Tropico 4

Part city-builder, part economics-sim, part political puzzle; wrapped in tropical vibes and dripping with ridiculously voiced political satire. The economics are layered without being difficult to understand, the political juggling is reasonable, and you get a lot of room to play as the particular type of dictator you want to be. You can create a socialist utopia, run a capitalist playground, or become a nightmarish authoritarian tyrant. The game is hilariously and lovingly written, illustrated, and acted to boot. It doesn't take itself too seriously and encourages the player to get in on the absurd fun. It also does a good job of trying to keep you informed (and aware of mistakes you're making) and entertained rather than letting you struggle and suffer. It does present a challenge, which is nice, and it usually does a good job of straying away from being frustrating or insultingly easy. Once you understand the mechanics and have your own play style figured out, it's easy to sink a TON of hours into the game. Tropico is an all timer of a franchise and there are those out there that argue that this is the best one of the bunch. I would certainly recommend it as an introduction to the franchise/genre, though the other games (both new and old) have their merits as well. That being said, this is the one that I've come back to and played the most. Great game, one of my favorites, highly recommend. It is more than a decade old at this point so beware problems with modern Windows and certain hardware platforms. Otherwise I'd buy it in a heartbeat, ESPECIALLY at its frequent sale price.