Build Towns and Cities in 'Construction Simulator: Gold Edition'

When I was a child, my brothers and I would enjoy taking our toy trucks, tractors, and construction equipment outside to carve into the dirt in our backyard to make roads, tunnels, bridges, and much more. Much to our mother’s dismay, most of our projects ended up with a water feature of some type and we would end up not only dirty, but muddy as well, requiring us to hose off before we could come back into the house. As an adult, I enjoy watching trained professionals manipulate and control powerful equipment for construction. One of my brothers worked for a company that sold and rented out construction cranes of all sizes and I was fascinated by the stories he told of the cranes being used for various functions. A number of years ago, I purchased a Construction Simulator game and enjoyed it for a bit before it got old. However, I recently have had a chance to play the latest Construction Simulator: Gold Edition and wanted to share my thoughts on the game.

What is Construction Simulator: Gold Edition?

Construction Simulator: Gold Edition is a simulation game where players take control of all types of construction equipment including bulldozers, cranes, excavators, road pavers, trucks and many more. Construction Simulator: Gold Edition was developed by weltenbauer Software Entwicklung GmbH and published by astragon Entertainment.

Construction Simulator: Gold Edition is available for PC through Steam as well as for the XBox one, XBox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The PC version of the game sells for $44.99 while the console versions are $49.99. The original game is also now available for free for PlayStation Plus Premium or PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers within their Game Catalog!

Construction Simulator: Gold Edition Features

When you first begin playing, Construction Simulator: Gold Edition, you first create a character and can customize their features. You then get to choose which part of the world you will be working. You can choose from towns in Europe or the United States, or work at a space port in South America. The later is for advanced players and those new to the game are encouraged to start off in the other two locations which feature tutorials. In these tutorials, you start off working for a construction manager who helps you learn the ropes of operating equipment and completing jobs. By the end of the tutorial you have your own small construction company. You can now take individual jobs to earn money and build up your company or take on contacts which are like campaigns where you complete a number of jobs in sequence. Your company starts off with a flatbed truck with a small crane attached to it. Since you don’t have enough money to purchase the equipment you need at the start, you will need to rent equipment from the vehicle dealer. As you complete jobs and earn money, you can grow your company and purchase your own equipment.

bulldozer — Operative some heavy equipment as you move earth to improve the city. Image courtesy of astragon Games.

Construction Simulator was originally released in September of 2022. However, Construction Simulator: Gold Edition was released in April of 2024 and includes the original game, all of the expansions from the Season One Pass, and the Kramer Pack. Let’s take a look at what the Gold Edition adds to the original game:

Spaceport Expansion: Opens access to a South American map and huge campaigns to build a rocket launch base, including the associated infrastructure and a futuristic research center.
Airfield Expansion: Adds a new campaign to the US as well as the European map of the game – the construction of an airfield.
JCB Pack: Brings 6 construction machines from the British manufacturer into the game.
SANY Pack: Provides access to 15 machines from the Chinese manufacturer.
Kramer Pack: Provides access to 3 machines from the German manufacturer.
Cosmetic Pack #1: Provides access to two additional safety goggles, helmets and ear protection items for the player character.
Cosmetic Pack #2: Adds six additional designs for the player characters’ helmets in the character editor.
Year 1 Season Pass Helmet: Exclusive helmet for owners of the Year 1 Season Pass.

There are over 200 construction jobs available between the three different maps, providing more than 150 hours of playtime. Construction Simulator: Gold Edition has more than 100 officially licensed vehicles, machines and equipment from 28 world-renowned brands and manufacturers as well as cooperative multiplayer for up to 4 players.

construction equipment building a bridge — I really enjoyed building a bridge across a river. It involved drilling and a lot of crane work. Image courtesy of astragon Games.

Why Should You Play Construction Simulator: Gold Edition?

I like playing some types of simulators. I especially enjoy train, flight, and farm simulators. My first experience with a construction simulator was lackluster. However, when I was offered an opportunity to try out Construction Simulator: Gold Edition, I was willing to give it another chance. I am glad I did. Since you have to use several different types of equipment, their are several different types of control schemes. Operating a crane uses different controls than an excavator or a bulldozer. Plus driving a vehicle is different depending on if it has wheels or tracks. Fortunately, the tutorials walk the player through how to use the equipment. Plus instructions are easily available at the press of a button to remind you of the controls. In addition to just operating equipment, you also need to maintain your companies budget. When working on a job with several steps, you will get paid once each step is completed. However, in addition to renting equipment, you also need to purchase materials. Going to get concrete or asphalt will cost you as well wooden frames and steel. Then you also have to transport your equipment and materials to the job site. Some of your equipment will need to be loaded onto a tractor trailer while your flatbed can handle most of the materials for the early jobs. For those who do not want to do a lot of driving around, you can use the fast travel feature to instantly move your vehicles, though you will pay for the convenience. You can also reload some types of equipment onsite for a price. When laying asphalt, for example, rather than having to take a dump truck to pick it up where you purchase materials. You would have to pay for the asphalt when you picked it up, it is just a bit more expensive to have it instantly added to your road laying machine. If you find yourself having difficulty on a task for a job, you can skip it. Though you do not get paid as much for that step, it is completed instantly. Excavating can take longer time for me since the controls a one of the more difficult. So if I need to excavate a large area, I will sometime skip that task. This is a nice feature so you don’t get stuck doing a task you don’t enjoy or find difficult.

construction equipment in front of airfield — The airfield expansion is included with the Gold Edition. This is a fun job. Image courtesy of astragon Games.

The campaign contracts really add a lot to Construction Simulator: Gold Edition. As you complete the individual jobs, you build up a part of the city or facility. Once you have finished one job, you then unlock the next job and by the end can take pride in your work and how it has made an improvement to the map. Players can also choose to take individual jobs such as repairing a road or constructing a house for some extra money and to get practice on small tasks before taking on the larger jobs. The game also includes a reward system that unlocks new features for your company and its home base. For example, as you refuel and repair your equipment at the gas station, eventually you can unlock fueling and repair features at your home base. By completing jobs and earning money, banks will offer you loans so you can purchase some of that expensive equipment before you have enough money in your account.

excavator and other construction equipment — Up to four players can work cooperatively in the multiplayer game. Image courtesy of astragon Games.

Construction Simulator: Gold Edition is not the end of the content. In fact, a Season Two Pass is currently available which will add more equipment and jobs over the course of the year. Recently, the Liebherr Pack was released which adds six new machines from Liebherr. The Stadium Pack is also now available which adds a new contract to the European map where you are hired to construct a sports stadium along with all of its infrastructure such as a parking garage and pedestrian bridge. I have been playing Construction Simulator: Gold Edition for a few months. I keep wanting to complete another job before I wrote this review and even while in the process of writing, as I would go back into the game to check on something, I would end up playing for an hour or more. Though originally skeptical, I am very impressed with Construction Simulator: Gold Edition. It is a game you can quickly get into and play for as little or a much as you want at a time. I find it relaxing to play after a day at work when I don’t want to be competitive or get attacked by other players. The multiplayer feature can be a lot of fun as well as players divide up tasks. Having someone else drive a truck to pick up supplies or work on another part of the task makes jobs go by quicker. If you are fascinated by heavy machinery and would like to virtually operate them without putting yourself or others at risk, then I recommend Construction Simulator: Gold Edition. There is so much content that you will definitely get your money’s worth.