Game Dev Tycoon 📽 Through the Lens

📢 THERE ARE NO BAD TYCOON GAMES! I REPEAT! THERE ARE NO BAD - 📢

Shut it, nerd! 😤

I love how I, a nerd, am writing a review of one of the nerdiest games out there, and am calling other people nerds while doing it. We truly live in amazing times. 👌

This game brings back so many joyful memories that I just had to share it with you all. For one thing, I had no idea that it's been so long since its release. Over 10 years? That's nuts. Times sure flies by. But for now, we are here and we are willing to talk about indie video games. So let's do just that, hmmm.

And so❗️ In this edition of Through the Lens 🎞, we'll be taking a look at Greenheart Games's game development simulator from 2012: Game Dev Tycoon Roll it! 📽

🔷 UP TOP 🔶

Why not check out the soundtrack while reading? It's perfect as background music with its chirpy, upbeat notes. It might get repetitive, but it's good for one work session I promise. 😉 Or, in this case, for one review-length article.

_{Composed by the amazingly named Mr. Jack White}

I played this game in beta before its release. You see, once upon a time I too was an aspiring game dev, and this game came out and just ate up my time. I've played so much of this game that the walls of the facade we like to ignore started to crumble around me. And when that starts happening you know you've consumed a thing too much. 💯 But regardless, we're here and we're beautiful. And we've decided to discuss Game Dev Tycoon.

So let's discuss!

🔷 TYCOON 🔶

The word "Tycoon" has been associated with management games since RollerCoaster Tycoon came out in the late 90s early 00s. As such when a game has Tycoon in its name you more or less know what to expect.

Not to say that management games cannot have Tycoon in the title. Or that only names with Tycoon in their title are management games.

Management games are fun. They let you live out your fantasy without putting in the effort to see it fulfilled. They provide a satisfying 'what if' scenario that is irresistible for people. Game Dev Tycoon is no different. A lot of people playing games have fantasized about opening their own game development studio. Game Dev Tycoon takes that idea and distills it to its purest form.

So. Punk. If you can not develop successful games in this simulator, what makes you think you can do it in real life? Huh? 🤬 // sorry I'm cranky today, I had very little sleep

🔷 MECHANICS 🔶

So what do you do in Game Dev Tycoon? Well, you develop games, duh. Yes, but how do you develop them? Well, I'm glad you asked, Internet stranger.

So, first things first, you start from your measly garage (subsequently you have a DeLorean in there just chillin'). You are a one-man dev team starting off in the 80s ready to take the world by storm with your new ideas. You then buy an office where you can hire other developers, and then an even bigger office where you can hire even more developers. Eventually, you can develop consoles. 😱 But we're not there just yet.

You have to research everything. Before you can develop an engine you have to research 3D graphics, or you won't be able to develop games with 3D graphics in them. New topics or themes must be researched, as well as things like Target Audience or Market Appeal. You can also spend your research points to train your developers in various skills that can make your development faster.

The simulation aspects are not as deep as Tycoon players might expect. But I personally think that's a good thing. lord knows how complicated game development is, simulating it more finely would only cause headaches - not fun. So I think the level of difficulty, albeit lackluster, is just enough to make you enticed to keep playing.

There is just enough to keep you engaged. For instance, there is 'hype' which you can increase by attending Game Conferences (yes those exist here as well) or by giving an interview to a prompt in the newspaper. The game throws events at you at just the right pace to keep you engaged but not overwhelmed.

And yes later on you can have research labs, develop your own consoles and become a giant in the industry. But the game is an overall chill experience. A chill experience to its core.

🔷 REWRITING HISTORY 🔶

What I absolutely LOVE about this game is it gives you the power to rewrite history in a way. You go through gaming history one console at a time, with events happening in roughly the same way as they did in our reality (except all names are changed for Copyright reasons, but not enough to make them unrecognizable).

So you can choose and create PokeMon except instead of animals it's cars or something. Or you make the PC the dominant platform way earlier. If you know what actually happened, then the timeline of the game is so fun to play.

🔷 LEGACY 🔶

Not sure how many people remember this game honestly. 😅 But I think it's part of the culture that people are just aware of it, even if they haven't played it.

From time to time I will see a big shot streamer playing it but it's not often, it's days in the sun are for certain behind it.

But its reputation still stands, and many aspiring game developers use it as their coping mechanism during the long, strenuous process of developing a title.

And it's something you can just put on and not think about. Very little commitment, and very little stress involved.

So yes, this game I think will remain as one of the most memorable Tycoon games. And if you haven't - you should def give it a shot.

Thank you for reading, you rock! (and maybe roll) 👏👏👏

Shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙

Yes! I'll admit it I reinstalled this game and played it for like 2 hours before writing this piece. This game is so addictive. 😅 Not sure what made me remember it, but I thank the entity that did for I have no idea what to write about anymore. 😁

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Hope everyone is having a great start to their week! 🙌