Being the boss in a game changes how everything works. Instead of following someone else’s plan, players make the rules and decide what happens next. Power becomes the main goal. It can mean running a crime family, being a dictator or ruling an army of monsters from deep underground.
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However, being the boss gives players more than power. They can control people, money, and cause chaos. For instance, in Tropico 6, players run a country and must keep citizens, soldiers, and foreign powers happy. In Evil Genius 2, every trap, scheme, and henchman serves a larger plan to take over the world. Even darker games like Carrion turn players into the threat itself, letting them crush anyone who dares to stand in their way. Some of these games don’t have players as a boss in the traditional sense, but the core idea remains the same: players are the bad guys fighting against the forces of good.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Turn Into a Criminal Mastermind to Rule the World
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Released
- March 30, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rebellion Developments
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Simulation
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
In Evil Genius 2: World Domination, players don’t get the role of a hero. Instead, they play as the mastermind, sitting behind every global crime operation. The world sees chaos, theft, and destruction, but it all starts from the player's desk deep inside a hidden island base.
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There are four different evil geniuses available, each with its own personality and ultimate goals. Whether it’s building a doomsday device or stealing from world powers, the Genius controls the operation from start to finish. Being the boss in Evil Genius 2 feels like running a factory. Minions need motivation, gold fuels research, and henchmen act as the player's right hand on special missions. The Genius can even walk around the base, delivering commands directly.
Dungeon Keeper Gold
Become the Manager of a Dungeon In the Re-Release of a Classic
Dungeon Keeper
- Released
- June 26, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Bullfrog Productions
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC
In Dungeon Keeper Gold, the idea of “being the boss” is taken literally. Players literally play as the Dungeon Keeper, a sinister being who commands monsters, builds dark corridors, and defends a glowing Dungeon Heart. Heroes from the surface invade the world, but the player is the one setting traps, recruiting demons, and deciding how to crush them.
Unlike most fantasy games where players are the heroes storming evil dungeons, Dungeon Keeper Gold flips the roles, so they are the one running it. One of the coolest things is how the game celebrates being bad. The narrator encourages players to be cruel, praises their torture chambers and clever traps.
Tropico 6
Step Into the Shoes of El Presidente
Tropico 6
- Released
- March 29, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Limbic Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Tropico 6 hands control of a Caribbean nation to one person: El Presidente. He’s the island’s ruler, its symbol, and often its problem. Every law, trade deal, and infrastructure project passes through him. Though as a simulator, Tropico 6 doesn’t have a traditional boss, players act as the political boss, El Presidente, balancing citizen happiness with personal wealth, sometimes ruling as a beloved leader and other times as a shameless dictator.
Citizens demand jobs, homes, and fair wages, but foreign powers offer bribes, trade opportunities, or military support. So El Presidente has to choose between keeping the people happy and keeping the money flowing. Political factions constantly argue, forcing difficult decisions that test loyalty. Elections can be manipulated, speeches can sway voters, and protests can be silenced. Through it all, El Presidente stays in control, smiling from posters while plotting behind the scenes.
Gangsters: Organized Crime
Become a Mob Boss In a Retro Strategy Title
- Release Year: 1998
- Developer: Hothouse Creations
- Genres: Strategy
Gangsters: Organized Crime is a strategy game that takes players back to a 1920s city filled with shady deals, speakeasies, and rival mobs. Players find themselves in the shoes of the boss, running their own crime family, starting with a small crew of hired guns and a vision to control the entire city.
As a mob boss, players get to set tasks for gang members like who to shake down, what businesses to protect, and which enemies to hit. Everything players do revolves around intimidation, bribes, and bullets. Players can still get their hands on this classic over at GOG Galaxy.
Carrion
You Are the Monster Now
Carrion
- Released
- July 23, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Phobia Studios
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Action, Indie Games, Puzzle
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Carrion flips the horror script completely. Instead of fighting a monster, players are themselves the monster. This creature is basically a shifting, red mass of teeth and tendrils, tearing through a secret research facility. From the moment it escapes its containment chamber, the creature becomes the boss of the game’s world, forcing humans into hiding and turning their labs into hunting grounds.
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The creature crawls, swings, and smashes through levels, absorbing scientists and soldiers to grow stronger. It learns new abilities like stealth cloaking, webbing, and possession, letting it turn enemies into puppets.
The Godfather 2
Lead the Mafia As Don Michael Corleone
The Godfather II
- Released
- April 7, 2009
- ESRB
- mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- EA Redwood Shores
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
The Godfather 2, though sadly delisted on Steam and difficult to get one's hands on, deserves a special spot here for what it accomplished. The game lets players live out the role of a mafia Don, Michael Corleone, building an empire that stretches across cities. The story starts small, but power quickly grows as territories expand, rackets multiply, and rival families fall. Being the Don means more than leading gunfights; as players will be managing the business, protecting assets, and deciding who gets a cut of the profits.
As the Don, players can send their gang members to bomb a rival’s business, guard a casino or take out an enemy lieutenant. While the mob handle tasks, the mafia boss oversees the entire map using the “Don’s View” which is basically a top-down interface that shows properties, loyalties, and enemy strength. The feature is a mix of a crime simulator and strategy board, giving a true sense of command. Players can even promote trusted lieutenants into capos, assigning them territories of their own.
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