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ColecoVision

Fortune Builder

ColecoVision

ColecoVision

Gameplay involves developing a rural area with various businesses such as factories, resorts, stadiums, casinos and campgrounds. Proximity to certain types of businesses increase the cash flow coming from them, while putting other types of business too close together will negatively impact their ...

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Developer
Circuits and Systems

Released on
1984

Size
1–2 Players

Version
ColecoVision

Requirements
ColecoVision

Downloads
Strategy

Publisher
Coleco Industries

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Gameplay involves developing a rural area with various businesses such as factories, resorts, stadiums, casinos and campgrounds. Proximity to certain types of businesses increase the cash flow coming from them, while putting other types of business too close together will negatively impact their profitability.

Every few seconds a news ticker will announce an item that will temporarily increase or decrease the profits from a certain business, such as new laws requiring expensive new safety measures in factories or Bigfoot sightings scaring off attendees from resorts. On the other hand an extremely popular movie or TV show might drive crowds at theaters or casinos.

The game includes multiple difficulty settings determining factors such as starting capital and the financial goal set for that scenario’s win condition. Two players can compete.

This predates Sim City by nearly 10 years, but must have inspired the makers of SimCity.

Fortune Builder

Overview & History

Released in 1984 by Coleco for the ColecoVision, Fortune Builder was a surprisingly ahead-of-its-time simulation game developed by Nichibutsu. Long before modern tycoon and city-building games dominated the market, this title tasked players with orchestrating a massive marine amusement park from the ground up. Combining economic strategy with real-time management, the game challenged you to transform a barren ocean plot into a bustling, highly profitable resort. Facing stiff competition in the video game crash era, Fortune Builder stands out as a unique cartridge that traded traditional arcade action for deliberate, cerebral planning.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core objective of Fortune Builder is to construct and manage a thriving ocean-themed park featuring dolphin shows, whale pools, restaurants, hotels, and monorail tracks. Players start with a modest budget and must strategically place buildings to attract visitors and maximize revenue. However, it's not just about placement; you must actively buy and sell land parcels, manage fluctuating inflation rates, and combat natural disasters like typhoons that threaten your investments. Keeping visitors happy requires balancing park attractions while preventing infrastructure gridlock. Success yields cash, letting you expand your marine empire across multiple interconnected ocean grids.