Kairosoft's hit rate is the stuff of legend - the Japanese developer is a powerhouse when it comes to pumping out time-sapping classics, and it hasn't delivered a dud yet.
The good news is that The Pyraplex is yet another title that's worthy of your attention. The bad news is that it revisits a lot of concepts that Kairosoft has already explored in previous outings.
Set in a heavily commercialised version of ancient Egypt, the game tasks you with creating the ultimate pyramid.
You might assume that this involves building a fitting monument to a recently-deceased Pharaoh, but that's not the case here. Instead, you have to fill your stone edifice with shops, eateries, and other attractions.
Your prime concern is generating cash rather than making a structure that will withstand the howling winds of time itself.
Sands of timeOf course, any good pyramid/shopping complex requires skilled staff to keep it ticking over, so you'll not only need to manage your workers but also ensure they have rooms to sleep in and are assigned tasks that suit their unique talents.
Some are adept at attracting punters, while others are better at mining the stone used for the construction of your pyramid.
Stone is sourced from the massive mountain that sits next to your structure. As your dutiful subjects chip it apart piece by piece, they uncover hidden treasures and also make room for the eventual expansion of your complex.
The way in which you can shape your pyramid is possibly The Pyraplex's biggest innovation - you can take the orthodox route and make it, well, pyramid-shaped, or you can create a massive square structure that maximises the available space.
The aesthetic qualities of your work are judged on a regular basis by the Pyramid Association, so you'll need to ensure that it looks suitably fetching.
Build like an EgyptianLike all of Kairosoft's previous games, The Pyraplex becomes incredibly addictive once you get stuck in. It's a real pleasure to see your hard graft pay off in a steady stream of income, and it's gratifying to observe your changes and alterations having an almost immediate effect on the profitability of the pyramid.
The introduction of achievement-style 'Stamps' only serves to heighten the compulsive nature of the gameplay.
However, after the first couple of hours it dawns on you that you've been to this party many times before. The Pyraplex is very similar to past Kairosoft offerings, which is no bad thing when you consider how fantastic the studio's games are, but it's also something of a disappointment.
There's little in the way of innovation here, and there are only so many times you can experience what is effectively the same game before it stops being fun.
Despite its lack of originality, The Pyraplex remains a typically solid effort from the masters of the genre. We only hope that Kairosoft's next adventure breaks the mould a little.