Summary

  • Despite its unexpected addition to the genre, Resident Evil 4 excels at resource management amidst intense zombie battles.
  • Frostpunk offers a unique survival experience in an icy world, requiring careful resource management to keep your city thriving.
  • Factorio challenges players to balance resources in creating massive factories across a 2D landscape, offering high replayability.

With as many games that come out on a monthly basis, there are plenty of different sub-genres that might fly under your radar. If you lean towards liking the type of game that uses the entirety of your brain and multitasking skills, then resource management games may be a fun idea.

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Whether you're new to the concept, or you've got a few games under your belt, there are some that stand out above the rest, even in this unique genre. Some mix genres that you'd never expect, and others simply ask you to get your spreadsheets ready, but here are some of the best resource management games out there.

10 Resident Evil 4

Zombies, And Resource Management?

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Resident Evil 4

Survival Horror Released January 11, 2005 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language Platform(s) PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, PC, Android, iOS Powered by Expand Collapse

It's a startling first addition to a list of resource management games, but while Resident Evil 4 doesn't market itself as such, it is surprisingly good at making you take precise care about what you're equipping Leon with.

Sure, there are tense fights with zombie-like infected villagers and mutants, but there's also the constant underlying pressure of every health spray, every grenade, and every bullet being one of the very limited few you can carry. There's nothing so strenuous as trying to find a way to fit that new gun into your already small inventory space.

This makes it a great choice for those who are new to the idea of resource management games, but do have a history with shooting games or the Resident Evil series as a whole.

9 Frostpunk

Grab A Blanket

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Frostpunk

City Builder Survival Released April 24, 2018 ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Mild Violence, Strong Language Platform(s) PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 Powered by Expand Collapse

There are plenty of diverse settings in the resource management genre, but none may be as surprising as the icy and inhospitable world of Frostpunk. Survival is the name of the game here, but surviving means knowing what resources you have at your disposal.

Your main focuses are coal and labor as you try to keep your fledgling city running in the desolate expanse of snow around you. It's a stressful experience, but one that keeps things interesting with random events that could only happen in an apocalyptic world like this.

8 Cities: Skylines 2

If You Build It...

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Cities: Skylines 2

City Builder Released October 24, 2023 ESRB e Platform(s) PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand Collapse

Sure, plenty of resource management games ask you to run a city or government, but usually, it's one that is already established. If you've ever dreamed about building your own city from scratch, then Cities: Skylines 2 is the pick for you.

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You have full-reign on how to build a town or metropolis of your own here, with everything from roads to business districts to parks. But, you do have to make sure you keep up with the constant needs of the city you build, including water, power, living space, and, of course, the economy.

7 Dredge

Cosmic Horror, Plus Business Strategy

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Dredge

Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Resource management games are a genre that likes to mix with other popular genres to create unique games that may never have been created otherwise. Dredge is definitely one such game.

You take the role of a fisherman, with a 'catch,' of course. As you go out in your trawler boat, you'll find you aren't the only thing looking to hunt for something to eat. Various monsters also call the dark seas home. It's a balance of not only managing how much fish, fuel, and space you have on board but also your own character's sanity.

6 Planet Zoo

The Bear Necessities

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Planet Zoo

Simulation Released November 5, 2019 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Crude Humor, Mild Blood, Mild Violence Platform(s) PC Powered by Expand Collapse

Zoo management games have been an interestingly popular sub-genre that has been keeping players on their toes since the days of floppy discs. Plant Zoo takes those heartfelt memories and brings them into the new generation of gaming.

Sure, you have money and the zoo's customers to worry about, but the main focus is managing the animals themselves. They all have unique needs, preferences, and problems that only you can keep track of. Not to mention the additional managing of animal breeding, and even trying to manage endangered species too.

Planet Zoo also allows you to buy and sell zoos online, which means you can manage multiple properties, each with its own individual resources.

5 Factorio

The Bigger, The Better

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Factorio

Simulation Real-Time Strategy Powered by Expand Collapse

Sometimes, the graphics and story can draw you into a game. Sometimes, you want a game that is impressive because it can run a ridiculous amount of things at once. Factorio is one of those games that will push you and your PC to the limit (in a good way).

Factorio may not look the sharpest, but it is a workhorse of a game. Your job is to create factories across an endless 2D landscape with various parts and resources to balance. It sounds simple, and the pitch is, but the sheer size of the factories you can build with various moving parts and elements is scary.

You can even invite friends into your game and build factories together through the game's multiplayer options. Just make sure you both have the same goal for your factories in mind.

This can be a hard game to get into if you're new to the resource management genre, but it does allow for plenty of trials and multiple attempts with the amount of replayability it has.

4 Manor Lords

Heavy Is The Head

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Manor Lords

Strategy City Builder Powered by Expand Collapse

Creating industrial machines and grand cities is one thing, but sometimes you want to go old-school and just manage a simple kingdom or fief. Manor Lords has anticipated that and has plenty of things ready for you to balance in its unique historical setting.

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It's an interesting balance of top-down management and controlling third-person characters that somehow works without being confusing. The game does well at keeping you confident while you figure out family trees, farming, armies, and everything else that comes with making a village or kingdom of your own.

3 Tropico 6

El Presidente Has A Ring To It

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Tropico

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The Tropico series has been around since 2001, all the while setting up some pretty wacky political simulators with a surprising amount of depth considering the tone. Tropico 6 takes this long-standing series to new heights with new graphics and heartier challenges.

You can now expand your control (iron-fisted or otherwise) across an island chain and throughout different time periods. While it does lean more towards the political side of things, you still have to balance out resources to keep your people happy. They're not opposed to a revolution from time to time.

2 Victoria 3

Industry In A New Age

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Victoria 3

Strategy Released October 25, 2022 ESRB T For Teen due to Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Violence, Partial Nudity, Use of Drugs Platform(s) PC Powered by Expand Collapse

There are plenty of games on this list that put you in charge, whether on a large or small scale. However, few have made a name for themselves doing so with the thought and consideration that the Victoria series has.

You begin in the middle 1800s and go through a hundred years of history as any nation that existed during those years. As the industrial revolution picks up, you get to choose what your nation will do. Balance finances, import and export goods, and even invest in new technologies. It's resource management on an impressive scale.

1 RimWorld

Management On Another Planet

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RimWorld

Simulation Released October 17, 2018 ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence Platform(s) PC, PS4, Xbox One Powered by Expand Collapse

There are certain games out there with a near cult following, and RimWorld is easily one such game. Your goal throughout the game is to create and manage a colony in a far-off world. Sounds easy, right?

Make sure your colonists are well-fed, happy, have a good job, and don't get in trouble with local flora and fauna. Also, just make sure the planet stays stable, too. No pressure at all. It sounds like a lot, but in reality it's a fun and surprisingly simple thing to get a grasp of. Where else can you become a sci-fi ruler of another planet?

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