Docked

I was excited to see how a port management and simulation game would look like, and I think that Docked successfully manages to balance both sides of the experience. Adding a narrative into the mix made things even better, because it’s all glued together extremely well, and the experience feels more organic this way. They also manage to add lots of tasks and varied missions for you, so there’s always something to do...Naturally, some tasks will be repetitive, but that’s by design when you play a simulator like this. I was happy to see that you can also manage your port’s finances, upgrade the port and do all kinds of things that other games in the genre don’t cover. There are tons of menus, lots of machines for you to own and use, but also plenty of managerial tasks that you need to check out.

Many players probably don't expect much from a port simulator, but this game proved to be a pleasant surprise. The controls are intuitive and fun, and you won't get bored even after playing for hours. You will also notice your own improvement over time when handling containers and heavy machinery, which will draw you in for more hours of play. The only downside is that the game doesn't include multiplayer or co-op modes.

Docked stays true to its mission, crafting tough machinery challenges and simulating the day-to-day running of a dockyard. It’s laborious work though and while mini-games and radio chatter aim to mix it up, it still lacks a little fun.

Docked might not be what many fans of the genre were expecting it to be, as it presents more of a series of short construction-themed levels rather than a fully open and immersive job site simulation. However, its management mechanics are interesting, and the heavy equipment is still intricately designed, making for a fun game, even if it’s not the one you necessarily wanted it to be.