Monopoly Tycoon

If you’re fondly recalling rainy Sunday afternoons with the family huddled ‘round the board game, exchanging paper money and vengeful glances, you’re in for a surprise. Monopoly Tycoon is less about traversing the famous board (a version of which is also available under the simple ‘Monopoly’ moniker) and more about building up your own property empire. It's not all change though. You still play an up-and-coming entrepreneur, are still represented by the same old pewter pieces, and the action takes place in the familiar locations. However, instead of moving around a board, you’re randomly assigned properties – called blocks here – upon which you can build three businesses.

Your success in the game depends upon building the right business in the right area, with the occupants of Old Kent Road having different demands to those of Euston Road. New random blocks can be bought at auction and you compete against up to 5 computer players who will bid against you in order to expand their respective business empires. Businesses, once established, must be managed effectively to maximise profit, including adjusting prices, changing the type of business or simply demolishing it completely.

All told, it’s a very involving game. In fact, we can't think of another mobile title we've spent as much time playing in one sitting. Obviously the downside of this absorption is that it’s certainly not the sort of thing you can dip in and out of while waiting for the bus even considering the save facility. This extra depth also understandably rules out a multiplayer option, but the 3 varieties of single player game more than make up for it. They're all quite demanding though and the learning curve is on the steep side (the bank is tough on debtors!) so it’ll require you learn patience quickly. Persevere to win a game however and you’ll feel a level of satisfaction that’s rare in mobile phone gaming. This, like the game itself is an immense achievement and one that’ll keep you passing go and coming back for more!