Ah, another simulator to get myself invested in. I’ve done trucking, farming, train driving, theme park managing, and plenty more. Now, I’m adding construction to that list with this second game I’ve played from the Jingle Jam Games Collection. Demolish and Build 2018 sees the player in the role of a construction worker, using machines and hand tools to work various jobs.
To start with, I had just a mallet to work a job for a jerk of a boss who fires me for his mistake. But that’s okay, as it means I’m now my own boss co-owning a company with someone else that boss had fired. He’s… more of a consultant than a hands-on guy, so I’m still the one working the jobs. Unless I’ve got someone hired.
Now, starting off it was clear I was going to have a bit of a hard time for one reason. There’s only partial controller support, meaning all the menus have to be navigated by mouse. And second, while there’s a gamepad pre-set control scheme, finding out what each button does is a minefield of guesswork when each is displayed as joypad button or joypad axis. Like being back with older PC games that didn’t auto-find controllers.
So, with the first job showing off the mechanics of the game, I felt ready for work. Getting a base of operations up, which… doesn’t ever get used for anything. Not that such is a bad thing, as it’s what starts the journey at each of the areas available. With a bulldozer to start some heavy duty jobs bought, the final task of the tutorial sees a full demolition job completed. With some of these demo jobs, you’re meant to do dust control by using a hose, but I can’t figure that out with how the game’s displaying information.
Not like it matters, either. Even with a load of dust being scattered around, the amount of earnings lost isn’t that harsh. As well as that, there’s a bonus on such jobs per object destroyed, meaning said bonus can give out more than double of what the job’s worth. These demolition jobs are the main source of money to buy new equipment, but not the means of progression.
Around each area are various properties that can be bought, with each one restored adding to the net worth of the company. Reaching the next rating of net worth will unlock the next area. Eventually, the net worth of the company will rival that of the one whose boss fired me, which will be the end game. When the properties fall into disrepair, the net worth of it will drop until properly maintained. Which is what the hired help is for.
While help can only be assigned when a property falls into disrepair, they’ll take care of anything that needs doing while I’m off doing something else. However, they can only be assigned when within that area, so travelling to the airport to then head to that area to then assign someone to maintain the property is sure to become tiresome as more property is bought. The hired help can do other jobs, as well, but why would you assign them to the good stuff? I guess it’ll bring in a bit more money for the company. As long as I have the right equipment.
Upon heading to a new area, the fleet of vehicles I’ve built up in one didn’t travel over, so money is needed to build up a new fleet to help on new jobs. The vehicles in each area are different to tailor to the type of jobs that need doing. While there are a set number of jobs to do, those that have been completed will reappear, which is helpful if I need a boost to get more equipment. The starting area is a rocky desert, with wooden buildings to be working on, but the second which I’ve recently got to is a lot greener, full of stone and iron structures. The jobs to take on are getting more complex in each new area, it seems.
Across my five hours with it so far, everything has worked exactly as I’ve expected it to. There’s a bit of stiffness in the steering, and sometimes things don’t break when you’d expect them to, but despite those and the other problems, I’ve been enjoying my time within this simulated construction world.
If you’d like to enjoy this and many more games, then perhaps the Jingle Jam Games Collection is for you. For just a £35 donation to charity, you can own over 80 games valued at over £1000. All you need to do is head to the Jingle Jam Tiltify page and give at least £35 before the 14th ends to claim the collection.
Images Taken From:
Demolish and Build 2018 | Original Screenshots
