should definitely be playing.
#10 Big Pharma
- Developer: Twice Circled
- Publisher: Positech Games
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC
- Release Date: August 27, 2015
It’s always been your dream to own a Pharmaceutical Conglometare right? I definitely hope so because then this game is perfect. Big Pharma is a combination of logistics puzzles and business sims in the best possible way. While building up your own company you’ll have to deal with rival corporations who seek to outperform you in the market with different medicines and cures. All in all, this is a surprisingly in-depth and fun experience.
#9 Planet Coaster
- Developer: Frontier Developments, Aspyr (Mac)
- Publisher: Frontier Developments, Aspyr (Mac)
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC
- Release Date: November 17, 2016
Rollercoasters are really the grandfather of Tycoon games and their still learning new tricks to this day. Planet Coaster allows you to create some of the most elaborate rollercoasters you can think of while also managing the business side of your theme park. I’m sure you can also create a rollercoaster that’s less than safe, but only if you’re into that sort of thing obviously. Let’s be honest though, most of us play these games for a reason.
#8 Cities Skylines
- Developer: Colossal Order Ltd.
- Publisher: Paradox Interactive
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, PC, Stadia
- Release Date: March 10, 2015
Maybe you’ve played a few park simulators in your time and thought it wasn’t enough. Not enough stress. Not enough to manage. Well, Cities Skylines is probably the stress-inducing large-scale Tycoon game you’re looking for. Cities Skylines allows you to engage in a challenging simulation, local traffic woes, and the creation of districts and policies all with a beautiful overlay combined with an amazing day and night cycle. It truly is the most immersive city sim on the market.
#7 Frostpunk
- Developer: 11 bit studios
- Publisher: 11 bit studios
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Mac, PC
- Release Date: April 24, 2018
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Frostpunk player that doesn’t praise the game’s depth and importance of choice. Frostpunk is a fun experience like every good Tycoon game should be. However, where Frostpunk excels is its baron wasteland and reliance on good resource management. There are very few clear good “right” decisions when playing Frostpunk and that’s what makes it so immersive and exciting. Definitely, a must-play for hardcore Tycoon fans.
#6 Two Point Hospital
- Developer: Two Point Studios
- Publisher: SEGA
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC
- Release Date: August 29, 2018
If Big Pharma was an in-depth business and pharmaceutical sim the Two Point Hospital is the more laid-back version of that. Allowing you to design your own hospital and cure particularly peculiar illnesses, Two Point Hospital combines that enjoyment of Tycoon games with incredibly digestible humor that will get a chuckle out of the sternest players.
#5 Jurassic World Evolution 2
- Developer: Frontier Developments
- Publisher: Frontier Developments
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
- Release Date: June 11, 2018
Who doesn’t love dinosaurs right? Who wouldn’t love to open their own dinosaur park? Actually, probably best to confine that to video games for the time being. Jurassic World Evolution 2 follows the massively successful Jurassic World Evolution allowing you to build and manage your very own Jurassic Park. Alongside this, if you’re a huge fan of the film franchise you also have the option to experiment with the game’s Chaos Theory mode. This will allow you to experience ‘what-if’ scenarios from your favorite moments in the films.
#4 Surviving Mars
- Developer: Haemimont Games, Abstraction
- Publisher: Paradox Interactive
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, PC
- Release Date: March 15, 2018
Fancy taking a trip to Mars? Surviving Mars has you developing a habitual environment for colonists on Mars and it’s every bit as fun and interesting as it sounds. With its retro-futuristic aesthetic, Surviving Mars allows you to explore all of Mars’s secrets with randomized skill tree progression. If the base game gets a little boring for you, which it likely won’t, the game also has full mod support for you to delve into.
#3 Tropico 6
- Developer: Limbic Entertainment
- Publisher: Kalypso Media
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mac, PC
- Release Date: March 29, 2019
Everyone knows the Tropico series at this point right? Taking on the role of El Presidente you can choose whether to govern your nation by fear or love. We’ll let you decide which one is more enjoyable yourself. Tropico 6 is the biggest game in the series yet letting you manage multiple islands and achieve global recognition for either good or bad reasons. Alongside this, there’s also a fantastic up to 4-player multiplayer game mode.
#2 Prison Architect
- Developer: Double Eleven, Introversion Software
- Publisher: Paradox Interactive
- Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Mac, PC
- Release Date: October 6, 2015
The classic indie darling Prison Architect is a must-play for anyone even remotely interested in the Tycoon genre. It’s by far one of the most accessible titles with a super high skill ceiling. As the prison’s warden, you’ll have to invest and innovate your customized confinement while also managing hiring staff. There’s endless fun to be had here, especially in the game’s Escape Mode which has you attempting to break out of your own prison and other players’ prisons.
#1 Stardew Valley
- Developer: ConcernedApe
- Publisher: ConcernedApe
- Platform: Android, iOS, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mac, PC
- Release Date: February 26, 2016
If you haven’t yet played Stardew Valley then you’re in the minority. Hailed as one of the most in-depth and fun Tycoon games ever to come out Stardew Valley can be enjoyed alone or with up to three other friends. Farm the land, chat, and in some cases marry the locals in what is ultimately the most relaxed and enjoyable Tycoon experiences ever to grace our screens.
