Ports of Call

The Good
PoC was surprisingly addictive. Even though the basis is simply sending your ships on contracts to the far ends of the globe, managing your fleet (refueling, repairing, upgrading and expanding) and occasionally manually intervening, I have fond memories of playing this game in hot seat mode.

The Bad
I didn't dislike much about this game at the time, but in hindsight it was lacking depth. After you gain a huge fleet of the most advanced, biggest ships, all you can do is continue doing the same thing you always did.

The Bottom Line
Ports of Call was an early business simulator where you build a global shipping empire. You start out with a small, old ship, take shipping contracts and sail goods across the globe. More dangerous cargo and destinations yield more profit, albeit at increased risk. Occasionally you'd have to take the helm to rescue shipwrecked survivors, navigate a dangerous reef or manually sail your ship into the harbour because of a pilot's strike. Over the course of the game you can use your profits to buy more and better ships.