Constructor Plus Review: A Delightfully Quirky Building Sim

Constructor Plus builds on the platform that 1997’s Constructor laid out, serving up fun and exciting building projects with a side of humor.

Those familiar with classic DOS games may remember Acclaim Entertainment and System 3’s Constructor, a modest building sim that tasked players with managing their own construction company. With the goal of putting other players out of business, players hire teams of foremen and other construction workers to erect various buildings and keep a reliable cash flow going. It was a bit of a niche title, but the unique little title has been resurrected (though without its 1998 sequel) as a console-based version. Constructor Plusbuilds on the sturdy platform that 1997’s Constructor laid out, serving up intuitive building controls, exciting projects with a side of good-natured humor.  

Like the original game, Constructor Plus is brimming with a variety of projects to tackle. As any sturdy, impressive building requires, this fantastically feature-rich on the DOS title needs. There’s an astronomical amount of settlements to plan out, tenants to work with and help sabotage enemies, and ways to come out on top. Who knew the construction world was so cutthroat?

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As the head of a burgeoning construction business, players must control all aspects of the fledgling operation. As such, Constructor Plus plays like a satisfying mixture of games like Cities: Skylines and The Sims. After jumping into the game, players will be inundated with a wide variety of tools and options. As an aside, there are nearly 150 different kinds of buildings to remember and ways they interact with each other. Only some buildings may link up with others, and the way tenants utilize them changes with each additional bit of progression through the game. It can become quite the challenge for players who aren’t ready to get down to brass tacks and focus on

Luckily, there are plenty of tutorials focused on walking newbies through what can feel like a labyrinthine set of rules and regulations before unleashing them into the wide world on their own. There are several important basic concepts to memorize first, which unfold throughout a series of tutorials. It’s highly recommended that players complete all required tutorials before checking out the game’s sandbox mode (which has no hand-holding), because there’s a very specific set of moves that must be made before any settlement can prosper.

For example, first comes building a lumberyard. From there, players are off to learn about everything that can be built in-game, how to build it, and the rules surrounding when and where to build it. There are a lot of rules to follow, After acquiring some basic supplies and bringing up a few simple houses and buildings, then tenants must be procured to live there. They’re extremely discerning, which can make getting started feel a bit frustrating. Perhaps tenants are upset by their lack of the fence they requested around their residence. Or maybe they really can’t stand the noise of the lumberyard, which is integral to the settlement’s operation. Tenants are any construction team’s bread and butter, so they must be appeased.

Learning which tenants like what kind of areas, fences, and other items is an important part of figuring out how best to play Constructor Plus. With five different classes of tenants and ten types to keep in mind, as previously stated jumping into the game is a daunting task, as they can make everything extremely touchy. But when there’s a bustling community that springs about from doing due diligence and keeping each tenant happy, everything clicks into place, delivering extreme satisfaction.

Sometimes, the level of attention and detail paid to each and every building type and tenant interaction can become frustrating. This may turn some players off, but for others, it may very well be the biggest reason to invest hours into Constructor Plus, which lends itself perfectly to the Switch for on-the-go play.

Raising buildings and networking with tenants isn’t the only way to grow upward, as there are other unsavory means of progressing. While the types of tenants in communities do need to be kept track of, there are others that can do more than simply offer new types of buildings and additional missions. There are hostile tenant types that can help cause a bit of frustration for rival construction companies. This will ensure there’s room for only one group in town, but be careful: enemy organizations also have these tools at their disposal. This is where players’ learning to choose their battles becomes extremely important.

With these types of tenant interactions, a wide variety of goals and missions to complete, and Constructor Plus’s sandbox mode for more seasoned players, there’s plenty to do. Beyond these options, there are also some nontraditional building space with the game’s “Extras,” which take players to space and beyond to challenge their building chops. These areas can be enjoyed with other players online, with a variety of customizable factors such as number of opponents, difficulty level, and other augments.

Constructor Plus is an exciting, super-sized building game and management sim compressed into a package that feels fantastic on the Switch. There’s a ridiculous amount of game here, plenty to do and see, and a wide variety of fun extras to explore long after the main missions and lengthy tutorials have been completed. For players who can’t get enough of the challenges of Cities: Skylines or want to get more involved with the way their city-dwelling citizens, this charming sim is well worth the entry price. Just don’t be afraid to get invested, because being successful in Constructor Plus means learning all of its ins and outs.

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Constructor Plus is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC now. A digital Nintendo Switch code was provided to Screen Rant for purposes of review.