Been looking for an excuse to check out Construction Simulator® 4 on iOS, Android, or Switch? Well, look no further as a brand new free-to-play ‘Lite’ version has just dropped. It gives you a taste of the experience with zero commitment, offering you the full experience as an upgrade for a mere $5.
This is the most feature-complete version of the hit building franchise yet, with a brand new map that’s bigger than any of the previous versions. There are over 30 all-new vehicles including the highly-requested concrete pump.
If you like playing with friends, you can now do so thanks to a cooperative multiplayer mode. This provides you with a selection of missions that you can play with a friend, splitting the tasks up between you so you don’t have to go it alone.
The crux of the experience remains the same though. You explore a world, taking on different construction jobs, earning cash, and running your own successful business. Go ahead and grab it right now from the App Store or Google Play, then read on for a selection of tips and tricks.
How to Get Started
When you first boot up Construction Simulator® 4, you can tweak a bunch of settings to determine how the game plays. If you’re a newcomer, you want to do the following:
- Set economic cycle to ’90 minutes’
- Turn off ‘Traffic Rules’
- Select ‘Arcade Mode’ for the controls
These tweaks provide you with the most forgiving experience, which you’ll appreciate during the early game if you haven’t played it before. You can always turn these settings up to the max during subsequent games.
After this, we recommend that you play through the tutorial. We know: it’s rarely the most fun experience. But astragon has tweaked the experience this time around, providing you with an NPC called Hape who will walk you through the mechanics.
This involves everything you need to know, including driving vehicles, managing your company, and taking on missions. Once you’ve beat it, we recommend you continue taking on jobs to help give you purpose during the early game.
Endgame
Once you’ve passed the tutorial and you feel comfortable with the mechanics, the next step is to take on the various challenges the game has to offer. First and foremost of these are managing your finances.
Each time you take on a job, you need to spend cash on resources you need to complete it. That includes materials and vehicle costs, including renting, purchasing, or maintaining machinery.
So you need to make a judgement call: how do you spend enough to complete the mission while ensuring you make a healthy profit? Sometimes you need to think long term, too. Does it make more sense to outright purchase a vehicle you think you’ll need again, rather than renting it on the cheap?
You can expand your pool of cash and experience by taking on generic jobs alongside your campaign missions, and by completing achievements. These provide you with resources, as well as permanent perks that will benefit you throughout the remainder of the game.
