Game Dev Tycoon

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1191 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 835 out of 1191
  2. Mixed: 278 out of 1191
  3. Negative: 78 out of 1191

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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
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Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
46
#46 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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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.
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  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.
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  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]
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