Railroad Tycoon

Railroad Tycoon is one of the games that helped establish the business-simulation genre as a dangerous hobby for people who enjoy spreadsheets disguised as entertainment. You build railway lines, connect cities, transport passengers and goods, purchase locomotives and compete against rival companies while trying to turn a modest operation into a transportation empire. The economic side is just as important as laying tracks, since profitable routes and sensible investments are essential to survival. Its combination of strategic planning, historical flavor and accessible mechanics made it remarkably addictive. Watching a railway network expand across the map is satisfying, especially when the numbers in your company account start behaving themselves. Of course, eventually everything goes wrong because apparently running a railroad is harder than it looks.