Construction Contract 2: The Reckoning

[Controls are WASD, Shift to boost, Space to break, R to reset the car if it gets stuck]

Construction Contract 2, released in 1999 for the PS1, was the much-anticipated follow-up to Construction Contract on the Atari 2600. Developed and published by SuperSoft, a small studio with high aspirations, this sequel was meant to be their magnum opus. Thomas Rogers, the visionary yet overconfident CEO of SuperSoft, poured nearly all of the company’s remaining resources into the project, convinced it would redefine the industry and establish SuperSoft as a household name. Rogers was so sure of the game's success that he commissioned a documentary to chronicle the development process, capturing the company’s “journey to greatness.” He hired a team to follow every stage of production, from early concept sketches to late-night coding marathons, hoping the film would become a testament to their breakthrough achievement.

Unfortunately, Construction Contract 2 was plagued with technical issues, ill-fated design decisions, and a gameplay experience that left much to be desired. Players found themselves frustrated by the clunky controls, obtuse mechanics, and long loading times. Critics lambasted the game, and sales plummeted as word spread of its flaws. Rogers, faced with a monumental failure, was devastated. Out of embarrassment and perhaps desperation, he ordered every copy of the documentary destroyed, along with any remaining assets tied to the game, hoping to erase the project from public memory.

For years, Construction Contract 2 was remembered as a ghost story of the gaming world—a cautionary tale of ambition gone awry. However, in 2023, a group of digital archivists uncovered a long-lost reel of the documentary, along with an early build of the game, in the storage unit of an ex-employee from the media company hired to document its development. This rare find sparked renewed interest in the ill-fated game, with footage revealing an inside look at the doomed studio and its unraveling during production. The rediscovery has since become a cult fascination, offering a rare glimpse into the game that was meant to make history, yet ended up destroying a company.

We can watch the documentary here:

Song used: ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - APT.