The Great Art Race

About

The Great Art Race is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Ascaron Entertainment ltd. and was released on September 10, 2004. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Great Art Race" is a game where the player's family art collection has been stolen and they must use profits from their coffee or tobacco plantations to save their ancestral heritage. The player must manage their colonial enterprise wisely and invest profits strategically to have a chance of recovering the stolen art. The game combines elements of business simulation and adventure to create a unique gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The Great Art Race offers a charming and engaging gameplay experience, combining resource management with art collection in a fun and rewarding way.
The game supports local multiplayer, allowing for enjoyable hotseat sessions with friends, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite its age, the game provides hours of replayability with various strategies and challenges, making it a nostalgic yet enjoyable title for fans of classic simulation games.

The game lacks a proper tutorial, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics without referring to an external manual.
Many players have reported bugs and compatibility issues, particularly on modern systems, which can hinder the gaming experience.
The graphics and user interface feel dated and clunky, which may detract from the enjoyment for those accustomed to more modern game design.

gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The gameplay of "The Great Art Race" is characterized by its simple and addictive mechanics, allowing players to quickly engage and enjoy the experience. While the charming visuals and fun economic management elements are praised, some users note issues with bugs, a high learning curve, and a lack of depth that may limit replayability. Overall, the game offers a straightforward yet somewhat repetitive experience that can be enjoyable despite its flaws.
- “From the charming visuals to the engaging gameplay, The Great Art Race delivers a fun and rewarding experience that keeps me coming back for more.”
- “One of the standout aspects of the game is its simple, yet addictive gameplay.”
- “The game's engaging gameplay, charming visuals, and challenging level design make it a classic that is still enjoyable to play today.”
- “But getting the paintings feels a great deal more like 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?' than the 4X mechanics of the rest of the game.”
- “Bad gameplay, bugs, and doesn't support modern hardware well.”
- “The learning curve, interfaces, and gameplay itself are terrible.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The graphics in this game feature charming hand-drawn visuals with vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds, creating an engaging and dynamic world. While some players find the graphics primitive by modern standards, they appreciate the nostalgic appeal and the game's ability to deliver enjoyable gameplay without relying on cutting-edge visuals. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for the game's premise, contributing to a pleasant audio-visual experience despite being underwhelming compared to contemporary titles.
- “The hand-drawn graphics are filled with vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds, creating a world that feels alive and dynamic.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised about this rejuvenated version, its neat graphics, the nicely executed intro and the stylish background music (one for each city you can travel to).”
- “The music for the cities is catchy, and the colorful graphics and sound effects make it a pleasant audio and visual experience.”
- “The graphics are thus quite primitive by today's standards, but were very passable by the standards of yesteryear.”
- “For a game that was released in 2009, the graphics are very underwhelming.”
- “The graphics and presentation are not impressive at all, to say the least.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the numerous variables that create unique experiences each time, others express concerns about its simplicity and limited variety, suggesting it may become repetitive quickly. Some users find it enjoyable for a short duration, but doubt its long-term replay value.
- “There's tons of hours of replayability here, and there are many variables that can happen in the game, making it different every time you play.”
- “It's fun; proof that games don't need shiny graphics or complex mechanics to be enjoyable or replayable.”
- “Lots of replay value too!”
- “I'm not sure about replayability; it could be limited due to the simplicity of gameplay.”
- “It is somewhat replayable, but I can see this one getting old very quickly because of the lack of variety.”
- “It is fun for about two hours or so, keeping in mind there won't be very much of a replay value.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the immersive experience, featuring catchy soundtracks that complement the whimsical graphics and sound effects. Players appreciate the stylish background music tailored for each city, contributing to a vibrant audio-visual atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fantastic and pleasantly surprising, adding to the adventure and excitement of the game.
- “The sound effects and music also help to enhance the immersive experience, transporting players to a whimsical world of adventure and excitement.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised about this rejuvenated version, its neat graphics, the nicely executed intro, and the stylish background music (one for each city you can travel to).”
- “The music for the cities is catchy, and the colorful graphics and sound effects make it a pleasant audio and visual experience.”
- “I'm not so certain about the era (not a music expert).”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game's story is criticized for being awkward and confusing, featuring an unclear narrative that revolves around an odd uncle and random events like poker games. While it incorporates elements typical of classic 4X games, such as competition and resource management, the storytelling is seen as lacking coherence and depth, contributing to a high learning curve and frustrating gameplay experience.
- “The game has a lot in common with classic 4X games: competing with other players, traveling, buying and delivering goods, and upgrading your infrastructure. You participate in occasional story events that add depth to the gameplay.”
- “The storyline features an odd uncle character that adds a unique twist to the narrative, making the experience more engaging despite some confusing mechanics.”
- “The occasional story events provide a refreshing break from the main gameplay, allowing players to immerse themselves in the game's narrative and enhance their overall experience.”
- “However, the result is an awkward exercise in indirect interactivity, unclear mechanics, a high learning curve, and confusing objectives delivered through some odd uncle storyline and the random event where you get fleeced at poker.”
- “The game has a lot in common with classic 4X games: competing with other players, traveling, buying and delivering goods, upgrading infrastructure, participating in occasional story events, and attacking other players. However, the story events feel disconnected and lack depth.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that the grinding aspect of the game is best enjoyed in short sessions, as extended play can lead to a repetitive and tedious experience.
- “It's meant to be played in short bursts; otherwise, it easily becomes repetitive and tedious.”
- “The grinding feels endless and lacks meaningful rewards, making it a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- “After a while, the grind turns into a monotonous task that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is appreciated for being light-hearted and entertaining, making it accessible and enjoyable without being overly complex.
- “Nice little game, probably old but funny and not too complicated.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Great Art Race is a strategy game.

The Great Art Race is available on PC and Windows.

The Great Art Race was released on September 10, 2004.

The Great Art Race was developed by Ascaron Entertainment ltd..

The Great Art Race has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

The Great Art Race is a single player game.

Similar games include Offworld Trading Company, Grand Ages: Medieval, Patrician III, Patrician III, This Merchant Life and others.

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