Summary
- Management games offer diverse opportunities to explore, build, and create.
- Top open-world management games like Factorio and Satisfactory allow complex assembly lines to be constructed.
- Games like The Sims 3 and The Universim allow players to control life.
Covering a vast array of genres, settings, and topics, management games are more than just spreadsheet simulators where players make numbers go up or down depending on their goals. From simulating life as we know it to running a business, and even exploring outer space, management games offer endless opportunities for players to take control of something and make it prosper.
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There are relatively few management games with open-world settings in the traditional sense, but those that are on the market are among some of the best video games ever made, according to many players and critics alike. Here are some of the best open-world management games, ranked based on a combination of their overall popularity and quality.
8 The Universim
Playing God With Civilizations Of Nuggets
The Universim
- Released
- January 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Crytivo Games
- Publisher(s)
- Crytivo Games
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- Platform(s)
- PC
On the randomly generated planets of The Universim, players take the role of God, creating and controlling the lives of the inhabitants of these planets, known as Nuggets. Starting as primitive beings and advancing through the ages until they potentially even become spacefaring, players may reward, punish, and maintain the lives of the Nuggets as they see fit.
Some may allow the natural order to carry on as normal, but others have the option to micromanage everything, right down to maintaining the ecosystem and defending the planet from alien invaders. Every game is unique, but resources and other challenges must always be closely monitored to ensure the survival of life on the planet.
7 Dyson Sphere Program
Utilizing The Universe To Its Fullest Potential
Dyson Sphere Program
- Released
- January 21, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Youthcat Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Gamera Games
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- Platform(s)
- PC
Still in early access and showing massive potential, Dyson Sphere Program allows the opportunity to build colossal structures in space. Starting out with just a small space workshop and only the player’s personal goals, the open and unique universe is a playground, waiting to be exploited as the workshop gradually expands into galaxy-spanning factories.
Automated facilities and fast-moving production lines allow for resources to be easily harvested and transported to their required locations, and actual dyson spheres can be constructed, as the game’s name suggests. These mega-constructions can harvest virtually limitless power from stars to help power the “CentreBrain” and assist in the exploration of the universe.
6 Spiritfarer
Building A Boat And Ferrying Spirits
Spiritfarer
- Released
- August 18, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
As the game’s tagline says, Spiritfarer is a cozy management game about dying. Taking over the role of spiritfarer from Charon, Stella and her cat, Daffodil, travel around the different regions on their ship, picking up spirits and helping them fulfill some final wishes before passing through the Everdoor.
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Given the subject matter and the well-developed characters, it’s quite an emotional experience. Despite this, it’s still an incredibly fun game with plenty of structures to be built and new resources to be found as Stella directs the ship to a new area. Harvesting new resources, meeting new spirits, and managing the mood of passengers can be simultaneously very rewarding and relaxing.
5 The Sims 3
An Open-World For Sims To Explore
The Sims 3
- Released
- June 2, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
The Sims 3 remains the only foray into an open-world setting for the long-running and extremely popular social simulation and life management series. Players are free to move their Sim around the neighborhood without any transitions or loading screens, visiting friends, going to work, or even building their own businesses.
The needs of Sims and their general lives must be closely monitored, so that they may carry on through the generations before dying of old age. The base game and most expansions contain no particular story or end goal, but some actions can increase a sim’s lifetime happiness score, and building houses is a key feature, as is generally the case in The Sims games.
4 Factorio
Construct And Defend Huge Factories
Factorio
- Released
- August 14, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
As the name suggests, Factorio is a game where large factories and complex assembly lines can be constructed. Set on the Earth-like planet Nauvis, solo players or groups of friends are tasked with harvesting its natural resources to gradually construct their large-scale factory, with the goal of building a rocket in mind.
Other planets can be visited and explored after a rocket is built, but it’s an arduous and time-consuming process, requiring a great deal of research, resources, and innovation. On top of all this, Nauvis is filled with unfriendly creatures just waiting to ruin the day of any unwitting players, and they can even disrupt facility operations if they are not dealt with efficiently.
3 Stardew Valley
Manage And Grow The Family Farm
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Smash-hit indie game Stardew Valley is almost a decade old and still attracts new players. Starting on a run-down farm just outside Pelican Town, the game provides absolute freedom of gameplay from the beginning. Managing the farm, its crops, and livestock is a main concern for most players, as is restoring the town to its former glory, but there are plenty of other activities to do.
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Players are free to romance eligible suitors in the town, mine, forage, fish, and even engage in combat for those who wish to battle monsters and take the treasures these creatures are guarding. New areas can be unlocked later in the game, but there is still plenty to explore around Pelican Town, and it all constantly changes as the seasons cycle.
2 Satisfactory
Explore An Alien World And Construct Assembly Lines
Satisfactory
- Released
- September 10, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Coffee Stain Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Coffee Stain Publishing
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Sandbox, Base Building, Open-World, Management
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Starting with nothing and landing on a mysterious planet full of natural resources, Satisfactory is great for exploring in first-person. Harvesting resources on behalf of the enigmatic company FICSIT, the Pioneer must construct and maintain a large factory to assist in the building of contraptions before sending them back to the company via a space elevator.
As new technology is unlocked, so too are the possibilities for traversing the planet, such as jetpacks and jump pads to get around much more quickly. Crafting intricate and efficient conveyor belts reduces the amount of manual interaction necessary, meaning that the optimization of automated assembly lines becomes something of an obsession for many players.
1 Dwarf Fortress
Losing Is Fun!
Dwarf Fortress
- Released
- August 8, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Strategy, Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Boasting infinite hours of gameplay, Dwarf Fortress is still receiving support and regular updates over two decades since its initial release. One of the most complex and addictive games on the market, it mixes construction, management, and roguelike elements where death is inevitable. This has prompted its community to adopt the motto "Losing is fun!"
Players are free to tweak some pre-game settings as they wish, but ultimately each game world is unique and features a complex history. Building and maintaining a fortress can be a difficult challenge even without the threat of dragons or rogue characters within the player’s own community who have certain personality quirks. Even the most successful civilizations will fall eventually.
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