5 Diplomacy is Not an Option
This one is set to release on February 9 and there is a demo now. It takes place in the middle ages and you are a king tasked with protecting your castle from the hordes of enemies at your gates. A few things that set this one apart are a true-to-life physics engine, and the insane number of enemy soldiers (10,000!) the game throws at you.
4 Builders of Egypt
Builders of Egypt is an incredibly detailed building and economic sim that’s laser-focused on one period of history and one civilization. It definitely takes the “go deep, rather than wide” approach. It looks like its building mechanics are accessible and its systems are challenging.
3 Prehistoric Kingdom
If you were a little disappointed that the recent Jurassic World games were a bit slow and didn’t quite let you live out the dinosaur theme park fantasy, you’re in for a treat. Prehistoric Kingdom looks like it takes the Planet Coaster/Zoo model and adds our favorite prehistoric reptiles. The dinosaurs look amazing and up to date with recent paleontology. Coming to early access in April 2022.
2 Laysara: Summit Kingdom
Laysara: Summit Kingdom transposes the city builder to the Himalayas (or some version thereof). You must build multiple, interconnected settlements high in the mountains. The art and architecture looks influenced by Buddhist iconography and the cities of Tibet and Nepal.
1 Park Beyond
Of all the games on our list, this one might be the coolest. Park Beyond takes the Planet Coaster ride building model and removes those pesky elements of realism like gravity. It allows you to build some really imaginative and exciting coasters. This game is bright, colorful and really inviting. No release date yet, but we sure hope it drops this year.