by Shawn Schafer

Created on: February 03, 2009   Last Updated: February 09, 2009

Ah..this game brought me back to the days when I played Roller Coaster Tycoon. What a blast!

In County Fair, you build and run county fairs in multiple locations, each one progressively getting bigger. There is generally some monetary goal you have to reach as well as serveral different necessary attractions.

The game plays a lot like tycoon-type games, such as Roller Coaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon. You build different rides, food stands, and shows, and try to make as much money as possible. You control the prices of everything you buy and have to find the prices that maximize profit. There are a lot of different attractions to buy and you're always busy doing something to manage the fair. Having to pay to power the park and worrying about inspections seemed like busywork to me, but I still give gameplay a 4 out of 5.

The game's graphics are 2d and fairly simple but they're fun. I would have liked them to be a little better but they weren't terrible or anything, and besides; games like these really aren't about the graphics. I give graphics a 3 out of 5.

One area of the game that was terrible was sound. After I buy the full version, I'll probably always play with the sound off. The music is bad carvnival music and there is always a baby crying or laughing in the background. So I just turned up my music and turned sound off. I give sound a 1 out of 5.

One thing this game did that I've never really seen before in any tycoon game that I can remember is that it allowed you to upgrade most of the attractions. The rides all have three different upgrades and all the food stands allow you to upgrade them to sell more types of food. The game also allows you to advertise your different attractions which seemed really cool and new to me. So I give creativity and innovation a 4 out of 5.

Despite the horrid sound and subpar graphics, this game is still a load of fun. I'm definitely going to buy the full version when I get the chance, especially since it's only 10 bucks, unlike the usual 20 for games like this. I give County Fair a 4 out of 5.

Learn more about this author, Shawn Schafer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.