Documented for this version
Mouse | Select construction tools, place facilities, and interact with the tower interface. The DOS version is primarily mouse-driven. |
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Specific keyboard bindings are not documented here.
How it plays
The game is viewed as a cutaway side elevation of a skyscraper. The main objective is to expand the tower while keeping occupants satisfied, profitable, and able to move efficiently between floors.
Players place rooms, corridors, elevators, stairs, offices, residences, shops, hotels, and public facilities. Income and population growth support further construction, while congestion, poor services, and safety problems can limit progress. New building types become available as the tower earns higher star ratings.
Plan your run
Plan elevator shafts and transfer points before filling floors with rooms. Separate high-traffic commercial areas from quieter residences, and leave space for later expansion.
Watch travel times, elevator congestion, finances, and the tower rating together. Build income-producing facilities first, then add expensive prestige and emergency facilities when the budget can support them.
Documented inputs
Reach higher tower star ratingsHigher ratings unlock additional construction categories, including hotels, condominiums, event facilities, and the cathedral and space-station stages. The exact requirements depend on tower development and performance.
Before you begin
Keep elevator capacity and placement under review as the tower grows.
Avoid filling every floor immediately; reserve room for transport links and services.
Use a balanced mix of commercial, residential, and leisure facilities.
Editorial context
A distinctive vertical-management simulation with an unusual skyscraper-focused design.
Its strongest challenge is coordinating transportation and services rather than controlling individual characters.
SimTower: The Vertical Empire is a construction and management simulation developed by OpenBook Co., Ltd. and published internationally by Maxis for DOS. Instead of building a conventional city, the player designs a self-contained skyscraper and manages the flow of residents, workers, shoppers, hotel guests, and visitors. The game combines economic planning with architectural problem-solving, as elevators, services, offices, apartments, entertainment, and emergency facilities must work together. Its largely mouse-driven interface supports a deliberate, systems-focused play style rather than direct character control. SimTower earned attention for its unusual vertical setting and accessible presentation, becoming one of the more distinctive simulation games associated with the Maxis catalog during the 1990s.
Catalog entry maintained by EmuGamers Editorial Team
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