I’ve always been a huge fan of building simulator games. I remember spending countless hours on SimCity and RollerCoaster Tycoon . There is something rather therapeutic about the process of creating your own city, or building wild roller coasters to entertain theme park guests. For me, it was the ability to let my imagination run wild that kept me enthralled. I could create anything I wanted to. A small city on the coast of a vast sea, or a sprawling metropolis filled with towering buildings. Whatever I wanted to see and experience, I was free to create. Because of this, I have always kept a special place in my heart for this genre. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about a new tower-creation simulator from developer SomaSim.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s because SomaSim is the creative group behind 1849 , a simulator game in which you crafted towns during the great California gold rush. Their newest release, Project Highrise , is set in modern times and features some very different mechanics. You won’t be setting up lodges and mines to gather as much gold as possible. Instead, you’ll be tasked with crafting the most successful skyscraper possible. This will include things like building creation, maintenance, and the overall flow of the floor plan. You’ll have to juggle a variety of tenants, from offices, to restaurants, to housing, and even retail outlets.

This may seem like a simple affair where you’re tasked with placing certain elements in an orderly fashion, but Project Highrise is much more than that. Your overall goal is to craft a building that is envied by even the most successful of architects. One approach is to focus on one particular theme. You can create an elaborate office structure with the latest and greatest technologies for aspiring businesses. Or maybe you’d like to make a retail space that has customers flocking from all over the city to purchase goods. You could even create a series of luxurious condos and become the number-one real estate location within the metropolis. If you’re really feeling adventurous, you could become a jack-of-all trades and create a location that is filled to the brim with a combination of residential and commercial spaces.

It isn’t just about appearances, though. You’ll need to keep an eye on customer satisfaction levels. You need to ensure that your clients are satisfied and have everything they need to succeed. It’s important to note that certain clients will require more attention than others. For example, specific retail outlets or restaurants my need additional utilities or structure. This combination of client needs, high-rise design, and important business decisions makes for a very enthralling simulation experience.

Project Highrise features some rather in-depth gameplay, but cuts out a lot of unnecessary details. You won’t have to worry about researching a specific location for soil structure and environmental hazards. You don’t need to keep a log of random maintenance failures. Instead, you’ll have the freedom to focus heavily on customer satisfaction, floor planning, and, most importantly, the overall design of your skyscraper. It makes things a lot more fun, and gives you much more freedom than a traditional tower-building simulator. I’ve had a lot of fun with this release so far, and developers are planning to release new missions and DLC in the near future.

Project Highrise is available for purchase right now the Humble Store , GOG , and Steam for $19.99. For more information regarding Project Highrise , be sure to check out the dedicated website here . You can also check out SomaSim at the developer website , as well as follow them on Twitter , Facebook , and Youtube .