Game Dev Tycoon

Game Dev Tycoon is an addictive and charming simulation game that lets you build your own game development company from the ground up. From the humble beginnings of developing simple text-based games in your garage to creating AAA blockbusters, the journey is both fun and rewarding.

The game's mechanics are straightforward yet deep. You balance factors like game design, budget, and market trends, making each decision feel meaningful. As your company grows, you're constantly adjusting your strategies, hiring staff, and researching new technologies to stay ahead of the competition. The satisfaction of creating a hit game and seeing your profits rise is incredibly fulfilling!

The retro aesthetic is a nice touch, and the game offers a great sense of nostalgia for fans of the gaming industry’s history. I also love how the game encourages you to think about different genres, platforms, and target audiences to create the most successful games.

While there is a lot of micromanagement, it never feels overwhelming. The pacing is spot-on, and the challenges keep you engaged without being too punishing. Plus, the random events and game reviews add an exciting layer of unpredictability.

Overall, Game Dev Tycoon is an incredibly polished and fun game that captures the essence of building a game company. If you’re a fan of simulations or just enjoy the idea of creating virtual games, this is an experience you shouldn’t miss. Highly recommended!

I’ve played this game way more than I would have expected. A surprising little hit. The takes on the game dev industry implicit in the successes and failures of game creation options are kinda wonky and certainly debatable, but ultimately it doesn’t end up mattering.

I’d love to see the devs create a next version of this. It’s a simple, fun idea and an easy way to pass the time.

With most games inspired by a single Dev team you always know a lot of passion will go into the game, this game most certainly showed passion. The game has a lot of detail in terms of how you make money, train your staff, run a business but also how to feel rewarded. As it's made aware this game is still very early in the making... right now it's very short, there's limited customisation.. you literally just create game after game, unlock new traits & watch your company grow.

Really hoping that in the future they add customisation, maybe even the opportunity to watch your employees walk around the place, go for staff breaks, see them train in training rooms or even to give you customisation to your office as this is one thing in particular the game lacked.

However, as this is an early game & showing a lot of detail... I'd definitely recommend this game to anyone who loves a good tycoon game. These guys can only get better with your support.

One thing I would just like to add, the sounds of increasing your design, technology & research in this game tickled my ear buds like a warm hug in a mug, pure blissfulness.

Don't like how when you ALT + Tab in this game to go to other applications (e.g. spotify, youtube, discord) that you have, it duplicates the game every 1/5th of pressing it, It really annoys me and i have to scroll a lot to my application.

Other than that, a good strategic game, but needs more work on.

A bit too easy, but really enjoyable game

Excellent sim, lots of fun. Gratifying.

Fun idea, but the gameplay gets repeated over and over again. It's enjoyable for a while, but you get tired of it soon. might be cool for people who have actually interest in that kind of stuff.

If you like games that is all about building a company and grinding for experience, then this game is for you. Very nice game, also to this date. Just bought it a few days ago and I LOVE IT.

This is THE game about making games. Since Game Dev Tycoon has released it has become a sizable niche, and nearly every other game about making games is a cheap clone of Game Dev Tycoon. If you want to play a game about making games, this is the only one you need.

good creative game and goes through the history of gaming, very well priced & well recommend!

Game Dev Tycoon: A Pixelated Dream Come True!

I've always dreamed of creating my own video games, and Game Dev Tycoon let me live that dream, albeit in pixelated form! From coding my first game to marketing it to the masses, this game is a rollercoaster of excitement and frustration. It's like a real-life game development studio, but without the crippling debt and caffeine addiction.

The pixel art style is charming, the gameplay is addictive, and the satisfaction of seeing your game top the charts is unparalleled. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a game developer, this is the perfect game to scratch that itch. Just don't blame me if you end up spending countless hours coding and debugging!

A fairly simple game but requires strategy to be able to solve random things that can happen, so far it's quite fun to play as a game while working. Very light on hardware, so when waiting for work progress you can play this game. Maybe an update can be added for the latest hardware (if possible). Overall a recommended game

A fun game that becomes increasingly more complex as you scale up and research new things.

You're essentially running a gaming startup at first and you experiment with different combinations to try to put out a successful video game that customers will like.

Good game, Fun to play. How ever a bit too short. Took 33 hours to get the hardest Unobtainium achievement. Apart that its less than 15-20 hour of game play. It fun way to skip couple of rainy days.

At first I tried to be artistic and create new experiences, but that didn't sell, so I learned how to make RPGs, created couple of franchises and milked them dry. Ended the game with 500mil in the bank. Gaming industry is such a gaming industry

love this game! its been around a while but its great! make your game and then sell it for a massive pile of Cash.

Surprisingly fun. I had a bit of a difficult time understanding how to make a game at first and ended up getting a game over, but now I have a cheat sheet to help me

Very cool game, A bit small but it has mod support 9/10

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☑ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☑ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ All

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☑ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of it
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☑ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10

I can’t stop playing—this game is incredibly addictive! I highly recommend it to everyone, especially developers and IT students

This game made me forget time is real. This is super fun lol and just enough for me to not feel bogged down by what i'm trying to keep track of maintaining. would recommend.

Despite looking like a mobile game port, Game Dev Tycoon is a fairly good management game. There are lots of genre combinations to test out, console licenses to purchase, and research to fund.

Game Dev Tyccon is quite simply a great game, and if you want more of this kind of experience, then check out, City Game Studio. Both games are worth it, and you won't regret your purchase!

Honestly, I bought this game because it was on sale for $2.50, and oh my god. I have been absolutely hooked. I find it easy to learn, and hard to master. It feels like a nice rogue like sim, and it's insanely enjoyable. 11 years later, and it really holds up. It's worth it at full price, which isn't a lot, and really worth it on sale.

Quite fun simulator of Game Development world, from its very inception. Once you reach a breaking point, and manage to overcome, it becomes much more easier but also more fun, exploring all the different options, researching endless stuff and seeing how you fare overall.

Quite a chill experience, would recommend :)

Reviews for Game Dev Tycoon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
10***** truely great ...Star Games
10***** Best of its kind. ... Informed Gamer
10***** They achieved a great balance between technology and design. ... Game Hero
10***** A masterpiece Games. ... All
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I bought it when on sale and played for 7 hours straight its well made and is worth all the time

I bought this game to support the developers and was pleasantly surprised. The game play loop is simple, yet fun. Naming your games/projects in quirky was along with designing proprietary game engines is fun. You are always trying to mix/match genres and features to please the fans, release the next hit game, and avoid bankruptcy. If you are into management/tycoon type games, give this one a try.

very addicting! also really short but after beating it you can continue the save file

It's a very interesting game, but not my type.

I also can't understand some aspects of it.

Although on sale I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the genre.

Loses its charm after a while. Quite boring to play.

It’s fun for about… 5 hours then it gets extremely boring, tedious, and repetitive.

I’ve played a couple runs across multiple years coming back to the game but recently I tried really diving deep into the game mechanics to see how I can increase revenue and get better game scores more reliable.

Answer: basically random

The scoring system makes no sense and it feels the game design process just requires you to choose the correct sliders instead of really trying to make something of your own.

The idea of creating games in a simulation sounds really fun but in practice everything just feels the same.

On sale you can pick it up for dirt cheap so you can have your fun for a little bit but don’t expect any interesting gameplay after a while and you’ll randomly start going bankrupt cause the game decided to give you low review scores because it feels like it.

I just bought the game the amount of hours ago that it says that I bought it, in other words I haven't been able to stop playing it since I bought it. Needless to say, I love it! The game feels fantastic and the progression is wonderful, and it didn't hurt at all that I was able to pick it up at such a low price.

I do have a few nitpicks though, that I'll mention:

I feel like a few features would really make this game better, such as:
-The ability to develop multiple games at a time
-The ability to manage individual developers time on any given project
-The ability to set the amount of time dedicated for each phase in the development process, allowing us to take more time paying more rent and other expenses in exchange for getting more points for the game prior to release
-Games shouldn't be delisted, at least not after you reach the point in the timeline where games are available digitally. Even though the sales are way way lower, I feel like it would be much more satisfying to continue to see the sales of previous games
-Games should be able to be updated, add DLC, etc
-Statistics should exist in a bigger way in the game. As of now it's a pain to see what choices you made when developing a previous game, or how well it did in sales, what trends were at that time, what consoles were out, etc. I'd love to see all the statistics of my previous game while working on the sequel, for example.
-6 people being the max your team gets seems extremely small

I know it's a small game so maybe it's hoping for too much, regardless the game has been a ton of fun so far and I'm excited to see the end game.

Fun and easy to play game without too many options. Many things are unclear ingame (Why specialize? What do these stats mean?) that you have to read up somewhere else if you wanna dive in deeper.

Game Dev Tycoon is a little addictive Gem, simple, and engaging. It's nice to relive the gamin history as you play.
It's a shame there's no mention of the Red Ring of Death. (I can't get over that one.)

Recommended.

Its fun, i like reliving the old consoles and titling my games after real life ones. Pokemon 5 kinda bombed in my world :( But 1-4 were bangers :D

It starts off simple enough and gains enough complexity to keep you engaged. You can see the short comings and lack of in-depth detail for your decision making. Overall a recommend

Rating: ★★★★★

Game Dev Tycoon offers a captivating glimpse into the world of game development, perfectly balancing creativity and business strategy. Starting in the 1980s with a humble garage setup, players navigate through decades of industry evolution, making critical decisions on game genres, platforms, and marketing strategies. The depth of the game shines through its detailed research and development tree, allowing for strategic planning and technological advancements that enhance your studio’s capabilities.

The dynamic in-game market and shifting trends require you to stay adaptable, whether tapping into mobile gaming or exploring new technologies like virtual reality. Managing and training a talented team adds another layer of realism, providing insights into effective team management and fostering a creative work environment. With charming retro visuals, a soothing soundtrack, and high replayability through multiple success paths, Game Dev Tycoon stands out as a top-tier simulation game. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a gaming enthusiast, this game is a must-play for its thoughtful and enjoyable gameplay.

Highly recommended!

Super fun game that you can just sit back and disassociate while you play

Fun to try and release bad ideas with good tech to see how well it can do.

The game is fun but a bit frustrating, especially in the beginning. There’s very little you can do to make a “stellar” start and get on your feet, which might be the point, but going bankrupt before you can really build up feels a bit extreme. Losing $8,000 a month just to develop games also feels harsh and makes it tough to get any momentum going early on. I mean what could you possibly be blowing at that rate? you're the only employee even in our current economy 8k a month is insane. either way its fun i picked this up on sale and its worth the money.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☑ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☑ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☑ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☑ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

The replay value is very high on Game Dev Tycoon. And with all of the tycoon games being so popular, this one definitely hits it's mark. Every gamer dreams of developing their own games, growing a huge fan base, and building a software empire. This game allows that.

Not a new game by any standards .. £2 well spent. Great gameloop that makes this replayable a.f - It's distracting me from actually programming my Game LMAO! With the Modding community the Game is defo worth a look!

I remember playing similar game from Kairosoft, and unlike in this one, you could see actual developers walk around the office, having good and bad moods, there were silly little minigames that could influence the develipment process, there were animated events like expos and cons, and overall, the game was much more lively and enjoyable. This feels like playing a spreadsheet.

Amazing game for chilling time or if you need to play some games after a long day working

I created Game Dev Tycoon within the game and hit all time high sales and received a 10/10 across the board.

It's an ok game doesn't go deep just scratch the surface of games development industry but still fun go through gaming history

lot's of fun, plenty of replayability when you get creative with concepts and ideas.
good game yes yes.

Love this game, for anyone into Sim based games with a interest in gaming history this this is for you. have put 400 hours plus.

I love tycoon games, and this is the cream of the crop. Still have heaps of fun even to this day. Thank you videogamedunkey for showing me this game all those years ago