Parents' Guide to Township: Farm & City Building

Players get an unexpectedly detailed look at commerce and community expansion as they oversee crop and product creation and construct new buildings in Township: Farm & City Building. In-depth imagery enhances the experience of learning about how towns and farms operate. For example, a helicopter pivots after taking off, animals lean in to their trough and chew, and robotic hands press and mash wheat, corn, and carrots into feed. Tasks require multiple steps -- such as planting wheat, and then harvesting and supplying it to a bakery to make bread. As in real life, the work usually isn't finished immediately. Players have to wait for buildings to be assembled, and chickens can require a half-hour to eat before they'll produce an egg.

That provides a chance for players to check in on other work they need to do, such as gathering crops. The time element, though, is the game's biggest downside. Even though characters appear periodically to provide guidance, players can find themselves wondering what to do next while all of the crop, food, and other production is in progress. Instead of waiting, they can pay to speed processes up; that means any delays provide an incentive to buy additional in-app currency -- an option parents may not be wild about. In addition, players who hope to make it through multiple levels will need to commit to spending some serious time playing. There are dozens of levels to get through -- and advancing to the next stage in the game isn't always a fast process after the first few levels. But for players who are interested in a sim that will keep them busy for hours, Township: Farm & City Building could be it.