I released my first game: you run a hydroelectric dam — sell power now, or hold the water back for a better price.
This is the first game I’ve ever released, and I think this community might be the right crowd for it. Underneath all the control-room stuff, it’s really a resource-management game.
It started as a fun little project because I always wanted a sim like this, but I could never find one. So I decided to try building it myself.
The basic idea is that every drop of water in the reservoir is stored money. When the lake is full, water is cheap because if you don’t use it, it can spill over the dam and get wasted. When the lake is low, water becomes more valuable. The spot price also changes throughout the day based on demand, so every hour you’re deciding whether to generate now or save water for a better price later. Dump too much cheap water at 3am and your net worth starts quietly bleeding.
Running costs matter too. Every unit online has hourly O&M costs, and every startup adds cost and wear. So unit commitment becomes important. You don’t want to keep three machines running when one can handle the load, but you also don’t want to wait too long to bring another unit online before the evening ramp.
There are also a few side-income systems. The grid pays for spinning reserve, voltage support, and frequency regulation, so a part-loaded unit can still be useful. A dispatch desk sends output targets and pays you for staying on schedule. If a neighboring plant trips, the spot price can spike, and you can cash in if you have capacity ready.
Risk management is a big part of it. Machines wear down and lose efficiency. Overhauls cost money and downtime, so you have to plan them around demand. Environmental violations lead to fines. Flooding the town downstream leads to much bigger fines. A blackout costs $50k plus recovery.
The difference from a classic tycoon game is that there isn’t really a build layer. You’re running one plant hands-on. You’re managing gates, breakers, cooling, the spillway, and the grid side of things. When a storm sends a flood wave down the valley at the same time as the evening demand peak, the economy side and the operations side start colliding, and that’s where it gets fun.
It’s free in the browser with no account needed: https://hydroelectricsim.com
There’s also a tutorial that teaches the main loop in a few minutes. You can play it on Itch.io as well.
Since this is my first release, I’d really appreciate feedback. What would you add to the economy? I’ve been thinking about long-term contracts, spot price exposure, and seasonal water planning. I’d love to hear what this community would want to see.
AI disclosure: My last post was removed because I didn’t disclose that I used AI while building the project. So to be clear, I did use AI as part of the development process, especially for coding help, debugging, and working through ideas. The project is still something I designed, tested, and put together myself, but AI was definitely part of the workflow.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the simulator. I’m always open to complaints, ideas, or suggestions.
Have fun, and don’t cause a blackout.
AI DISCLOSURE!
My last posted was removed due to not disclosing that I used ai to help build this project. I use ai for the heavy lifting as it is much more efficient and reliable. I use it in the codebase. Anyway, here is the post I posted earlier, I hope you all enjoy the simulator and if you have any input I always have an open ear. Have fun and don't cause a blackout!