Gazillionaire Review

Imagine a game that is a cross between Lemonade Stand and Elite and you come up with Gazillionaire. You are a space tycoon who manages a trading company and earn money by ferrying passengers and goods between planets. Sound easy? It is! Sound boring? It sure isn't!

I don't know why, but Gazillionaire has an amazing ability to make you come back and play some more even though the game has changed very little in the past decade or so. The concept and interface is simple so you can start playing right away. However, the underlying principal is actually complex. So, you can start playing right away but to do well takes some thought. As you zip around the galaxy trading goods between planets, you'll quickly discover the basics of supply and demand. Sure you can get four times your Kubars for those Moon Ferns, but Toasters can net you more even though they are more expensive (and no one wants moon ferns anyway).

The economics behind the game are a little random at times but for the most part are fair, especially on the easier difficulties. As the manager of your shipping outfit, you have to trade off cargo size and passenger capacity, advertising and ticket rates, to invest in the stock market or pay off your loans, to purchase fuel or get insurance. There's almost no end to the strategies you can employ and the outcome is always different. This is why the game is so addictive - each time you play, you play a little differently.

If you want a game that you can pick up, play for 10 minutes or 3 hours this is for you. In fact, I suggest everyone at least download the demo. The game hasn't changed much in the past decade and you'll quickly find out why.