Rise of Industry 2 Review

Even growth unchecked is finite.

Welcome to Rise of Industry 2, where success is guaranteed with only 3 things: production, influence, and money. Six years after the first Rise of Industry, SomaSim has taken their bite of the industrial apple with Kasedo Games returning from the original to publish this as well. The 1980's USA is a perfect time and place for rampant industrial expansion, something you will be doing as fast as your cash flow allows in this retro industrialist paradise. Get out some spreadsheets and get ready to shift paradigms, build value chains, and globalize!

Publisher: Kasedo Games

Developer: SomaSim

Platform: Played on PC (Steam)

Availability: Releases on June 3, 2025 for Windows PC (Steam).

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Expand, expand, expand, the only goal in this game is ever present. With no timed objectives, the pace is left to the player to exchange imports for self-sufficiency — while expanding and diversifying exports on any of the fifteen expansive maps. Each map starts with a Headquarters Complex that acts as a pivotal thoroughfare for all of the company’s imports and exports. Complexes are the main building blocks of expansion, whether it be mining, manufacturing, generating power, or disposing of waste. Plotting out space for these will be the first step for any new complex. Having a limited space for any single complex forces some planning for logistics, but as long as every building is connected by a continuous access road, the complex will work without issue — leaving the main focus on road and utility access, space optimization, and future growth. 

Once an initial supply chain of materials and finished products to sell are in motion, the game can be hard to outright fail, unless expenses are not managed and the utilities are shut off as a result of not being able to pay for basic running costs. After only a few hours of company growth, the expansive graphs and charts the game provides are invaluable. Tracking what opportunities the current infrastructure can support or where you might need more foundries to take advantage of a new mine’s output is key to increasing income to diversify your exports. Hire and direct a team of executives to fast-track research, acquire land, manage unions, and leverage influence to schmooze your way through anything without spending a dime.

Rise of Industry 2 has a distinct and interesting aesthetic, replicating a distinctly 80's vibe.

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The live action cutscenes are funny and charming, blending the right amount of 80’s corporate sleaze with a profit at all cost mindset. Having a great actor deliver comically honest directives for the next scenario from a controllable tube television really hits the mark. Now go ahead and cut down the forest to sell paper — at least the company turns a profit when the fine for deforestation gets printed on it. Apart from the menu and HUD’s retro futurism stylings, the gameplay map’s graphics are detailed without feeling busy. Buildings are easily identifiable with customizable colors and persistent labels to always keep track of where any complex is. While camera controls are standard and easy to use, the lack of being able to zoom out very far or a map can make it harder to organize at a larger scale.

The expansive gameplay is straightforward and simple to manage although some UI choices hold it back somewhat. Taking just under an hour, the tutorial is long due to having to read and manually click through every step, with no automated tracking implemented; it would be even longer if every system and mechanic was explained to the player. Although discovering and exploring the menus is part of the fun, not being able to search through the glossary for help with a specific roadblock does add an unnecessary headache when trying to find which part of what broad section the specific solution to your problem is detailed in (I still don’t know how to join a country club. I need to up my networking game and the greyed out option taunts me). Some menus become cumbersome after even moderate company expansion — for example, selecting a specific complex from a long, scrollable list is frustrating. Similar complexes share identical icons, forcing you to mouse over each one to determine which mine is for coal or slowly searching for and clicking the complex on the map. Building is very easy to use, although not being able to build a road parallel under a powerline or having to delete both power and water utilities due to their ability to occupy the same space without the option to pick only one can be frustrating.

Although discovering and exploring the menus is part of the fun, not being able to search through the glossary for help with a specific roadblock does add an unnecessary headache when trying to find which part of what broad section the specific solution to your problem is detailed in.

Rise of Industry 2 sits comfortably in the cozy niche of the city building and management game genre. With no timer or impending doom, the player is free to take everything at their own pace to avoid problems or plan for the future. With expansive maps and endless potential for optimization at every step in production, any scenario could easily last over 100 hours before any real constraints are met. So grab your power suit, suspenders, and freshly shined shoes and get ready to navigate the corporate landscape.

Verdict

Rise of Industry 2 is an unexpected sequel that captures the ambition of industrial expansionism — though it occasionally bends under the weight of that same goal. The map’s design is clean and readable, with a retro UI that feels intentionally stylized rather than outdated. With no enforced deadlines, the gameplay encourages a relaxed, player-driven pace. If you enjoy management sims and just want the time and space to grow your perfect company, this game is for you.

Image Credits: Kasedo Games and Joe 'Nid' Kaiser.

Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from the publisher.