1849

City-building games come in all sorts of flavors, from those based on animated shows like The Simpsons to what purist fans think of as the sort that sets the bar for the genre, Sim City. 1849 is not one of those games.

In place of the overly-complicated economy it sports a very simple one that relies upon the player paying attention to the needs of the citizens of their town, and making the sort of choices that answer those needs.

That streamlined economy and its simplified choices permit the player to play the game in the sort of bite-sized chunks that mobile games demand.

Priced at $4.99 the game is a simple play proposition - no ads, no in-game purchases, in fact the only additions are add-on DLC.

Game play is divided between Story Mode and Sandbox Mode. In Story Mode the player is given specific tasks and goals for each of the towns that make up the challenges.

In Sandbox Mode the player has access to all of the different items and objects in the game, allowing for creative play in building towns.

The graphics in the game are sort of cartoonish with a hokey feel to them - in fact the music that constantly plays in the background is also rather hokey, but in a good way.

Together the graphics and the music help to set the feel and the play stage.

Despite the overly-simplified economics this game is surprisingly challenging - don't be surprised if you find yourself needing to restart towns due to missing the goals in income or tasks.

The ability to play in bite-sized chunks means you can easily play through a single town mission in one session. That said, the game is not one of the sort that has a deep connection between its missions and play.