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SimulationStrategy / tactics

Constructor

19977.6/ 10 · 25 votesTeen3

Trailer

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About

Constructor gives the player the chance to run a construction company in a place where real estate is up for those who want to develop it first and where everything is allowed to get rid of the competition.

Starting in a single plot of land with the headquarters, a construction team (composed by a foreman and one to five workers) and a repairman, the player must start by building a wood mill and provide housing to the bottom of the social ladder: slobs. From there, taking advantage of their fast reproduction rate, the player can train new workers, and as soon as three different wooden huts are available, the council will allow the construction of a cement yard, which in turn allows the construction of better buildings. However, slobs wouldn't appreciate living in such luxury, and so a gadget factory can be built so that computers are distributed to their houses, allowing for a new generation of better educated citizens. While the workers pack a nasty punch when in a large group, violence should be left to the professionals. After building a Pizza Parlor, the player is allowed to use the services of gangsters. These are able to take on that pesky foreman or that building the Council asked to get rid off.

But there's more to the game than just building from ghetto houses to luxury apartments, and as they say, all is fair in war, and construction IS war. The player can send their foremen to capture other teams' buildings, or do even worse: provide housing for the scum of society. From hippies to ghosts, these can do a number on the other teams' properties. Want to stress out a tenant? Send the thugs to do a wild party in their house. Need some cash or materials? Send the thief to relieve a team from them. All this while preventing the others from doing the same to you by assigning police patrols to key areas. As time passes, it pays out to build other, more friendly, buildings. For example, a school allows everyone to breed more civilized members of the society, the hospital allows recovery of wounds much faster, and everyone can go to the park to relax a little. Improving the rooms and giving them garden furniture is also a good way of keeping tenants happy, but jealousy can grow among neighbors. Failing to comply to tenants requests and demands will quickly turn the Council against the player.

The player will have to balance the output of their tenants to achieve success: overdeveloping one aspect might make a dent in the bank account (leading to bankruptcy), cut the arrival of new workers (putting a strain on existing teams), prevent deceased tenants from being replaced (leaving houses vacant, eventually having them turn into a flaming pile of rubble not before giant cockroaches settle in), or decrease police and mob favors (necessary to patrol areas against undesirables and gangster actions).

The difficulty level affects what maps can be selected, but also which actions the undesirables can perform. To choose higher difficulty settings, more computer players (up to three) must be activated.

Ways to play

Modes

Single playerMultiplayer

Perspective

Third person

Languages (5)

Languageaudiosubtitlesinterface
English
French
German
Portuguese (Portugal)
Spanish (Spain)

Game details

Business Model

Commercial

Versions Available

Native & Emulated

Media Type

CD-ROM, Download

Input Devices Supported/Optional

Keyboard, Mouse

Multiplayer Options

LAN

Number of Offline Players

1 Player

Number of Online Players

4 Players

GOG.com

Cloud saves, Multi-player, Single-player

System requirements

Min. CPU Class Required

Intel i486

Min. OS Class Required

Windows 95

Min. RAM Required

8 MB

Min. DirectX Version Required

DirectX 5

Min. CD-ROM Drive Speed Required

4X (600 KB/s)

Box art

Also known as

Constructor Classic 1997GOG.com title

Constructor: The Classic 1997 ReleaseSteam release

Constructor: The Simulation with Street SmartsTag-lined title

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Facts

Released

1997

Series

Constructor

Platforms

PCLinuxDOSWindowsPlayStationPS1MacPS3PS Vita

Age ratings

ESRBTeenPEGI16USK12SELLTP

Standing

Top 13% by 24hr peak players

Official website

Tags

Diagonal-downIsometricReal-timeManagerial / business simulationPoint and select