DRCongo

This time we played it correctly, and the difference was immediate: DRCongo rose even further in my estimation. It is one of those games that gives you no freebies at all and keeps you constantly alert.

Its flow rests on decisions that have to be right at the right moment. A mistake does not simply disappear because you later find yourself with plenty of money; even when you are swimming in cash that seems to have little meaning, the game finds a way to punish poor management.

Player interaction also comes through the market, where I might have liked one more mechanism for manipulation, especially around the expensive goods. Not because the existing system does not work, but because I would have liked a little more room for targeted moves and pressure in that area.

Even so, I have no doubt about where it stands for me. DRCongo now joins my list of must-plays at least once a year, alongside Incorporated, Rolling Stock, and Arkwright. Hard, demanding, and much better when you give it the attention it asks for.