By Chris Picone, 3 June, 2025

Rise of Industry 2 is a delightfully complex business management simulator.  There's a fair bit to get your head around but that's exactly where the appeal lies. 

Aesthetics

The surprisingly authentic-feeling 80s-style VHS tapes that lead you through the tutorial and introductions to the missions aren't just a great parody of the decade, they really set the scene for the game.  That is to say, Rise of Industry is set in the 80s, where massive industry booms are just starting to really take off and creating production lines to pump out VHS tapes and similar era-specific technology are the call of the day.  I love this setting - it's nostalgic for me, sure, but also a genuinely interesting era in its own right, and a nice change from other games out there that portray the modern world. Rise of Industry 2 likes to present itself as a Sim City-type game; and sure, you will be out there building all your buildings, but they're mostly just for show. The real game's played out through menus and dialogue windows. 

Gameplay

You're provided with a selection of locations to play in, each with their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of availability or resources in the sector, which also determine the sort of industry you are likely to delve in.  There's a huge range of unlockable locations that offer a range of varying challenges and industries to explore. When building, you have to purchase plots of land which you then designate as industry districts.  You obviously need to set up the manufacturing centre which will create the items you plan to sell, but to actually produce those products you will also need to build various refineries or secondary manufacturing facilities, and also a way to mine or harvest the primary resources needed - where possible.  For example, to sell a comparatively simple alloy, you mine for raw iron, a smelter to turn the iron into the alloy, and coal to feed the smelter.  This is the easy part.  To sell the alloy, you will need to use your management team to source buyers and set up contracts.  If iron or coal is not accessible in your location, you will need to trade for it but of course this diminishes your profit margins. You also need to find a way to make money from your surplus raw materials, manage removal of waste products, and establish distribution chains to move all these products around. The more you play, the more layers to the game you will experience along the way. 

Verdict

If you're looking for a simple game or a city builder, Rise of Industry won't be for you.  But if you're the sort of person that wants to dig into complex tech and production trees to build a sprawling industrial centre while managing all manner of trade contracts and distribution networks and also dealing with shonky contractors and global events, Rise of Industry 2 is the game for you. 

Links: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2532490/Rise_of_Industry_2/