Game Dev Tycoon

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1113 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 789 out of 1113
  2. Mixed: 250 out of 1113
  3. Negative: 74 out of 1113

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  1. poklane
    May 7, 2013
    6
    I had a feeling I didn't have control over a lot of things, especially the rating my game got. You can't choose the time you need to develop a game and make it a good game, so in the sequel (if they'll ever have one) they should let us choose the development time (1 year to 5 years). Also the lack of being able to develop DLC. Also, after you made a lot of sequels it's hard keeping trackI had a feeling I didn't have control over a lot of things, especially the rating my game got. You can't choose the time you need to develop a game and make it a good game, so in the sequel (if they'll ever have one) they should let us choose the development time (1 year to 5 years). Also the lack of being able to develop DLC. Also, after you made a lot of sequels it's hard keeping track of what kinda sequels you have made. Also the lack of upgrading engines is horrible. Having to spend a lot of money on developing a new engine 24.7 is really annoying. I also have a feeling employees have no use. Game development takes the same time, and the game's rating doesn't increase, it's just spending more money.… Expand
  2. Kelban
    May 6, 2013
    7
    VERDICT: Recommended for fans of business simulators ("tycoon" games) and those who take an interest in the game development industry.

    It's a good game for the low price of $7.99. I have gotten about 10 hours of entertainment out of it in my first 30-year playthrough. Replayability is mediocre as the game becomes repetitive in the late stages, but this is a chronic problem of "tycoon"    VERDICT: Recommended for fans of business simulators ("tycoon" games) and those who take an interest in the game development industry.

    It's a good game for the low price of $7.99. I have gotten about 10 hours of entertainment out of it in my first 30-year playthrough. Replayability is mediocre as the game becomes repetitive in the late stages, but this is a chronic problem of "tycoon" games. Experimenting with different genre/topic combinations is a core element of the gameplay, and it can be both frustrating and rewarding.

    I would have liked to see more transparency in the way your games are scored by the critics, such as showing a breakdown of how the various aspects of your game were rated (engine, gameplay, story, etc). This would make it less frustrating when you receive a low overall score on a game. Another thing that would improve the game is for the timeline to slow down a bit, or for the passage of time to slow as the game progresses. In the mid and late game, it felt like new consoles were coming out too frequently and your game engine basically became outdated upon release. The speed of the game felt rushed all along.

    In general, the game was fun and ran smoothly with no bugs for me. I believe the game should be expanded and tweaked for an optimal experience, so perhaps a cheap DLC (2 or 3 bucks) or free patch would be appropriate in the future. I will probably come back to the game periodically and try playing through it again when the mood strikes.    … Expand
  3. Narakabethian
    Aug 30, 2013
    5
    Game Dev Tycoon starts off with an interesting take on the successful Game Dev Story giving you more control over how you develop your games with sliders and other features.

    First off the gameplay is good but very repetitive, all you do is adjust sliders for different genre. When you get your reviews they tell you next to nothing on to improve your game in the future, but that doesn't    Game Dev Tycoon starts off with an interesting take on the successful Game Dev Story giving you more control over how you develop your games with sliders and other features.

    First off the gameplay is good but very repetitive, all you do is adjust sliders for different genre. When you get your reviews they tell you next to nothing on to improve your game in the future, but that doesn't matter because by Year 30 I had already all the slider settings down, so the complex equations that everyone say you need to get a 10/10 is false, I got many perfect games (5) in my first playthrough. Which brings me to another point; there isn't much replay value in Game Dev Tycoon, it almost exactly the same thing everytime. There is consoles without much difference and no reason to choose one over the other besides personal preference and market share (exceptions being Dreamvast and Oasis.)

    The graphics are okay I didn't like too much, but my friend so your choice on that pretty much, but the sound is a bit different. The music is okay but there's only two tracks that I remember and the sound effects annoying, every time a point goes up there a little blip, but when start getting 10 points it make turn off sound effects.

    Speaking of sound effects that is all the options menu; Music (On/Off), Sound Effects (On/Off), Volume, and toggle fullscreen. Besides options there is your basics (Save, Load, New, Exit),Highscore Help, and Achievements. First off Help is useless the game is pretty much self-explanatory and when click skip tutorial when you start up a new playthrough it only skips the beginning tutorial on how to make games, but everything else is still there which is annoying. For Achievements there hefty amount for a game of its size with many secret ones. Highscores is basically all the things you've done are given points and added up, the trick to be more efficient with making games, research and consoles.

    Overall Game Dev Tycoon was fun at first, but got boring after a while and the lack of content really weigh Game Dev Tycoon down giving it a verdict of 5, it's alright but names a lot of work and I can't help feeling I didn't $8 of fun out of this, if it was $5 it maybe would gotten a 6.    … Expand
  4. ericcoutinho
    Jun 12, 2014
    7
    You are a game developer, working on your garage in the early years of gaming, developing from the old Commodore 64 to Ouya or XBox One. In the next 30-40 years you will grow side by side with the gaming industry, researching technology, design, marketing, and trying to make history.

    Game Dev Tycoon is an addictive casual game, and although not so deep in the simulation aspect, provides    You are a game developer, working on your garage in the early years of gaming, developing from the old Commodore 64 to Ouya or XBox One. In the next 30-40 years you will grow side by side with the gaming industry, researching technology, design, marketing, and trying to make history.

    Game Dev Tycoon is an addictive casual game, and although not so deep in the simulation aspect, provides a wide range of resources to manage, and to master this management you'll have to play it more than once, since the tips about how the market reacts to combinations of topic/genre/platform and time spent on each level of developing, still unlocked to the next playthrough.

    What kind of game the market wants now? Which technology is better to use? May i spent more time on level design or artificial intelligence? May i have to create a new engine or research new topics? It's better to make it alone or it's time to move on to another work space and hire employees? Shall i spent more time creating games or studying? How about to have a boot at this year convention? Self-publishing or using a publisher? May i need to sue pirates, give away old engines or let the fans to make related games? That's some of the questions you'll face while playing.

    About the flaws, the game have some, mostly because it needed more work to put together all this resources without compromising the gameplay. But facing it like a casual, cheap game, and learning how the game works, these flaws doesn't matter that much at the point of being big problems.    … Expand
  5. Sjalka
    Sep 7, 2013
    5
    it is oddly satisfying to hear the "popping" of little bubbles fly towards the completion of the game. sadly it has quite some flaws.

    the art style is lacking (sterile, stationary) and the genre descriptions vague. you cannot really customize the game as much as you want, or as i wanted. whats worst however is the insufficient feedback provided by the game. it is sometimes simply not    it is oddly satisfying to hear the "popping" of little bubbles fly towards the completion of the game. sadly it has quite some flaws.

    the art style is lacking (sterile, stationary) and the genre descriptions vague. you cannot really customize the game as much as you want, or as i wanted.

    whats worst however is the insufficient feedback provided by the game. it is sometimes simply not clear how the scoring is achieved. feedback from the sliders is also insufficient.

    the game lacks significant complexity for the very good tycoon idea it is.

    for a CASUAL game however it is very nice. it is quick it is satisfying. it does not have a great replay value though.    … Expand
  6. todjansen123
    Oct 11, 2013
    5
    3 Words NO REPLAY VALUE, don't buy it. The thing says that I need to make this 150 characters long so I am going to type non-sense into this thing like the game does to your mind. WODAWODKAWDOKAODKAPDOWKDAOKDAOPKAOPKOAKDOKDKOAWKDOAWKDOAWKDOWKAPOWKDAPKDAPOKDAOKDAOPWKDPAOWKDOWKAOP
  7. Turtlestroker
    Sep 21, 2013
    6
    While i must say i enjoyed myself a lot, the game is really lacking in depth. The game does not give you enough info on what goes good with this or that, while they have added a few elements that make creating a hit game a little more frequent the random critic scores are very tiresome and at many times frustrating.
  8. Cubed
    Nov 22, 2013
    5
    Although I played this game a lot and did have many fun experiences, it was more more frustrating than fun. You can spend lots of time planning your next game, making all the perfect combinations, running advertisements, and even starting your convention, yet you can still easily get horrible reviews.

    According to the wiki, you are playing to beat your previous high score, and the    Although I played this game a lot and did have many fun experiences, it was more more frustrating than fun. You can spend lots of time planning your next game, making all the perfect combinations, running advertisements, and even starting your convention, yet you can still easily get horrible reviews.

    According to the wiki, you are playing to beat your previous high score, and the quality of the game means little. The fact that "Good quality Good reviews!" is a little annoying. I can make a game real quick while I am doing research for my big game, and it will get three 10's and a 9. My big game will get 4's and 5's.

    After seeing that you were competing against your previous score, I made a sequel to my best game, using an incredibly new engine with many new features. The game was better than my previous high score in a number of ways, yet still got worse reviews.

    In the end, there are many fun times in the game, yet the review system nearly ruined it for me.    … Expand
  9. DDilettante
    Jan 17, 2015
    7
    I need to open by admitting the truth; I am not, and never was, good at management/tycoon type games. All those needs, requirements, wants... why can't everyone and everything work well together, without my constant vigilance? But I suppose, that's not the point, or the game wouldn't be challenging!

    This game starts you in your humble basement, at the beginning of the video gaming era.    I need to open by admitting the truth; I am not, and never was, good at management/tycoon type games. All those needs, requirements, wants... why can't everyone and everything work well together, without my constant vigilance? But I suppose, that's not the point, or the game wouldn't be challenging!

    This game starts you in your humble basement, at the beginning of the video gaming era. You work with what you have, making small games with minimal hardware, hearing the announcements roll on by; consoles are slowly released, murmurings within the industry heard, trends are identified.

    You pour your efforts into parts of the games you feel are going to give the best reviews, and thus generate the most revenue. Want to make a Medieval-Action game? Sure. Invest more time in the gameplay, but you're going to have to cut back in other areas, perhaps dialogue.

    Eventually, you'll make enough to move out into your own office. You can hire a team, each with different stats. You can train them (and yourself) up as you release more hopeful winners, while keeping up with the technology curve. With enough time and money, you can even make your own consoles, and have an R&D department.

    Because of my ineptitude towards tycoon games, I initially felt underwhelmed. The Farmville-esque graphics deterred me, and I kept needing bailouts from the bank.

    But then I hit my first winner. An overall 9.5 rating for a particular game. My bank account swelled. I suddenly knew what I was doing. I was hooked, trying to get that perfect 10 game (I never did, sadly). Watching those thought bubbles rise from your workers, seeing your game get more and more tech-design points was addictive. Wanting to try all the combinations of games. Trying out all the witty Pun-related game titles.

    Add all of the mods currently available on steam, and this could warrant several playthroughs (the story goes through 35 years of the gaming industry).

    Game Dev Tycoon is great if you like this sort of thing, and even if you don't normally go for these, it's still worth a try. It got me.    … Expand
  10. hassall
    Dec 3, 2016
    7
    I Absolutely love this game i played so many hours into this game it is unreal. It is A very fun and challenging game, I have played this game so many times and still have fun playing it.
  11. ImNotRicky
    May 12, 2013
    6
    The biggest problem with Game Dev Tycoon is it's crazy resemblance to Game Dev Story. Besides that, (I'll just leave that out there) it's a fun time-waster, you might spend a few hours on it (or even longer) Hard as hell, but still kind of clever. The ratings from the critics inside the game can be pretty random and it's idea that some genres don't or do work with some topics is kind ofThe biggest problem with Game Dev Tycoon is it's crazy resemblance to Game Dev Story. Besides that, (I'll just leave that out there) it's a fun time-waster, you might spend a few hours on it (or even longer) Hard as hell, but still kind of clever. The ratings from the critics inside the game can be pretty random and it's idea that some genres don't or do work with some topics is kind of broken The game hasn't any concept of niche audiences.… Expand
  12. MrAmazingSocks
    Jul 3, 2013
    6
    I just don't really get this game, there was a point where I stopped playing because I kept going bankrupt after my games started getting terrible reviews regardless of quality or genre after for reasons I don't understand a game I made for just a small amount of cash got a rating of 9.5 or something and made a couple of million which only lasted to fund my new engines which had betterI just don't really get this game, there was a point where I stopped playing because I kept going bankrupt after my games started getting terrible reviews regardless of quality or genre after for reasons I don't understand a game I made for just a small amount of cash got a rating of 9.5 or something and made a couple of million which only lasted to fund my new engines which had better features than the last ones but still managed to help my games get scores of 5-7.… Expand
  13. Jounk33
    May 12, 2013
    7
    The first look and the first game is fun and is motivating to play a stage in one night.
    But after that I don'feel to replay it again, because If you know how it works, the game is no longer a challenge.
    There are no random events such as financial crises and the impact of software piracy .
    Conclusion so far, good idea, but this was presented very clumsy. Hope for a better version in future.
  14. Me929
    May 18, 2013
    5
    The game seems very intriguing at the beginning of the game, and it seems as if it will gain much more depth later in the game. However, The difficulty curve is steep because of the algorithm used to calculate game scores, which rates games based not on a constant scale but on how they compare to your previous games. This means that in order to maximize a profit as you enter the 32-bitThe game seems very intriguing at the beginning of the game, and it seems as if it will gain much more depth later in the game. However, The difficulty curve is steep because of the algorithm used to calculate game scores, which rates games based not on a constant scale but on how they compare to your previous games. This means that in order to maximize a profit as you enter the 32-bit era of the game you must aim to make each subsequent game about 10% better. The game also introduces many new technologies and ideas but does not give you enough time to research them, causing your employees to become overextended because they don't understand what a cowboy is. Overall, the game is promising and looks to be really fun, but its mechanics are a bit repetitive and the way your games are reviewed is awkward and can be very difficult.

    5/10 "Has its moments" -Me    … Expand
  15. vixenchan
    May 15, 2013
    6
    The game is fun, yet there is nothing to it. If you are not carefull you quickly wind up in a no win situation. The tech passes you up, you are constantly behind. And there is no way to catch up. OR you push to hard and quickly outpace your own bills. There is to much little fussing to be a time killer type game. And not enough to play seriously.

    To me this game is the type you pick up    The game is fun, yet there is nothing to it. If you are not carefull you quickly wind up in a no win situation. The tech passes you up, you are constantly behind. And there is no way to catch up. OR you push to hard and quickly outpace your own bills. There is to much little fussing to be a time killer type game. And not enough to play seriously.

    To me this game is the type you pick up fuss for a while then shelve for weeks on end.    … Expand
  16. Sk3z
    Sep 26, 2013
    6
    This game suffers from a very common problem nowadays: it's all about achievement.... The gameplay itself it's very straightforward, the few things that can be done are hugely influenced by random points you get. Most of the choices, again, do not give you hints on the outcome... All around it's an enjoyable casual game, whit a nice 2d graphic and bad musics, good to play when you haveThis game suffers from a very common problem nowadays: it's all about achievement.... The gameplay itself it's very straightforward, the few things that can be done are hugely influenced by random points you get. Most of the choices, again, do not give you hints on the outcome... All around it's an enjoyable casual game, whit a nice 2d graphic and bad musics, good to play when you have nothing better to do, but nothing more of that.… Expand
  17. Geberikgekud
    Aug 23, 2013
    6
    Not bad, especially if you are interested in game development. However, it's a really simple game, and if you look at it from a mechanical point of view, it is a bad game.It's realy similar Kairosoft game "Game Dev Story", but I wouldn't call it a rip-off. The only reason I have played it so much is the theme and concept. It doesn't have a lot of replayability, but for $8,(I got it on the website)
  18. ArcticFox789
    Sep 1, 2013
    6
    Game Dev Tycoon is a good game, with a fatal flaw. A really bad fatal flaw. (Which won't apply to people who play by the wiki).

    The only feedback on a release is the one-line 'critical' responses, and occasional notices if you make the same game twice in a row, etc. None of these will help, after you've seen the notices over and over, you realise how little they help you. This game    Game Dev Tycoon is a good game, with a fatal flaw. A really bad fatal flaw. (Which won't apply to people who play by the wiki).

    The only feedback on a release is the one-line 'critical' responses, and occasional notices if you make the same game twice in a row, etc. None of these will help, after you've seen the notices over and over, you realise how little they help you. This game simply must provide the player with some proper feedback, maybe even some graphs, surveys of the audience, just something that means you can play with the mechanics. You want to explore these further mechanics, but you become scared, as one bad game plunges you into bankruptcy. Living on the edge may be fun, but not if 'living on the edge' prevents me from not just making the same three games over and over, and failing whenever I try something new.

    So hey, have fun for a few hours, but if you want GDT, I seriously recommend waiting for a sale.    … Expand
  19. MadWasp01
    Sep 29, 2013
    7
    This game is awesome, I've always loved the idea of making games and the only ones I ever make are point-and-click games, but this lets me imagine what game I want and make them through this game, okay it isn't the same as actually making them, but I still have fun thinking what my games would be like.

    The nice range of options for staff and research make the game very immersing and I    This game is awesome, I've always loved the idea of making games and the only ones I ever make are point-and-click games, but this lets me imagine what game I want and make them through this game, okay it isn't the same as actually making them, but I still have fun thinking what my games would be like.

    The nice range of options for staff and research make the game very immersing and I can't help but play this for 8 hours at a time. But I do wish their were some more features in this game.

    Features such as starting at whatever year you want after completing the game once or features like playing a scenario where you pick a company like Maxis and play out the company's history.

    And their are some things I have wrong with this game such as the graphics and gameplay making the game seem like a Facebook game at times, also the game is very repetitive, you are basically doing the same thing over and over and it does get dull after a couple of days of playing the game/

    Don't get me wrong I love this game, and I would happily give this a 7/10 overall.    … Expand
  20. logeman
    Nov 10, 2013
    7
    This Is A good game. however the replay value is weak. in my opinion) You should get it if you just want a game guaranteed good. Game Development Tycoon gave me 6 hours of game play.
  21. Honeycone
    May 7, 2013
    7
    The game starts out great. But once you've learned the rather simple game mechanics, there really isn't much to the game. What I'm trying to say is, it isn't complicated enough. It needs more depth. But it's still a good game for what it is, and the modest price tag definitively helps.
  22. kotekzot
    May 5, 2013
    6
    Pretty fun overall, but likely won't hold you for more than a single playthrough, which is about 12 hours long. The first part of the game gives a satisfying challenge and lets you figure out exactly what you're doing right or wrong, the middle part is surprisingly hard and the endgame is a walk in the park. The game also doesn't seem to like it when the player decides to start developingPretty fun overall, but likely won't hold you for more than a single playthrough, which is about 12 hours long. The first part of the game gives a satisfying challenge and lets you figure out exactly what you're doing right or wrong, the middle part is surprisingly hard and the endgame is a walk in the park. The game also doesn't seem to like it when the player decides to start developing smaller games, which is a shame, because huge games take too long to develop to be much fun. Hopefully the developers will be able to rectify these problems.… Expand
  23. Chulo81
    May 7, 2013
    7
    Game Dev Tycoon is an ambitious & challenging game. At first look and while playing through the tutorial, the game seems like it will be a simple grind to make more money, then purchase or train to bigger and better things. This is not how the game functions.

    Don't let the name "Tycoon" fool you. It is not a "Tycoon" game like any previous "Tycoon" games. You don't slowly work your way    Game Dev Tycoon is an ambitious & challenging game. At first look and while playing through the tutorial, the game seems like it will be a simple grind to make more money, then purchase or train to bigger and better things. This is not how the game functions.

    Don't let the name "Tycoon" fool you. It is not a "Tycoon" game like any previous "Tycoon" games. You don't slowly work your way up by making more money to purchase bigger/better things until you have the biggest & best. Then attain all the biggest & best things in the game and just sit there making money. There is a strategy to the game that starts at the very beginning.

    If you stick to the tutorial, you will probably start out fine as a developer and get mediocre reviews & earn mediocre money, but eventually go bankrupt. You might make one or two successful games, but the mediocre & bad ones will kill you. This is partly due to how fast the calendar moves in the game & the monthly expenses you incur ($20,000/month for one level 2 employee?!).

    The best way to succeed at the game is learn how it works and learn what is expected of you. Unless you enjoy trying to figure this out on your own by playing & replaying the game over & over again, I would suggest using the community to help teach you. You can use YouTube videos, message boards, or wikis.

    The game uses an algorithm to gauge what review scores your game will get. This can mean big money, or not making enough to cover the cost of the game (not to mention the monthly expenses). This algorithm is what makes the gameplay so frustrating and ultimately what ruins it. I spent an hour or so reading the wiki on how the algorithm works, it tries hard to get it right, but essentially fails. I feel like I should explain further here, but there is just too much!

    (If you've read the wiki: competing against your own top review score, improper balance of development/tech means bad scores, why can't I focus more time to have great story/quests in my action game without it hurting my score? and more)

    I am not saying it is impossible to be successful in Game Dev Tycoon, but the learning curve is high. You cannot be successful if you just try to go make the biggest & best game by getting as much dev/tech points as you can on every game you make.

    There are some great features to Game Dev Tycoon, but it was too easy to focus on the biggest negative that is: trying to figure out all the appropriate combinations to be successful. But, this hasn't stopped me from playing & trying to master it.

    If Game Dev Tycoon were to review itself it would say there is too much tech, not enough development.

    Pros:
    1. One click interface
    2. Surprisingly in-depth strategy
    3. Some customization
    4. Addictive gameplay

    Cons:
    1. Algorithm that tries too hard (steep learning curve!)
    2. Very little sense that you are competing against other developers
    3. Staff salaries are way too big (Lvl 1: $8,000-11,000/month Lvl 2: $16,000-23,000/month)
    4. Minor interface glitches

    Things I hope change/get updated:
    1. Can only develop for one platform at a time and never pre-launch
    2. Weeks/months speed by a little too fast. I am not talking about adding speed adjustment, but rather slowing down the weeks/months compared to how much development is going on. (I admit this would probably make the amount of work done in a short amount of time non-realistic. But I think it would improve gameplay)
    3. Include better explanation of how reviews are scored in tutorial or in help menu.    … Expand
  24. HerrJoebob
    Jun 20, 2013
    5
    Shows potential. Could have been better. Startup and strategy is a great combination. Looking forward to the next one!

    It's an OK time waster if you want to spend a lot of time on the wikis to figure out how to actually play. The game doesn't really tell you. (If you haven't played, my first line above is quoting/mocking the reviews you get for the games you create within GDT).
  25. SwitSwat
    Oct 8, 2013
    7
    It's a great little simulation on the struggles that game developers face. While it doesn't cover everything, it still provides a bit of insight. It might not be very addictive at first, but it gets progressively better and faster as it goes on. It's far from perfect, but it's still good. 7/10
  26. yalamander
    May 7, 2013
    5
    The big plus in this game is the price, I mean it costs barely more than an App. I use the game on Mac OS and have not stumbled into a lot of bugs. There are definitely some in the end stages (final building), where the software can't differ between you clicking on a developer or just anywhere on the screen bit annoying but okay. Also a minimize function that works would be helpful.
    I    The big plus in this game is the price, I mean it costs barely more than an App. I use the game on Mac OS and have not stumbled into a lot of bugs. There are definitely some in the end stages (final building), where the software can't differ between you clicking on a developer or just anywhere on the screen bit annoying but okay. Also a minimize function that works would be helpful.
    I studied the algorithm behind the game a little bit (what makes a high rating, what sells best) and ever since just keep making ridiculous amounts of millions, prior to that though figuring out what sells best is a stupid guessing game. For example military as an adventure game on the PlaySystem will get you a horrible game, even if good configured, because the raw algorithm data shows that's a bad combination.
    Also the game gets boring quickly, you can't start again and take a different approach (like other tycoon games) since it has an extremely linear story. It was said before but updating game engines would be a good idea, also more interactions with your fans. Here are some more basic ideas:
    Being able to set up a fanshop for continuous money, being able to set the price for games, being able to release downloadable content, release games for many platforms at once, ...
    I like the game but I feel like it is far from finished, since playing it gets boring quickly due to the very limited options you get.
    The graphics are nice, music is good nothing special for a 2013 game though.
    Very excited what the game will be like in a year. I hope for major updates.    … Expand
  27. ShearForce
    May 17, 2013
    6
    This could have been so much more, it really could have, I loved Game Dev Story, and hence I do like this game, because it's more of the same, and that's a mobile game guys, you could have done a lot more with this, and I really do hope that you will, loads of potential, very little explored.

    If you know what Gae Dev Story is and you liked it, you will like this game, but don't expect    This could have been so much more, it really could have, I loved Game Dev Story, and hence I do like this game, because it's more of the same, and that's a mobile game guys, you could have done a lot more with this, and I really do hope that you will, loads of potential, very little explored.

    If you know what Gae Dev Story is and you liked it, you will like this game, but don't expect innovation and creativity here.    … Expand
  28. VincentD
    May 19, 2013
    6
    Graphics and Sound 8/10- Not much to say about the graphics because it's a fine looking game and the music that plays during the game is good and it doesn't distracts you from playing the game.

    Gameplay 4/10- The game falls a little short on some parts like the review system. The review system runs on an algorithm that calculates the score based on many factors like scores of your    Graphics and Sound 8/10- Not much to say about the graphics because it's a fine looking game and the music that plays during the game is good and it doesn't distracts you from playing the game.

    Gameplay 4/10- The game falls a little short on some parts like the review system. The review system runs on an algorithm that calculates the score based on many factors like scores of your previous game, balance between tech and design, right usage of sliders etc. and if you get a low score on your game review, your game suffers from low sales. Other than that, the gameplay is smooth with easy navigation and it is similar to Game Dev Story on the iOS.    … Expand
  29. MorgenS
    Jun 18, 2013
    7
    The idea isn't new, we already saw a great "Game Dev story", but graphics quality and many interesting features makes this game fun to play developing games, groving your company and trying to be number one, even if you realy can't understand sometimes what your customers want.
  30. ArjanS87
    Sep 2, 2013
    7
    It is easy to be tempted to judge this game against other games of the 65 dollars worth, but this would be misleading. And when looking at the fact that I only had to pay a measly 8 dollars for the total development, it is actually a pretty good experience all together.
    You can clearly see that the developers took a good hard look at what game developing means to them and have translated    It is easy to be tempted to judge this game against other games of the 65 dollars worth, but this would be misleading. And when looking at the fact that I only had to pay a measly 8 dollars for the total development, it is actually a pretty good experience all together.
    You can clearly see that the developers took a good hard look at what game developing means to them and have translated that in a light hearted, fun game.

    A few little hick-ups are bound to give the player a bit of a frown; certain angles are only half-way developed or counter-intuitive, while other areas look overly complicated.
    Balancing the different ratings (which are never shown in the game but judge with a vengeance in the game's algorithms) makes it hard to get high ratings over and over. This is especially intensified by having the games judged against the best game you have made yourself.

    In the end I can definitely see how the game gets repetitive after a while, but introducing R&D Labs and Console design helps to break the repeating patterns at key moments. That being said, I don't know whether I would replay the game after I get to the 100%...    … Expand
  31. WhiteTalpa
    May 6, 2013
    6
    This is OK even though it is an obv rip off. The gameplay gets boring quickly as there not much to it. The save feature does not work, and there are a number of other bugs which ruin the experience.
  32. Quackit
    May 24, 2013
    7
    Quirky but good.

    Game Dev Tycoon is an interesting take on the Tycoon (AKA Business) simulation games. Game Dev Tycoon puts you back in the eighties at the wheel of the next big gaming company. Your gaming company (the name of which you will be choosing) will initially be just you sitting in your garage with your computer and your DeLorean. So once you are introduced to your garage    Quirky but good.

    Game Dev Tycoon is an interesting take on the Tycoon (AKA Business) simulation games. Game Dev Tycoon puts you back in the eighties at the wheel of the next big gaming company. Your gaming company (the name of which you will be choosing) will initially be just you sitting in your garage with your computer and your DeLorean. So once you are introduced to your garage and the way you go about creating the worlds next revolutionary games, you will be free to create whatever game you desire, from Racing/Action games to Medieval/Business games.
    The game development process is rather simple, you will go through 3 stages of development, deciding what the primary focus of your games are and choosing the features that your game will include. While you go through these three stages of development your employee(s) will generate Technology, Design, Bug, and Research points. Technology points determine how technologically advanced your game will be. Design will determine how well designed your game will be. Bug points tell you how many bugs your game has, you can remove bugs after the development period by waiting on releasing the game for a little while. You can spend research points at a later time to create new technologies, find new topics for your games, and upgrade your games graphics.
    Once you have finished, you can wait for your employee(s) to fix bugs and then release the game, or you can release the game immediately. Once your brand new game has been released, the reviews will start to roll in. Reviews are based on a 1-10 scale and are also given side comments such as: "Quirky but good,"
    "Business and Simulation are a good combination [of genres]"
    "OK" and etc.
    After the reviews come the sales, your games will sell throughout the week and you will get your pay at the very end of each week. The sales are heavily dependent on the marketing and reviews your game got, and are the difference between business success, and bankruptcy. Later you will find new ways to accumulate sales such as: going to conventions, marketing, take publishing deals, and more.
    Unfortunately success can easily lead to failure in the world of Game Dev Tycoon, as your reviews are seemingly based on your new games comparison to your last game, which means, if you make an amazing game, your next game is destined for failure, this leads to extreme difficulties and repetitive reloading in order to create one amazing game after another. Although the chain of having to create amazing games does not happen often, and the chain can be broken, it really becomes a hindrance in certain situations.
    Now although Game Dev Tycoon is a mostly well designed game and a very good start for indie developer GreenHeart Games, it is not a flawless experience as it has it's own plethora of hardships and bugs guaranteed to meet you during your time with the game, but it continues to receive support from the developers and aims to be released on Steam via Greenlight.

    Despite all of it's bugs and problems, I see a bright future for Game Dev Tycoon and GreenHeart Games and I cannot wait to see what they do next.    … Expand
  33. nwd
    May 7, 2013
    7
    For the price, the game is fantastic. Very addictive to begin with, almost perfect gameplay. After a few play troughs you will probably start questioning how the games mechanics work. The mechanics seem very random and there is little information available to really explain how the game comes to certain conclusions. A few things make no sense at all, for example, why do you get an optionFor the price, the game is fantastic. Very addictive to begin with, almost perfect gameplay. After a few play troughs you will probably start questioning how the games mechanics work. The mechanics seem very random and there is little information available to really explain how the game comes to certain conclusions. A few things make no sense at all, for example, why do you get an option to add a mouse or gamepad to a Gameboy game? And if you do decide to add mouse and gamepad function does it actually add to the game at all? does it help or hinder your review scores? It's questions like this that will start to gnaw at you the longer you play. My own beleif is, most of it is random and review scores are as much to do with luck as they are your design build. I understand exactly why Greenheart won't want to explain the mechanics all that much, if they do, the curtain is lifted and the illusion will probably be shattered.… Expand
  34. Epic_Cheese
    May 14, 2013
    7
    Quirky but Good.
    - Epic_Cheese
    This game cost me 6 euro's and already has given me a lot of fun (I only bought it 2 days ago). The Quirky humor and hidden references turns a smile on my face, while I try to recreate old-school games on old-school devices. The fact that I fail, only gives me more respect for starting game studio's (Such as GreenHeartGames), for now I have been shown a    Quirky but Good.
    - Epic_Cheese

    This game cost me 6 euro's and already has given me a lot of fun (I only bought it 2 days ago).
    The Quirky humor and hidden references turns a smile on my face, while I try to recreate old-school games on old-school devices. The fact that I fail, only gives me more respect for starting game studio's (Such as GreenHeartGames), for now I have been shown a little of game developing progress.

    I also believe that Game Dev Tycoon, shows us (the gamers) a glimpse, of how hard it is for a starting studio to get on the rails. Every step you take is a risky investment of time and money and like in the game, Major critics and reviewing agencies are not always showing an honest reflection of what a "good game" is.

    Even though this game might make me slightly more bald, I like the game and I wish GreenHeartGames good luck.

    Epic_Cheese

    P.S. Apparently, when you pirate the game, your company always bankrupts, because of pirates. I just love stuff like that. It's a new way of fighting Pirates... YARR!!    … Expand
  35. MagSun
    May 10, 2013
    5
    Replayed the DEMO and I'm starting to like it for some of its aspects. It is really a hard to master game, after I realized how the scoring system (seems*) to work (*explained on its wikia) with very nice cross references and graphics (simple, but nice). After all I still miss parts where you do more than pick a combination of setting, genre, etc., adjust some sliders and wait until it'sReplayed the DEMO and I'm starting to like it for some of its aspects. It is really a hard to master game, after I realized how the scoring system (seems*) to work (*explained on its wikia) with very nice cross references and graphics (simple, but nice). After all I still miss parts where you do more than pick a combination of setting, genre, etc., adjust some sliders and wait until it's done. Maybe this is part of the full game, but after I don't see it in the DEMO which is to make my buy it this game remains one of those I wait for until it's on discount. Maybe the "cracked version" mentioned in the developers blog offers more insight?… Expand
  36. Tridus
    Dec 26, 2013
    7
    Fun little game, for the first couple playthroughs. Once you figure things out and know how to do well each time there isn't much replay value. It's a fun diversion, but not something you will get 30+ hours out of.
  37. dubesor
    Aug 29, 2013
    7
    I want to like this game more but the review mechanic (especially the Tech to Design ratio) is bad, inconsistent, not taught in the game and simply frustrating. Other than that the core is pretty enjoyable, it's nice to relive the history of consoles. It's a shame there is no real competition, no other studios, no awards, no celebrations and generally a feeling of lonelyness while playingI want to like this game more but the review mechanic (especially the Tech to Design ratio) is bad, inconsistent, not taught in the game and simply frustrating. Other than that the core is pretty enjoyable, it's nice to relive the history of consoles. It's a shame there is no real competition, no other studios, no awards, no celebrations and generally a feeling of lonelyness while playing since you are always only competing against yourself. Game Dev Story did this much better. Mainstory takes roughly 5 hours to complete unless go broke and need to restart. Personally I think there was a lot more potential, it's still a good game just not anywhere near where it could have been.… Expand
  38. TolHydra
    Jul 11, 2013
    6
    The best time-waster for people who are into the gaming industry if there was ever intended i literally sat there 8 hours straight doing nothing but playing this game, it's repetitive as hell, there are so many lost potentials, more often than not it's just plain not entertaining at all... still i couldn't play anything but this for a few days, so apparently it did a few things right,The best time-waster for people who are into the gaming industry if there was ever intended i literally sat there 8 hours straight doing nothing but playing this game, it's repetitive as hell, there are so many lost potentials, more often than not it's just plain not entertaining at all... still i couldn't play anything but this for a few days, so apparently it did a few things right,

    It could've been much more Star Gamer    … Expand
  39. StaticSpine
    Sep 1, 2013
    7
    Pretty addictive, but rather short. No stimulation to continue playing after the end of the story, some of the game mechanics are not clear. But I believe that with larger amount of features and content this will be a cult game.
  40. MispeledStalion
    Oct 16, 2013
    7
    Really this is your run-of-the-mill business simulator, but the ties to the gaming culture and the ability to make every product uniquely yours and watching the 'critics review your game' makes it quite enjoyable. Pretty easy interface to navigate and decent replay value because you'll never fit all the content into one play through. Obviously, you'll get a feel for the formula prettyReally this is your run-of-the-mill business simulator, but the ties to the gaming culture and the ability to make every product uniquely yours and watching the 'critics review your game' makes it quite enjoyable. Pretty easy interface to navigate and decent replay value because you'll never fit all the content into one play through. Obviously, you'll get a feel for the formula pretty quick and the game can feel kinda tedious sometimes, but the glee of getting a perfect 10 or the disappointment of a 4 from the critics made this game fun for me.… Expand
  41. theneomaster
    Aug 27, 2013
    7
    I could go on for a while about Game Dev Tycoon's faults but at the end of the day it's cheap and gave me a good 10 hours of entertainment which is more than can be said for quite a few of the AAA games I own. Overall if you like tycoon/management games then I would recommend this.
  42. Troubletcat
    May 7, 2013
    7
    In Game Dev Tycoon you control a game development studio from the 1980s to the near future, making games and, hopefully, making it big. The game is a rather simplistic management sim. You hire and train staff and make games, choosing how much to focus on different aspects of the game during development. You also perform research to unlock additional features for your games and some otherIn Game Dev Tycoon you control a game development studio from the 1980s to the near future, making games and, hopefully, making it big. The game is a rather simplistic management sim. You hire and train staff and make games, choosing how much to focus on different aspects of the game during development. You also perform research to unlock additional features for your games and some other cool stuff in the late game.

    It's a fun game for a playthrough or two, but doesn't really have enough depth to have massive replayability. If you like management simulator/tycoon type games you'll probably get your money's worth out of it at $8, but don't expect to be sinking a huge number of hours in to this one. The visual style and sound/music are simple, but appealing enough and serve the gameplay adequately.

    Ultimately Game Dev Tycoon is a good buy considering the low price, but would've been improved drastically by more depth and complexity in the game. It simply is not complex enough to be as fun or addictive as the games that have clearly inspired it, but represents a decent bit of bite-sized entertainment.    … Expand
  43. Jake_
    May 28, 2013
    7
    I had to describe this game in 2 words, i'd choose "stupidly addictive". While the game is not technically or graphically impressive, it is extremely funny and enjoyable. Played for hours.
  44. im2Lagged2Frag
    May 28, 2013
    6
    An interesting game development simulator with Role-playing elements.
    Aesthetics:
    Graphics: Well done, simple and neat, and generally easy to understand icons. 8/10 Audio: simple, doesn't detract from the game, or really add to it much either. 6/10 Style: The art style fits the game well, as a 2.5D isometric SNES-era style. 8/10 Engagement: The game is frustrating and addictive. It    An interesting game development simulator with Role-playing elements.
    Aesthetics:
    Graphics: Well done, simple and neat, and generally easy to understand icons. 8/10
    Audio: simple, doesn't detract from the game, or really add to it much either. 6/10
    Style: The art style fits the game well, as a 2.5D isometric SNES-era style. 8/10

    Engagement:
    The game is frustrating and addictive. It brings you back to try to get further, do better or discover more. 8/10

    Accessibility: The game has a very limited Help function, a bare minimum tutorial. This was the biggest shortfall, in my opinion. When you failed, you didn't really understand why you failed, and when you did amazing, it was not very clear why either. The game maintains a brutal difficulty level throughout, leaving you never more than a single mistake away from Game Over. 2/10

    Appeal:
    Co-op: Not Applicable
    Competitive: You have a high score board at the end, only if you make it through a whole game, which you can compare to yourself and others. 6/10
    Expressive: The game lets you name your character, company, and each of the games you develop. 6/10
    Exploration: This game really shines here. With bare bones documentation and minimal tutorial, you have lots to discover and experiment with. 8/10

    Overall: 6/10. Recommended for people that are really interested in Game Design, or really driven to discover and experiment.    … Expand
  45. TrueGamer95
    Aug 22, 2013
    7
    The progression in this game is very satisfying once you have a hold on how the sliders affect the games you make. I found the experience very enjoyable and gratifying. The only con (which is actually quite large) is that you cannot look over your previous games for assistance in making more. So you can either memorize all your slider settings or take a load of screenshots. Learning fromThe progression in this game is very satisfying once you have a hold on how the sliders affect the games you make. I found the experience very enjoyable and gratifying. The only con (which is actually quite large) is that you cannot look over your previous games for assistance in making more. So you can either memorize all your slider settings or take a load of screenshots. Learning from your mistakes is a large portion of tycoon games and, unfortunately this title did not do well in the department. Still, this game is definitely worth checking out.… Expand
  46. Pedrazl
    Oct 2, 2013
    7
    En la parte buena es original y adictivo. En la parte mala se puede hacer repetitivo y le falta un poco más de profundidad. Con mejoras sobre esta base puede llegar a ser un muy buen juego.
  47. Pacattack
    Oct 28, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not quite perfect. Actually, not quite great. Don't get me wrong, I really, really like Game Dev Tycoon, but I would like to see more customizable options regarding custom consoles (such as color, and they could give you a list of different models of controllers and consoles, and you can match up the designs you prefer, they give you preset console models) and being able to price your game (and console) to what you like, of course affecting the sales, or being able to make your games free and offer in-app purchases. I will play this game for many hours at a time, it's very fun and enjoyable. But it does come with some unpleasant bugs, which I suppose is expected. Replay value not up to par. Quite repetitive towards the end, there should be more things to research. I didn't need to make a new engine for about 20 years because there wasn't much to improve (this was a later stage of the game). I really wish there was more things to do at the end. The first 40 years or so are very exciting, with constant research and development of game engines. But the fun really dies out around year 70-ish. No DLC is also a bit annoying as well. But there are many good elements too. The wide variety of subjects for your game is quite large. Also things like a company accusing you of copyright infragment, and you paying them or rallying your fans was neat. I think if they would make a inexpensive DLC that would let you price things, customize more things, fix some of these annoying issues regarding the reviews, add DLC, and addition things to research and put into your engines, I would give this game a ten. But I feel this is incomplete, not yet a great game. This has potential to be great, but it's just not there yet.… Expand
  48. raiokincaris
    Dec 9, 2013
    7
    While the desire to replay this game after finishing the first time may be lacking, it's still something that has a little uniqueness in the massive amount of games that try to teach you something. It's not everyday that a game teaches you about not just other games, but other consoles in terms of who tend to go for what types of games on them. Countless hours obviously went into researchWhile the desire to replay this game after finishing the first time may be lacking, it's still something that has a little uniqueness in the massive amount of games that try to teach you something. It's not everyday that a game teaches you about not just other games, but other consoles in terms of who tend to go for what types of games on them. Countless hours obviously went into research of the topics, the consoles, and the overall storyline, but the only thing that will make this game more enjoyable will be the mods that are just now starting to be developed.

    Then again, I cheated with the game before there were any mods ;3 but that's just me. I tend to break games after I go through the main parts of them. That's part of my own enjoyment. Also, I think they need to optimize the code a little better, as it tends to lag after you hit certain numbers in the game save files ;3    … Expand
  49. BrunoHP
    Jan 4, 2014
    7
    Developing a games from early 80's to next-gen consoles and beyond is fun. Review algorithm can be a problem when you make the game with 9.75/10 score, and 5 years later you make a sequel with revolutionary engine and get only 7/10 or lower. When you are playing the game for the first time, it can pass 6 hours in a row and you still want to play more. When you finish a 35-year long story,Developing a games from early 80's to next-gen consoles and beyond is fun. Review algorithm can be a problem when you make the game with 9.75/10 score, and 5 years later you make a sequel with revolutionary engine and get only 7/10 or lower. When you are playing the game for the first time, it can pass 6 hours in a row and you still want to play more. When you finish a 35-year long story, you can continue playing, but it gets boring after 50 years. This game will only remain replayable if you replay it only when new updates are released.… Expand
  50. Crackfarmer
    Oct 20, 2015
    7
    Kind of ok-ish. Takes like 5-7 hours to get through the whole Game (no more new stuff to unlock). Needs Mod's but doesn't get patched anymore whats kinda sad. But 10$ is worth for it.
  51. Arkan01d
    Nov 21, 2013
    5
    tl;dr Just buy Game Dev Story for your smart phone.

    This game is clearly a rip off of Game Dev Story for Android and IOS devices. It progresses the same, has the same fundamental game making mechanics, and the player guide is so similar it hurts. This game does offer a few different options like making your own game engines and designers need to take vacations after making a few games.    tl;dr Just buy Game Dev Story for your smart phone.

    This game is clearly a rip off of Game Dev Story for Android and IOS devices. It progresses the same, has the same fundamental game making mechanics, and the player guide is so similar it hurts. This game does offer a few different options like making your own game engines and designers need to take vacations after making a few games. You can unlock genres by research and certain platforms are more tailored to certain game types. There is also Steam trading cards and achievements, if you're into those things, that can help sway you to purchase.

    The problem I have with this game is the game developing. In Game Dev Story the production bubbles are flying up and there's all these power-up sounds. It feels like your really working hard. Then each development phase focuses on that certain aspect of the game itself; so you have a clear idea of what's being produced and how well your team is doing for each game element: Graphics, Story, Sound, ect. Contrast that with this game, Game Dev Tycoon, the production bubble slowly float up and make barely a sound. Your developers seem to float over the keyboard and lazily sip coffee, instead of appearing like they are in a rush or really working hard. This game has development phases, but they are inconsequential. Each phase it tells you what you are going to work on, but your developers produce production bubbles for other game aspects. Why include a development phase if your team is going to do whatever they feel like?

    For $10 is this game really worth it? If you've never played Game Dev Story and always wondered what it would be like to be a game developer then I think you will enjoy this game. Game Dev Story costs 75% less, is more exciting and presents a much clearer focus. However, you don't get as much in-depth play and Steam bonuses; so it's really up to you. Personally I feel gypped and wish this game provided a little more excitement to the developing process.    … Expand
  52. alanbessa
    Sep 13, 2020
    7
    So addicting and so much fun, as a simulation it runs out of fuel unlike Football Manager games, but it's still fun to play throughout the story.
  53. Klewer
    Feb 13, 2014
    7
    A fairly basic game however it is very fun and will offer plenty of entertainment and gives you the chance to finally make that perfect game and console !
  54. Vunguard
    Aug 15, 2014
    7
    This is a neat little game, and every part of me wants to like it, because there are a lot of things that are just not right about it. So first the good, it does a good job of pacing the game development process and gives all kinds of possibilities for you to work with. It has a nice atmosphere and is nicely in-depth while still being fairly accessible. The general interface is simple,This is a neat little game, and every part of me wants to like it, because there are a lot of things that are just not right about it. So first the good, it does a good job of pacing the game development process and gives all kinds of possibilities for you to work with. It has a nice atmosphere and is nicely in-depth while still being fairly accessible. The general interface is simple, but it leans more towards the streamlined side of the spectrum than on anything severely dumbed down. The technological development process if nice and it's kind of interesting to see how the consoles develop, even if I tend to just ride the PC train until the end destination.

    There is some weird stuff about inaccuracies, such as how the publishers are only one-time deals (which isn't how it works AT ALL, in fact most companies get trapped), but I'm willing to let that one slide since that wouldn't be fun. The rating system makes me chuckle (basically, to determine how good the game is, you get four magazine scores which are #/10) because every time I do REALLY well I just laugh because there's always ONE magazine that gives me a lower score. My favorite was one where I had three tens and then one random seven. Also, the size of your company's staff is... not huge. In fact it's downright dinky. So for every person I like to think there's closer to five or ten.

    Now, all this said... there is a bit of a problem. And unfortunately it's a core mechanic. When making a game, you have sliders for each attribute of the game at three different stages, and you shift the attributes according to the type of game you're making. It's very important you get this right, otherwise you could accidentally make a horrible game. Well... in order to do this, it's kind of nice to have percentages or something else quantifiable. Shame this game doesn't do that. On top of that, that particular part is very poorly tutorialized, in fact while it gives you information about the priorities, it doesn't teach you how to translate them into your sliders. RPG's in particular can be catastrophic because translating everything is nightmare inducing. Mods help this, but the game doesn't get any points for that in my book.

    It's a good game at heart, but it has some little things in desperate need of help. this seems like a good group of devs, and their heart is in the right place. I'm glad a supported this game, and I think that it deserves to be successful, I just hope they patch what needs fixing.    … Expand
  55. titannet
    Dec 6, 2013
    5
    In Game Dev Tycoon your object is to develop console and computer games over the course of several centuries. You start out alone in a garage and slowly progress to larger offices and teams.

    One of the first things to notice in the game is the simplistic UI. You get some information on all your released games. But you can't sort by Genre or by Sequels or get some chart graphics or    In Game Dev Tycoon your object is to develop console and computer games over the course of several centuries. You start out alone in a garage and slowly progress to larger offices and teams.

    One of the first things to notice in the game is the simplistic UI. You get some information on all your released games. But you can't sort by Genre or by Sequels or get some chart graphics or whatever, so after you released ten games or so it becomes difficult to even keep track of things.

    Also there is barely a sense of accomplishment. Like a hall of fame for instance? Nope, dne. You get some newspaper like popups if you release a great game or sell a new record number of copies and you also get achievments if you are into that.. but how about a simple star on the wall or something?

    But I digress. Developing games in you garage starts out entertaining enough. You get some sliders (sliders? seriously?) to determine the importance of different game elements, you can select different genre/setting combinations, develop new game engines and in doing all this stumble you way to successful games, your first million and a new office.

    Unfortunately the game quickly falls apart afterwards. The main reason for this is that the game is completely one dimensional.

    The way to being successful is not to be creative but to go on the internet an research how you need to put your sliders for the genre of your game. While doing this you will also find out that the features in your game don't really matter, only that there are features which together with the sliders lead to some internal game score.
    And you will find out that the game review score, that basically determines sales is not calculated absolute but relative to your currently best game.

    I have to repeat this: your games are reviewed by comparing its "game points" to the "game points" of the best game you released so far. This seems like a decent way to prevent the game from becoming too easy over time but it's also completely braindead and leads to the winning strategy of: "start with bad games and only improve them about 10% each game".

    Releasing a very good game can actually ruin you. I released a perfect 10 game from my garage and made about 4Mio, a very good number in the beginning of the game. So I hired some new developers and made my next game: and it tanked. And the next: it also tanked. Only with some crazy bank deals I managed to keep afloat long enough so that some training and upcropping new features got my "game points" high enough so that I could score 7/8 games again and make money.

    I learned my lesson and deleted Game Dev Tycoon. It's not fun to play, it's not intuitive, there is no creativity required, scratch that, allowed and you might as well play Excel than pay even 5$ for this game.    … Expand
  56. vorgbardo
    Sep 10, 2014
    7
    The good: initially very fun; nice clean graphics; great music; offers an entertaining insight into the gaming industry.

    The bad: UI could be improved in parts (for example, it is be imperative to find your old games, but currently there is no way to filter them, so browsing gets very tedious when your stack of releases grows); this game loans so many elements directly from Game Dev    The good: initially very fun; nice clean graphics; great music; offers an entertaining insight into the gaming industry.

    The bad: UI could be improved in parts (for example, it is be imperative to find your old games, but currently there is no way to filter them, so browsing gets very tedious when your stack of releases grows); this game loans so many elements directly from Game Dev Story that it could be called a blatant rip-off.

    The worst: the success of the games you create is calculated based on very complex formula, and it has little or no random element. Also, this formula is always the same in every game you play. This is a personal preference, but to me this killed much of the enjoyment of this game: the way to success is always the same, tediously follow the pre-set mechanism that the creators of the game have set for creating the best selling products. If you stray from this and experiment, you will be invariably punished with lower scores for your games. Where's the fun in that?    … Expand
  57. MaxPay
    Feb 18, 2014
    7
    Fun game that touches the basics of game development, yet flawed by some design choices. So, you don't compete with any other companies, only your own bank account... Wish to add a soundtrack or type some backstory to your new game? Well then, first you need to build another brand new game engine to support such a thing. GDT has a neat history lesson as a story element to keep you going,Fun game that touches the basics of game development, yet flawed by some design choices. So, you don't compete with any other companies, only your own bank account... Wish to add a soundtrack or type some backstory to your new game? Well then, first you need to build another brand new game engine to support such a thing. GDT has a neat history lesson as a story element to keep you going, but after it ends and you've unlocked everything, there's no more challenges or anything to appear. Genres could use more work, as there's like 5-6 of them. Making AAA titles may have a serious impact on the game's performance. And then, there are these bars, which you have to set accordingly to the preset values for each topic/genre combo in order to make a good game. All in all, it gives you a set of simplistic and restrictive mechanics to play around with, however if you're interested in it's concept, it's still worth a look at, as it's the only 'game dev' game on PC. Hopefully some day we see a worthy sequel of it or another game that evolves from this one.… Expand
  58. NCremonez
    Nov 1, 2013
    7
    Review PT-BR: Game Dev Tycoon muito divertido e viciante no começo, até mesmo desafiador, já que muito fácil ir a falência no inicio do game, mas a diversão acaba nas primeiras horas de jogo, o sistema de notas bugado e inconsistente, você pode seguir tudo como deve ser feito e mesmo assim ganhar notas horríveis, ou não fazer nada e lançar um hit.

    A musica repetitiva e depois de um    Review PT-BR: Game Dev Tycoon muito divertido e viciante no começo, até mesmo desafiador, já que muito fácil ir a falência no inicio do game, mas a diversão acaba nas primeiras horas de jogo, o sistema de notas bugado e inconsistente, você pode seguir tudo como deve ser feito e mesmo assim ganhar notas horríveis, ou não fazer nada e lançar um hit.

    A musica repetitiva e depois de um tempo se torna extremamente chata.

    É um jogo que vale a pena por ser barato, mas não algo que você vá jogar por mais de 6 horas, depois de finalizar a campanha, o jogo perde totalmente o interesse.    … Expand
  59. CrazySlaya
    Sep 26, 2014
    6
    It is a above average game. It is a time waster. It is fun but gets boring after a bit. You can get to the highest stage and make MMO's over and over again. You get more money and just repeat. That's the part where it get boring. The only way it is surviving for me is the mods. It still is alright with mods and it brings up something new. If you don't have anything good to play or buy thisIt is a above average game. It is a time waster. It is fun but gets boring after a bit. You can get to the highest stage and make MMO's over and over again. You get more money and just repeat. That's the part where it get boring. The only way it is surviving for me is the mods. It still is alright with mods and it brings up something new. If you don't have anything good to play or buy this is the game.… Expand
  60. DarkSoul47
    Mar 7, 2014
    6
    It's a real fun in first 5-6 hours. But then, it becomes a repetitive game unfortunately. If you're into history of gaming industry, you will enjoy seeing new technologies such as NES, PSOne, Nintendo consoles. You will develop your dream games and you will try to combine new genres to make fans happy. But, when you reach to the end, there's nothing lef to do. You can complete achievementsIt's a real fun in first 5-6 hours. But then, it becomes a repetitive game unfortunately. If you're into history of gaming industry, you will enjoy seeing new technologies such as NES, PSOne, Nintendo consoles. You will develop your dream games and you will try to combine new genres to make fans happy. But, when you reach to the end, there's nothing lef to do. You can complete achievements and then uninstall the game. So buy it if it's on huge sale, it deserves $5-6 but, i wouldn't pay more than this for a game, which has maximum 5-6 hours of lifespan.… Expand
  61. Triiz
    Sep 12, 2014
    6
    First off this game is quite fun. I started it one afternoon thinking that I would just give it a shot 45 minutes. In the end I got hooked till the end of the game (around 6 hours of gameplay). What is interesting here is that the longer you play the more flaws you encounter. As much as the beginning is fun and refreshing, as much is the end boring and repetitive and you just can't waitFirst off this game is quite fun. I started it one afternoon thinking that I would just give it a shot 45 minutes. In the end I got hooked till the end of the game (around 6 hours of gameplay). What is interesting here is that the longer you play the more flaws you encounter. As much as the beginning is fun and refreshing, as much is the end boring and repetitive and you just can't wait for your studio to go crashing down or hit the "official end".

    The good points:
    - Graphics are nice
    - The concept is very interesting and the beginning is very exciting.

    The bad points:
    - Gameplay: this is where the game can vastly improve. It's not all bad, the base of it are, I think, good. At the beginning it is pretty cool to create your first few games. It is around the middle that it starts getting a bit tedious. What happens is that you tend to simply create sequels to your successful games. Another annoying part is researching genre (pirate, medieval, warfare...). The game only let's you do research on a limited list that grows when you unlock one. The issue is that if you have an idea in mind it takes ages to reach what you want. Surely something better could be done here.
    - Lack of depth: Overall it is the lack of depth of the this game that makes it fail. For instance, when creating an MMO you cannot decide any thing (free to play VS pay monthly). Creating an expansion simply adds users to the game, which cannot unsuscribe to it as the number just goes up. However, the maintenance cost of the game only rise up, even if your user base doesn't increase. Which, to me, makes no sense. World of Warcraft would have failed by now if that was the case.

    Overall, this is a fun game, I was tempted to give it 5 but if you take it as a "mini" management game and kind of ignore the lack of depth, it is fun to play. It probably could improve some things fairly easily (MMO creation and management, possibility to develop expansion and DLC to any games...).    … Expand
  62. Tomle1202
    Mar 24, 2018
    6
    The beauty of Game Dev Tycoon starts to fade after hours, revealing its gigantic flaws in almost every aspects. Yet even so, it is still one hell of an addictive game development simulator.
  63. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    7
    A very fun game to play, Greenheart Games deserve a big round of applause for this game, from when I discovered it when it first came out, to playing the demo, to even playing it on Windows 8, I have followed this game every step of the way, it is a fun indie game which if you too like Simulation with a bit of strategy put into it, then why not get this game.
  64. demFailz
    Jun 22, 2014
    7
    Game Dev Tycoon is a fun, but challenging game. Greenheart Game's first game is a good start for the company. It's simple, but not too simple. It's hard, but not too hard. While there are better games than it, this game offers good enjoyment for a small price.
  65. Alkor
    Jul 5, 2014
    6
    A fun little sim game. Quite addictive, pretty well balanced for such a kind of game.
    Almost entirely text based, the graphics are a bit dull and the replayability is almost non existent tho...
  66. bacisnipertop62
    Jul 19, 2014
    7
    Un petit jeu vraiment sympathique pour passer le temps . Avec un système de score vraiment bien pensé ou tout ce que l'on a fait est bien calculer . En plus la possibilité de vraiment personnalisé les jeux qu'on sort est vraiment pas mal .
  67. Negativs
    Oct 24, 2014
    6
    At least it's Patrick's and Dan's first game,but it is missing some point. Like:
    1.They could at least follow the gaming story.
    2.Critic reviews are pointless.
    3.Minimum modding.

    If developers will add patch,where are 1 and 2 items,than this game would be better,at least.
  68. Kris511c
    May 21, 2018
    7
    This is a great game, that are missing a lot of stuff.
    What its missing is the option to make sequesl, dlc's expansions... and now couse of the stupid shlt in 2017-18... lootboxes and liveservicse.
    But if you can look past thoes missing features, then you will find a fun, interesting, small game.
  69. TheChronicle
    Mar 20, 2015
    7
    The game is good,but flawed. The game pretty much takes you through the gaming era from the 1980s- to present day. The game has a lot of strategy involved such as getting the games you devlop perfectly right to get good scores. The game does get extremely repetitive with the same controls and same everything . Really its good , but not great Tycoon- Strategy game. The graphics are plainlyThe game is good,but flawed. The game pretty much takes you through the gaming era from the 1980s- to present day. The game has a lot of strategy involved such as getting the games you devlop perfectly right to get good scores. The game does get extremely repetitive with the same controls and same everything . Really its good , but not great Tycoon- Strategy game. The graphics are plainly simple and really don't require a high powered machine to run this game. The game has a realistic outlook on how a game company runs and functions. But it's too simple and riddled with minor flaws. Overall the game is good and it gets a recommend purchase ,but note after a grand scheme of things it become quite boring. The game should be recomened to simple game player and to some hardcore game players… Expand
  70. saltcomb
    Nov 8, 2015
    7
    I don't know if I would truly recommend this game but I can say if you like a game that has a lot of luck involved then you should get it. Even after following an in-dept guide on it I still did not revive perfect ratings on games. The whole challenge of this game is based on luck. The only skill involved in this game is playing so much that you know exactly how t build a game.
  71. Kopter
    Oct 23, 2015
    7
    Un juego bien planteado y entretenido. No tiene muchas opciones adicionales, ni una rejugabilidad, pero oye, llevar una compañía de videojuegos y putear a el público como nos hace EA o Ubisoft a nosotros, siempre mola.
  72. letcreate123
    Dec 26, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's easy to get bored after a while, but at least you'll have fun figuring out how to become successful in the video game industry and lots of events are like real life events (such as the G3, which resembles the E3). Some parts feel a little too basic, too, but hey, it's a Simulation game. Recommendable for Simulation game fans.… Expand
  73. Shadow1
    May 3, 2016
    7
    This game is simulator create videogames . Game is addictive and this game takes you to the beginning computer age . Game Dev Tycoon is not awesome game , but cool . In this game can create any game . With poor graphics , but awesome gameplay , with good level design and terrible storyline and other . Can create game on any platforms if this platform born . Normal . 5/10 .
  74. SrPepe
    Dec 30, 2018
    7
    Las cosas son bastante random y RNG, es muy fácil obtener calificaciones altas y al mismo tiempo es muy fácil conseguir calificaciones bajas. Sin embargo, el juego tiene su encanto y la mejor parte viene con los numerosos mods que mejoran la experiencia de juego y la complican.
  75. ISCybercoreSI
    Jun 12, 2016
    7
    SPANISH/STEAM ACCOUNT REVIEW.

    +Su sistema de algoritmos está bien hecho para se un juego indie, los puntos de diseño y tecnología reflejan bien como estamos yendo, si sabemos dominar el juego o si estamos jugando la primera vez, rara vez me llevé una sorpresa desagradable en mi puntaje. +Es un juego simple y -casual-, no te esperes nada increible o emocionante, pero eso a la vez te    SPANISH/STEAM ACCOUNT REVIEW.

    +Su sistema de algoritmos está bien hecho para se un juego indie, los puntos de diseño y tecnología reflejan bien como estamos yendo, si sabemos dominar el juego o si estamos jugando la primera vez, rara vez me llevé una sorpresa desagradable en mi puntaje.
    +Es un juego simple y -casual-, no te esperes nada increible o emocionante, pero eso a la vez te beneficia, ya que no te agota tan rápido a pesar de tener que vigilar tus empleados, negocios, juegos, etc...
    +Si estás interesado en la noticia del videojuego o sí naciste en los 80 o 90 (Nací en el año 2000, así que e vivido y sentido la época de la ps2 en adelante, no me juzgen), puede sacarte alguna que otra sonrisa
    +El juego en sí requiere que aprendas como hacer un buen juego si no queires irte a la bancarrota, pero eso no es difícil, lo difícil es hacer los logros como conseguir un 11/10, pero eso lo dejaré en segundo plano.

    Ahora los negativos...

    -Nada sorprendente, más alla de algunos mensajes inesperados ;)
    -Se puede volver monótono si haces la misma rutina
    -Al principio puede ser frustante, tener malas notas seguidas, ir en bancarrota y perder una parte de tu tiempo en un juego aburrido para el momento...
    -Despues de tener una buena fanbase, aunque hagas un juego con puntuacion 5 o 4 (Grande, no AAA) , aun recuperas ganancia, y eso puede ser poco desafiante y realista.

    le doy un 7/10 en general, es un buen juego a ratos, en mi caso le doy un 8.5/10 porque estoy sacando más leña porque de mís juegos con nota mayor a 8 le hago una mini historia con Metacritic y todo xD...
    Si quieres un buen simulador o un juego barato y que sea casual pero a la vez que te active, compra Gamedevtycoon y ayuda a una empresa en desarrollo :3 .    … Expand
  76. Gamesearcher1
    Oct 30, 2018
    6
    A very simple concept, that is made well. I'd been looking for a game of the vein for a while, and when this appeared on a Steam Sale, I couldn't pass it up. But nevertheless, the game does get a bit boring, making new concepts up just to get mediocre reviews. Hell, even get straight 8's or 9's gets boring in a while. A bit more customisation would be greatly appreciated. All in all, ifA very simple concept, that is made well. I'd been looking for a game of the vein for a while, and when this appeared on a Steam Sale, I couldn't pass it up. But nevertheless, the game does get a bit boring, making new concepts up just to get mediocre reviews. Hell, even get straight 8's or 9's gets boring in a while. A bit more customisation would be greatly appreciated. All in all, if you're looking for something casual to relax to, this game could tick that box.… Expand
  77. LedMetallica95
    Apr 25, 2018
    5
    After the Update for the mobile release this game sucks... very sad. I played it hours and hours.
  78. Laer
    Mar 14, 2017
    5
    Un juego curioso donde revivir la historia de la industria del videojuego desde los años 80 desde el punto de vista de un desarrollador.

    Su temática es sencilla, levantar tu empresa de videojuegos desde sus inicios, donde los primeros juegos eran de texto, hasta la actual generación de consolas. Por el camino podremos hacer juegos para todas y cada una de las consolas y ordenadores,    Un juego curioso donde revivir la historia de la industria del videojuego desde los años 80 desde el punto de vista de un desarrollador.

    Su temática es sencilla, levantar tu empresa de videojuegos desde sus inicios, donde los primeros juegos eran de texto, hasta la actual generación de consolas. Por el camino podremos hacer juegos para todas y cada una de las consolas y ordenadores, investigar nuevas tecnologías (gráficos, temáticas de juego, generos, mejoras generales, etc.), mudarnos a locales más grandes, contratar personas, aceptar encargos de otras compañías...

    Sin embargo tiene algunas carencias, como falta de contenido. Se me hace raro no tener una opción de poder empezar siendo una compañía grande (para competir desde un inicio con Nintendo o Sega), tener la posibilidad de crear ciertos "chismes" (Virtual Boy, Guitar Hero...) o tener competidores.

    El juego es entretenido, divertido y te puede dar muchas horas, pero como he dicho anteriormente, veo que faltan ciertas cosas, cosas que se pueden perdonar a una compañía joven como Greenheart Games, que sin duda a comenzado con buen pie con Game Dev Tycoon.    … Expand
  79. Diegochocho
    Jul 3, 2018
    7
    Juego entretenido si soñaste con ser una empresa de videojuegos como Naughty Dogs.
  80. ReviewGene
    Oct 15, 2017
    6
    This game has it's moments of enjoyment for many hours, and holds up as an entertaining simulator. Gameplay, however, can get shallow after your first run through the game, and overall lacks important depth to have your company truly feel unique. Aside from adjusting sliders and strategic game design in the form of topic and genre matching, it does fall a little short of becoming a great,This game has it's moments of enjoyment for many hours, and holds up as an entertaining simulator. Gameplay, however, can get shallow after your first run through the game, and overall lacks important depth to have your company truly feel unique. Aside from adjusting sliders and strategic game design in the form of topic and genre matching, it does fall a little short of becoming a great, relaxing simulation game.… Expand
  81. Garybaldo
    Mar 4, 2020
    7
    Cool game with a cool idea behind it, the gameplay is entertaining but it's nothing bound to blow your mind.
  82. MrMuffin16
    May 17, 2018
    7
    This game is great. The negativity's are as follows: Don't get me wrong I don't hate it because i find it boring, and i don't even hate it at all! its just that this game seems, kind of...empty. It COULD include something like, cut scenes, more options than making games but instead adding more options to do things that influence your game outside of its main development. To be fair at theThis game is great. The negativity's are as follows: Don't get me wrong I don't hate it because i find it boring, and i don't even hate it at all! its just that this game seems, kind of...empty. It COULD include something like, cut scenes, more options than making games but instead adding more options to do things that influence your game outside of its main development. To be fair at the time i'm typing this, I have only upgraded to the office and then updated it and gone bankrupt. I would pick this game up and play it again, but it just doesn't hold too much excitement to me. I know i know, its not an action game. but to me it at least has to include several more game play mechanics for it to be considered a good game. but i still haven't played the whole thing so i'll give it a 7.… Expand
  83. IloveIndie
    Aug 14, 2018
    5
    Artılar
    +Mod desteği (4)
    +Puanlamalar bir çok (bu tür) oyundan daha başarılı (3)
    +Oyun birçok farklı dile çevrilmiş (2)
    Eksiler
    -Bir tycoon oyunu için yeterince derin değil (4)
    -Çok tekrar ediyor (3)
    -Oyunda bir çok konsol eksik (2)
    Puan: 5/10 Casual bir oyun geliştirme simülasyonu arıyorsanız, bu oyunu indirim döneminde alabilirsiniz.
    -IloveIndie
  84. Montezza
    Apr 5, 2019
    7
    Simple, but very good in it's simplicity. If you want to create your own GameDev studio, than this is the best place for you. Yeah, the game is very repetitive, but with mods from SteamWorkshop the game can provides you many hours of pleasent gameplay. For me is more like 7,5, but because of this repetitive without mods I rather give it 7 on Metacritic, than 8.
  85. glomman
    Oct 21, 2019
    7
    It's a fun game, but after 15-20 hours there isn't much new to be seen. The difficulty is basically 0 after you've completed the first stage as a lone text-adventure programmer. Other than that there isn't much to say, it's fun, it's cheap, and it's a good distraction from the existential dread that affects all of us.
  86. edxtan
    Jan 27, 2021
    5
    Game Dev Tycoon's use of history and realism rewards players that have knowledge of the games industry and educates those who don't, but the lack of depth in its mechanics prevents the game from capitalizing on it further.
  87. Bloodnes
    Sep 20, 2020
    6
    Игра довольна интересна, но в свою очередь надоедает быстро буквально пару часов и вы начнете играть во что-то другое, в целом как убивалка времени пойдет, не более. 6/10
  88. BenHood102503
    Nov 14, 2020
    6
    This game is a fun game you can just kinda sit back and chill out too, the only real complaint is the Music (Should've had that slider up) and that the game could be SOOOOOOOOO much deeper than it is. There is a ridiculous amount of potential here that isn't used (at least right now)
  89. Cyborg_TDRK
    Jan 14, 2021
    6
    Não é imersivo, é o que um simulador deveria ser e faz isso muito bem, mas a falta de imersão o transforma em repetitivo e maçante com o tempo
  90. MatsisInty
    Dec 25, 2020
    7
    o jogo é bom e o cenario simples é bem adequado.
    O sistema de criação de jogos é competentes e eu gostei das parodias
    dos nomes!

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
47
#47 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
  1. SpazioGames
    Sep 16, 2014
    65
    Taking into account the quite low price and the almost non-existent technical requirements, Game Dev Tycoon is a good and above all original game, albeit without great pretensions.
    Read full review
  2. GameCritics
    May 12, 2014
    30
    However, I don't really think Tycoon really wants to be more than ‘a glimpse' at video game production, and any attempt to comment on the industry from this dull, monotonous experience fails to hit its mark.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 24, 2013
    80
    What is it like to start with a few thousand dollars and end up in an office full of people producing multi-million gaming hits? This game lets you find out and makes it worth your while. [Nov 2013]
See all critic reviews »