Build-a-Lot 2: Town of the Year Review

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Build-a-Lot 2: Town of the Year is the sequel to 2007's award-winning Build-a-Lot game, the game that revolutionized the casual time- and resource-management game genre.

Build-a-Lot 2 builds a lot (pun intended) on the success of the original game, keeping the many elements that made it such a great game to play. Everything from house-building, rent-collecting and resource management are still there and in most cases improved from the original.

In this game, you move from neighborhood to neighborhood (8 of them in all), helping the local mayors revamp their sagging townships into bustling and thriving utopias. You take on the task of improving the appeal of each neighborhood, and building and 'flipping' houses to help the mayor earn more cash to keep on improving the town. All the while building parks and other desirables to keep the special interest groups happy.

You have the traditional elements such as house-building, renovating, as well as buying and selling land and houses. And these houses range from the humble bungalow through to huge palatial units. You can also paint your houses to improve their appeal and generate more rental income. Neighboring parks help improve the appeal of the area as well.

You can also build businesses in the area to increase your income. Coffee shops, eateries and convenience stores all make the neighborhood a better place. There are also a few unappealing but necessary buildings you need to build in order to make your town a thriving metropolis. Workshops don't do much for the real estate value, but are required to kickstart your town's business.

There are two ways you can play the game. One is via the traditional campaign setting with nearly 50 levels. Each level has a few objectives you need to complete within a certain time limit. Objectives include things such as improving the neighborhood's appeal or building a minimum number of a certain type of house or business. The campaign takes you through all 8 of the different neighborhood styles.

On the other hand, if you're a fan of the SimCity-style open-ended city-building game, the 'casual' format allows you to play the game without any time limit or objectives. You are free to design, demolish and build your dream town. All this within the limits of your rental income, available material and workers of course.

The game runs in real time, and the need to maximize your resources and earn the most income within the time limits makes this game a heart-pounding challenge with great replay value.

Rating: 3.5/5.0  

Watch a demo video of the game!

 Download Build-a-Lot 2: Town of the Year onto your computer

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