This is a "point-and-click" strategy game in which players assume the role of a dictator (El Presidente) who must govern the Caribbean island country of Tropico. Players' job is to provide food, shelter, entertainment, and safety for the people, while keeping the government strong—respected by its own citizens and other countries. Respect sometimes comes through the barrel of a gun, and if players have a formidable military presence, they can order their secret police to assassinate a citizen. Players can also quell political uprisings by ordering soldiers to shoot rebels/protestors on the street. Such violence is usually depicted from a zoomed-out, overhead perspective: guards/military will stand about 10 yards away from the citizens and shoot them after players have "clicked" though pop-ups or dialogue boxes (e.g., "Are you sure you want to issue this order?"; choices: "OK" and "Cancel"). Players can access several customization menu screens to assign their dictators with specific characteristics, including traits called "family values," "womanizer," and "alcoholic." The womanizer trait includes the description "You can't sleep with all of them, but you must at least try"; the alcoholic trait goes into detail about AA meetings, parents who hit the bottle, and the allure of liquor. In one customization menu, a cigar can be selected as a character accessory. Players can also grow tobacco as an export product, open a cigar shop, construct a pub or rum distillery, and monitor drunken teamsters.
