Tropico 5, the parodically political city builder, has been updated with Steam Workshop support. Now you, the people, can work collectively to improve the land for the benefit of each other—thus proving that communism works.*

The Workshop allows new maps and missions to be downloaded. There isn't much of value there at the moment, but it'd be nice to see the game attract a solid community of creators.

Two new bits of DLC have also been released. The first is a free map-pack, containing five new sandbox and multiplayer maps. The second, called T-Day, adds a new scenario tasking you with shooting the greatest movie of all time. Hopefully not by kidnapping foreign film stars.

Finally, the full Tropico series is currently on sale. There are some great discounts there, with Tropico 5 reduced by 65% and Tropico 4—which is still probably your best bet if you're new to the series—available for under $5/ 4.

*This is a joke. I shouldn't have to point this out, but this is the internet that we're on.

I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with DLC. It's a new expansion for cheery political corruption simulator Tropico 5, and it's all about espionage. The plainly named Espionage expansion adds a new campaign—The Maltese Toucan—in which El Presidente is tasked with protecting the island's precious treasures from foreign spies.

To help, there's a bunch of new buildings based around spies and the military. There are also some new island layouts, new sandbox tasks and—thank the great dictator—some new music tracks. There's a price to pay for Espionage, though. Specifically, 15/$20. This is Tropico 5's second expansion DLC. The first was all about water, and the things that are in it.

Tropico 5 itself is a city builder about creating and governing a banana republic. It's pretty good, albeit not a massive progression from previous instalments.

Phil 'El Presidente' Savage liked Tropico 5 a fair amount when it emerged last year, and it's been (optionally) bolstered a lot since then with quite a bit of DLC. The latest, Espionage, comes out next Thursday, adding a punny new campaign called The Maltese Toucan. It's spy themed! So of course it adds a tuxedo, spy hat, and other secret agenty stuff as well.

Here's publisher Kalypso on the contents of the surreptitious Espionage:

"Espionage' features the all new campaign 'The Maltese Toucan', a thrilling new adventure wherein Tropico s precious treasures need to be protected against foreign agents at all costs. Only you, as El Presidente, can keep Tropico safe from enemy spies and foreign powers that might try to steal your island s best kept secrets for their own gain.

"Protect Tropico s borders and reveal enemy agents by installing Security Checkpoints and throwing them in the island s new Dungeon. Train your own spies in the new Spy Academy and send them off to steal foreign capital or top secret technology from your enemies. Foil attacks on your beautiful island paradise by building the Ministry Of Information and monitor your citizens according to the strict Tropican data privacy laws. For additional air security you can call on the new Police Blimp, and for serious military scenarios you will be equipped with some new toys: the Mechanized Garrison is battle seasoned and ready for any state of emergency!

"Spanning six missions, you can expect manipulation, revolts and acts of sabotage as you use all the resources at your disposal to protect your island from the outside powers trying to move in. Will your drink be 'shaken or stirred' at the end of this thrilling spy tale?"

That last line means literally nothing in that context, but hey ho.

So: May 28th. Six new missions. A nontet of spy/military themed buildings. A bunch of new avatar stuff, sandbox events and a little more.

Whether you want to shoot monsters or become one, Steam is hosting a couple of free weekend trials for Killing Floor and Tropico 5. Both games are free to download through Steam right now through to 1pm Sunday Pacific time / 9PM GMT.

Both games are cheap this weekend as well, so if you enjoy your extended demo, you can pick up either game at 75% off. Killing Floor is particularly worthwhile if you convince some friends to pick it up with you. It's a co-op horde survival shooter with some immensely satisfying guns (courtesy of Tripwire, who made the great Red Orchestra games).

Tropico 5 is a more measured and darkly humorous game about running a dictatorship  which we rather enjoyed. "Over the course of my extended presidency I've smuggled rum into a prohibition America, sided with Axis powers during both World Wars, systematically stripped away the liberty of my citizens, and assassinated a grandma for opposing my regime," wrote Phil in our review. Sounds like a good time to me.

Here's the problem: you're building up your island paradise, and yes, there's some lingering corruption, harsh work practices and perhaps an assassination or two. And yes, as the ruler of that island, you may have instigated all of them. But, just as you're reaching the peak of your vision, you run out of space. What to do?

In fairness to Tropico 5, its islands are the most expansive and spacious in the series. Nevertheless, developer Haemimont will let you cast off the shackles of land in the upcoming Waterborne expansion. It's not "under the sea," as such—leave that for the objectivists—but it is on the sea.

The expansion comes with a new six-mission campaign, nine off-shore buildings, new islands and, most importantly of all, new background music. I'm not even joking: the song's existing song repetition is one of its most maddening aspects. A few more Dominican ditties are long overdue.

As for what you'll be able to do with these new off-shore buildings, a press release explains:

"Organise and coordinate transport to structures like the kelp and oyster farms, construct tidal power plants as an eco-friendly alternative to nuclear power and build gorgeous floating apartments if you re running out of space on the island! Launch military submarines to bolster your naval forces or create an exotic bathysphere attraction to compliment your bustling tourist paradise."

Tropico 5: Waterborne is out next week, on 17 December. For more on Tropico 5, here's our review.