This city-building simulation offers a serene but addictive experience, though offline players may feel as though they’ve been overlooked.

Love them or hate them, casual games are here to stay. I’ve never had a problem with the notion of casual gaming, nor the Wii’s family-orientated marketing ploys, but rather the execution. It’s often difficult to decide where the line between deep but accessible gaming experiences and mindless shovelware begins – or if there even is a line.

Cities XL, the metropolis building game from City Life developer Monte Cristo, thankfully falls in the former category. Its intuitive interface and leisurely strategy will suck in those who’ve never considered playing such a title, while the game’s progressively involving nature should also appeal to seasoned strategists wanting something with a relaxed pace. In many ways, not least aesthetically, the game presents a more purposeful version of The Sims - minus the interior decorating, of course.

Much like Spore, Cities XL encourages players to be creative, and if you decide to pay the monthly fee to join the Planet mode your city will be displayed for all to see. Larger structures are unlocked as your capital reaches a certain population, so it’s always fun to view other player’s towering ant-hills that house a million plus residents, and wonder how your little industrial town will one day compare.

Through the Planet mode you’ll also be required to interact with other cities. Most maps are deficient and bountiful in at least one resource, making trade with other players via an auction system necessary – though it is possible to build up to 5 cities, allowing you to develop fuel, water or electricity elsewhere and trade between your own concrete babies. In the single player mode, you’ll trade resources with Omnicorp, a computer-controlled conglomerate which serves its purpose but is liable to rip you off far more than the human traders.