A new feature here at Romperz will be the Game of the Week. Just look for it on the sidebar. Each Monday there will be a new game featured, followed by a review of the game sometime that week. This week’s game is The Sims Carnival SnapCity.

For those who have read my blog before know that I am a huge fan of The Sims, so naturally I couldn’t wait to try this game. I was a little disheartened by the tutorial since playing this game is a multi-step process. It’s not just one element to do like brick busting or matching three in a row.

Puzzle meets Sim City. First place those Tetris-inspired pieces onto the landscape, carefully matching colors. Then build connecting roads to watch your city flourish. With progress comes a price as fires, burglars, and other disasters can wreak havoc on your districts, losing the city money as well as the people’s confidence.

You match colored pieces together, then connect those pieces with roads to watch your city grow. When you’ve earned enough points, you are rewarded with a special block that will become something to benefit the neighborhood like a police station, fire station, or park. It’s your choice. Place it where you would like on the board. Then fill it with dropping pieces. Once it is full it becomes the object you chose.

As Mayor, you have ultimate control over your city, so if you need to bulldoze an area, then do it. Just keep your residents happy and attend to problems quickly.

The Sims Carnival SnapCity is entertaining and of course, I enjoy most Sim titles. It is good to see the creators of The Sims branching out into the casual game market. Maybe this innovative puzzle/sim is only the beginning of what is to come.