(Note: This was my first time with Theme Hospital, and I am a simulation/management game newbie) I really enjoyed my time with Theme Hospital! The challenge of managing my hospitals' facilities, finances and staff was a lot of fun, as the game provided just the right level of difficulty. Each level felt fresh as it either added new facilities to play with, introduced new gameplay mechanics or just put me in interesting scenarios. I failed a few levels, but I never felt frustrated and knew exactly what area I needed to improve in to succeed the second time around. The game's aesthetic and overall tone also made it very easy-to-digest and enjoyable. Theme Hospital overall just felt like a very polished and 'complete' game with a clear sense of direction. However, I decided to give up on Theme Hospital around three-quarters of the way in due to it becoming quite tedious. Once I had gotten a grip on all of the game's mechanics around halfway through, I was able to make pretty banging hospitals that ran without much input on my part. Levels in Theme Hospital end when you reach specified goals, such as a certain amount of income and reputation. In cases where you've 'figured out' the level, all that's left to do is WAIT, which can be excruciatingly boring due to the lack of a fast-forward button. As an example, my hospital in one of the last levels was apparently running perfectly, and all that was left to do was gaining more income. I decided to increase the prices of my services (as was suggested) to 110% - 120%, but I received very little feedback about whether that was effective or not; besides, it didn't make that much of an impact on my income rate. At that point, I practically had the game play itself for an hour until my hospital reached the set goal. I am quite a beginner when it comes to management games, so take this criticism with a grain of salt. Still, I recommend the game and wish it got a new and improved sequel.
