The player of Tropico 4 assumes the position of the dictator of a (fictitious) tropical island in this installment of the series. The game’s rules are highly similar to those of its predecessor, Tropico 3: the player’s objective is to develop the island to be self-sufficient on both the economic and political fronts. And he is also responsible for ensuring his continued hold on power.
The beginning of the game features elements typical of fun in this genre, such as the ability to construct structures that serve various functions, such as mining, education, hospitality, or military training. These are essential for establishing production cycles and satisfying the requirements of both the state and the people. The island in question may require a greater emphasis on either production or tourism. After the fundamentals of the economy have been taught, the focus of the game changes to politics and optimization. There will be demands from many countries, such as the construction of a military facility or the authorization of nuclear tests; also, the people will have different expectations. How the player handles certain matters has a significant impact on the state of diplomatic ties and the happiness of the populace.
The latter is essential since irate individuals often strike or act defiantly. This may lead to unfavorable outcomes in (voluntary) elections or perhaps an assault on the palace. Even if there aren’t any actual battles to fight in the game, it’s still a good idea to have an army ready to go in case something unexpected happens. Only the player’s avatar is under their command, not their entire army. This avatar may be directly controlled, and depending on his capabilities, he can do various unique jobs. In addition to a free-roaming option, the game offers a campaign with 20 missions (some of which include scripted events with political choices).
The predecessor’s most significant enhancements are a new trading system, twenty new structures, other disasters, and the request system, which was already stated.
