Tropico 6 has players assuming direct control of their very own island nation, to bend and shape as they wish. But as is the case with past games, there are multiple eras to advance through, each opening up a treasure of new options and abilities.

The latest entry in the acclaimed management simulator sees the player assume the role of "El Presidente," who is the leader of a Caribbean island, and as usual, there are four eras in for players to advance through. However, unlike previous games where the island consisted of only one nation, Tropico 6 allows players to build on a slew of smaller islands, along with bridges trailing from one starting island to the other.

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In addition to having their own buildings, edicts, research goals, and political issues, the objectives of each historical era are distinct from one another. Therefore, for players to advance forwards in time, they must balance creating their desired government in Tropico 6 whilst improving their political relations with other factions.

Tropico 6 island with city

4 The Colonial Era

This is the earliest era in the history of Tropico. Players aren't elected leaders yet as their term of office is appointed by the Crown. This means that the fate of becoming El Presidente depends entirely on whether the given tasks assigned by the Crown are completed.

As it is the start of the player's rein, the number of available buildings is small and the people have limited needs, meaning it is easy to prepare for incoming expansions at this stage. With that in mind, the best way to prepare financially in Tropico 6's Colonial Era is through the listed industries below.

Although, boats will require multiple Logging Camps, at least one Lumber Mill, and a Shipyard. Meanwhile, Distilleries and Plantations are needed for Rum and Cigars, respectively.

  • Boat industries
  • Rum industries
  • Cigar industries

In summary, the hardest thing during the Colonial Era is remaining the ruler as the job of the governor is determined by the term of office. If it ends, it's game over. Because of that, players must complete all requests from the crown until they reach the World Wars Era.

In conclusion, the most difficult thing to do during the Colonial Era is to stay in power, as the governor's position is decided by how long they are in office. As a result, players must fulfill all of the crown's requirements until they reach the World Wars Era.

3 The World Wars

World Wars are the second era in Tropico 6 chronology, as it forces players to stand in the middle of a conflict between the Axis and the Allies. Unlike previously, the voice of the citizens has some theoretical importance; after all, players are no longer under the influence of the Crown having being elected leader.

Players might choose to hold elections regularly or not at all. It is also possible to unlock a Ministry, where players will receive varying profits depending on the members they appoint.

In order to enter the Cold War Era, players must ally themselves with the Axis or the Allies. To do this, they must invite a selected superpower to the Embassy. Then achieve a fraction support level so high in Tropico 6 that an alliance option becomes available, which is done by completing tasks received from selected power.

After signing an alliance, players will be given a new duty to prove their friendship with the superpower. Once the undertaking has been dealt with, the opposing army will strike, so make sure the military presence on the island is strong.

Pirate Cove and other buildings on the beach in Tropico 6

2 The Cold War

Now the game throws a multitude of historically accurate issues at the player for them to manage, taking place in the latter half of the 20th century, the struggle between capitalism and communism reaches an all-time high as tensions build between the USA and the USSR. Tourism becomes a popular industry as war-weary tourists come to the island paradise to recuperate and reproduce or secretly spy on other foreigners.

Uranium also becomes an available resource to export or use in Tropico's nuclear infrastructure. Also, the oil industry becomes available during this era. But to progress to the Modern Era, the player must complete one of the following missions:

  • Build an international landmark
  • Join the nuclear deal
  • Build a tropical paradise for tourists

It doesn’t matter which one player picks, as it just depends upon their playstyle. Choosing the landmark option, for example, requires the player to take a famous world monument, such as the Statue of Liberty, and then collect the necessary resources to construct it.

Street and buildings in Tropico 6

1 The Modern Era

In these modern times, everything in Tropico 6 costs big money. But that's not to say players can get stupidly rich with some clever choices. First by simply reducing the costs of imports will force profits to automatically maximize on exports such as cars and electronics.

These can be developed with different industries like Vehicle Factories or Canneries. It should be noted that the layouts of said industries will be based on the original setups laid back in the Colonial Era, so this is why preparation during that initial phase is incredibly important.

The Modern Era will also grant players full access to all buildings and their improvements. As a result, if players have a good production line of plastics and gold established, they can enhance the efficiency of their industries while lowering their negative influence on the island.

Tropico 6 is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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