Game Dev Tycoon (PC) - Game Review - INDIE DEVELOPER - The New Order

Hells Sniper · **Game Dev Tycoon (PC) - Game Review - INDIE DEVELOPER** 06-29-2014

Game Dev Tycoon - Greenheart Games (Indie)

Hells Sniper - The New Order Moderator

We're just going to jump right in this time....

Game Dev Tycoon is a simulation based game focused around the idea of creating your own video game company. The game is very simple with average graphics and a great user friendly engine. The player gets to choose the game title, game topic, game genres, custom game engines, and the platform you will develop the game for. Every game goes through three stages of development, and depending on the size of the game (small, medium, large, AAA or MMO) may take several in-game months. The game may acquire bugs throughout the development process, but will be able to fixed at the end of game development. Once the game is completed, the player will publish the game for points to level up engine parts and employees. The game will then be reviewed by four in-game companies. Reviews are based on the ratios of technology and design points in a game, along with the topic-genre matches, audience match, and trends at the moment.

There are various parts of the game that make it both addicting and entertaining to play, including the ability to develop and sell your own console after you achieve a certain research level. Game Dev Tycoon is just a fun game to play, with over 30 topics and 6 genres to choose from, you can create dozens of unique games, (the ability to create sequels to your bestseller comes in handy when you run out of ideas). During each game, you generate research points, which you can use to research new topics, graphics, multiplayer aspects, voice/body language support, and many other things that make your game worth playing. You're also able to research the ability to create your own engine, which comes in handy and can save you thousands of dollars, and unless you get a good start money is hard to come by, as larger games can cost upwards of three million dollars to create.

Game Dev Tycoon was also able to implement marketing and contract work (which I used mainly for gaining more research points in between game developments). There are also random times where a magazine or company will interview about the upcoming game, do it correctly, you will gain "hype" for the game in question. The more hype, the more sales, but make sure the game is designed well before you release it, or your company will lose fans.

Fans also play a big role in the game. As you gain more and more, you'll sell more and more copies of your game. Once you get the chance to appear at the games version of E3, called "Games, Games, Games!" or G3, the more fans you have, the higher chance you'll have of getting into the Top 100 booths of the convention. Fans can also save you in lawsuits, in my game a company was suing me for stealing information from their company (a nifty tool if you have enough money, sabotage is also an option and both appear randomly), but I was able to rally my fans and win money instead of lose it.

The game starts with the PC and G64 being the only things able to support games, but slowly, it heads into current time, bringing in companies such as Ninvento (Nintendo), Vony (Sony), and Micronaut (Microsoft), and all of the consoles that come with them, (portable gaming devices are also available at certain points in game). Deciding which console(s) you'd like your game developed on comes in handy, as every audience (Young, Everyone, and Mature) has a specific one, and every game console controls a portion (ranging mostly from 15%-27% later on) of the market share. Once multi-platform is researched, selling games becomes a lot easier.

Game Dev Tycoon is a highly addicting and entertaining game that leaves you wanting more. The game, unfortunately ends in Year 35, where if you make it, you're character will receive a Lifetime Achievement award and you'll receive a score based on a variety of factors. My first game, I bankrupted and was bought out, but my second game earned me over 80k points, not many all things considered. The game implements research, and the use of staff training very well, (where you will be able to have all six of your employees trained in certain aspects of game design; 9 in total, leaving 2 areas left unspecialized), along with the ability to open your own R&D departments, the game has various aspects that make it worthwhile.

Research points are sometimes a pain to get, but once you rack up a few games, you should have enough to train your employees and research new technologies. Creating a console should only be done when you have the money, as it can cost upwards of 100 million dollars towards the late stages. My only problem I have with the is that it "ends" in year 35. Now, it ends in the sense that the ACTUAL game won't release any new consoles/companies such as Micronaut and Vony will not do anything. But you still have free reign to create games, consoles, etc, until you go bankrupt or decide to start over.

All in all, the game is fun, and the only problem I have is the short amount of time. But, the fact that you get a score at the "end" of each game increases its replayability as you wish to make a bigger and better company each time. It's fun, outrageously addicting, and has a simple, user-friendly interface. The game makes itself (literally you can do that).

Verdict: 9/10