Play - online

SimTower turns building management into a surprisingly addictive simulation in which players construct and operate a huge vertical complex. Instead of spreading a city across a map, everything grows upward, with apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, elevators, recreation areas, and other facilities competing for precious floorspace. The challenge is making the tower attractive and profitable while keeping its residents and workers reasonably happy. Elevators become particularly important as the building expands, because apparently the greatest threat to civilization is not an alien invasion but waiting too long for the lift. As the tower develops, players can unlock increasingly impressive structures and attract more people. SimTower has the same open-ended charm as other Maxis simulations, but its vertical design gives it a distinctive personality. Watching a modest building slowly become a gigantic self-contained city is satisfying, although the larger it gets, the more suspiciously complicated your elevator network becomes.