by Ashley Raybourn

Created on: February 04, 2009   Last Updated: February 09, 2009

County Fair: 4/5

County Fair is a fun addition to the world of theme park, carnival, and fair games. Although the concept is a bit stale, the game is still fun to play and it is easy to learn through either the optional tutorial or on your own. In the beginning you will receive a letter from a long lost relative named Russ Pendleton who wants you to continue operating his beloved fairs across the country.

You will have to complete objectives in a certain time period. The calendar page will tell you how many days you have to set up the fair and achieve your goals. For example, the first fair in Saguaro County is a small one that will last four days with a goal of making a $3,000 profit. A later fair will require a $5,000 dollar profit plus three attractions, and so on and so forth.

On the screen you can click on the front gate to raise or lower the entrance fee for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Your goals will appear at the top of the screen and the bottom will display how much electrical power you are using and need, current funds, and the park's popularity. Also along the bottom you will find button to make purchases, hire staff, and view reports. As you build your fairs you will be able to access more options for rides and game or foods stands. On this screen you can also adjust the individual price for each attraction.

Rides fall into three categories: small, medium, and large. Add a fun side show, such as a giant horse, to make your fair extra exciting! If you click on an individual attraction you can see how it is doing. For rides you can upgrade them to make sure guest satisfaction stays up.

You will need to hire some staff to manage your park and keep the popularity up. When a need arises, such as a ride that needs to be fixed, you can easily dispatch your worker to take care of the situation. Fairs in the real world are subject to inspections and this game is no different. You will get a warning before the inspections so make sure to fix everything before they come! They will inspect in each area that workers are available so make them do their jobs!

The graphics in County Fair are pretty good and are close to a quality that you would find in a game bought off the shelf. Circus music plays in the background that can become obnoxious after a while. The 30-minute free trial is just enough to leave you wanting more. At just $19.99 for the full version it is worth considering as the game only gets more and more complex. For my money, I give County Fair 4/5 stars.

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