I can’t buy a house, so  I have to look for whatever satisfaction I can find. And I found this.

The game, created for the Windows world by HipSoft, came out late last year. Red Marble Games rejiggered it for Apple computers, and a demo version has become one of the most downloaded games on Apple’s Web site  since it made its debut there in late February.

For those who play more than a few computer games, “Build-a-lot” is akin to the popular “Sim City” collection. Those games let folks craft entire cities. “Build-a-lot,” in comparison, is much more on the neighborhood block level. A “Build-a-lot” player gets cash, building supplies, a work crew and some real estate to start out with — plus development and cash flow goals to reach in a set time period.

The weird thing, is there are several programs out there that let you be a virtual tycoon, including Mansion Impossible, where you flip houses (and which I profiled last year) and Google has a 3-D modeling program, SketchUp that allows you to sketch and create rooms, homes or communities. (There’s also this very girly–and pink!–game probably better-suited for the younger folks, aptly named Pink Mansion Makeover.)

Personally, I’m a fan of The Sims, which has always allowed you to create your own homes (and furnish and populate them. The screenshot is from the game.) Do you think the proliferation is a result of the housing boom, or the housing bust? Either way, you can still plan your house now.