Another Brick in The Mall
- April 29, 2020
- The Quadsphere
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Another Brick in the Mall" is a shopping center simulation game that allows players to design, build, and manage their own mall. Players must arrange the layout of the mall, hire staff with suitable skills, and ensure customer satisfaction. The game features detailed simulations of thousands of characters and vehicles for an immersive experience. Players can sell staple goods while also enticing customers with impulse purchases to maximize profits.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and addictive gameplay that allows players to build and manage their own shopping mall.
- Charming graphics and a whimsical art style that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Regular updates from the developers, showing commitment to improving the game and adding new content.
- Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited depth and few long-term goals.
- Numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt the gaming experience, including issues with staff behavior and pathfinding.
- Lack of variety in store types and products, making it difficult to create a unique and diverse mall.
- gameplay141 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as addictive and engaging, particularly in the early stages, where players enjoy building and managing their stores while interacting with customers. However, many reviewers note that the gameplay becomes repetitive and lacks depth as players progress, with limited content and mechanics leading to a loss of interest over time. While the core mechanics are functional and provide a solid foundation, there is a consensus that the game needs more complexity, content, and updates to enhance the overall experience.
“The gameplay is quite addictive as little customers buzz around, picking up items and reacting to their surroundings.”
“Engaging early gameplay: initially, the game presents players with tasks like laying down foundations, filling rooms with necessary items, hiring employees with different characteristics, and watching the customers interact with the setup.”
“The gameplay is simple but has that perfect 'one more turn' kind of addiction that you can really get lost in.”
“The amount of content and thoughtfulness put into this game's mechanics is lackluster.”
“Repetitiveness: after a certain point, the gameplay becomes repetitive as the objective turns towards merely increasing profits or fiddling with efficiency.”
“The gameplay is boring; after you build all the structures you can, you don't want to 'start a new game' because you have nothing to 'fight' for.”
- graphics71 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a nostalgic pixel art style that complements its whimsical nature, drawing comparisons to titles like "Prison Architect." While some players find the visuals basic and occasionally buggy, many appreciate the cute and colorful design, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are deemed enjoyable and fitting for the game's management mechanics, despite some calls for more aesthetic options.
“Graphically, the game’s pixel art is nostalgically quirky, perfectly matching its whimsical nature.”
“The art style is amazing and the level of detail is great.”
“The graphics are pleasant for the eyes, the controls and the general gameplay are easy to understand.”
“The bad: graphics and engine look way too similar to Prison Architect to ignore.”
“I mean... graphics are basic, and I mean really basic.”
“From the cutesy-cartoony graphics in the screenshots, this game may deceive you - coming across as simple or shallow on first look.”
- music25 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting the absence of a soundtrack, which leads to a dull atmosphere. While some appreciate the ability to focus on gameplay without music, others express a desire for soft instrumental or ambient tracks to enhance the experience. Overall, the lack of music and variety in sound effects has been a common criticism, suggesting that improvements in this area could significantly elevate the game's appeal.
“The music is fitting & decent.”
“I've always liked these types of management games, and was a bit wary of this one just seeing the pictures but the video that is connected to the Steam page sold me (awesome choice of music for the trailer).”
“For this game being in early release it is very good, yes it doesn't have music yet and it's missing some crucial sound effects, and it has a few frustrating features that take a bit to get used to (one being the lack of being able to rotate objects), but once you put on some AC/DC or some other music you may like in the background and give it some time you will begin to get hooked on the game, and you may find yourself filling the giant map that you start with.”
“Wheres the stereotypical mall music with 'attention shoppers' announcement?”
“No music provides a boring and stale atmosphere.”
“I couldn't get over the lack of in-game sounds or soundtrack.”
- story24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth, with many users noting it offers a sandbox experience without a compelling narrative or mission-based elements. Players express a desire for more engaging storylines, varied shop types, and challenges to enhance gameplay, as the current setup feels monotonous and unstructured. Overall, the absence of a meaningful story detracts from the potential enjoyment of the game.
“I always looked forward to continuing my quest to make a big and profitable shopping mall every day, and wasn't bored.”
“I can't wait to see what they add next; I am hoping for missions or scenarios.”
“Add a mission-based storyline too rather than keeping it just sandboxed all the way.”
“☑ worst story ever”
“It just doesn't have the same story-generating power as some of the top management sim games.”
“There is no story (not needed), just sandbox mode; you start with a brief tutorial explaining the basics, and from then on you're on your own.”
- stability22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- -9 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and game-breaking issues that hinder the overall experience. While some players found it playable and enjoyable despite these problems, the consensus is that the game requires substantial fixes to improve its stability and functionality before it can be recommended. Overall, the game is described as "buggy but playable," with potential for improvement in future updates.
“The graphics work well for the type of game, and it has plenty of room to build.”
“There's a wide variety of store types available, which adds to the gameplay experience.”
“The game is pretty bug-free and plays well overall.”
“This game is too buggy for me to recommend at this moment. I haven't played for long, but I've already experienced a couple of small bugs and one game-breaking bug.”
“I have tried for so long to play this game and not get mad at the huge masses of glitches, but I cannot stand it anymore.”
“This game is fun but isn't worth the waste of time and extreme sense of regret when the game crashes non-stop and randomly glitches.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and well-integrated, enhancing the overall experience with its cartoonish graphics and amusing character designs. Players appreciate the lighthearted approach, noting that the game often leads to funny situations, particularly through management mishaps and whimsical decorations. While some players desire more depth in the humor, the general consensus is that the game successfully delivers a fun and entertaining atmosphere.
“For me it's great because your main worry is money (at least in the beginning) and not a lot of disasters or negative events like in other similar games, it's relaxing and somewhat funny.”
“Quirky, funny, well fleshed out and well worth the price point.”
“Very well made simulator, the cartoony graphics make it feel funny.”
- replayability17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and limited gameplay options that diminish the incentive for multiple playthroughs. While some players find hidden depths upon repeated playthroughs and see potential for improvement through modding, the current state of the game leaves much to be desired in terms of replay value. Many suggest waiting for future updates or expansions to enhance the experience.
“8/10 - overall, great startup for beginners and good replay value to some extent.”
“However, repeated playthroughs expose hidden depths, with much more replayability than meets the eye.”
“This game has great potential and could have some great replay value.”
“There's really not a whole lot of replayability since there's not a lot of different ways you can approach the game, and mods can only do so much to save you from the doldrums of post-enlightenment since the modding API is rather limited in what it can actually do.”
“The ugly: replayability is nonexistent.”
“If you are looking for something to pass some time, sure, you could pick this up, but replayability is low; there is no real depth to the game, and some of the mechanics are tedious.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance with high frame rates and minimal bugs, others note that it is poorly optimized and requires further improvements, especially given its early access status. Despite these concerns, many users find the performance to be better than average for similar titles, suggesting that with additional updates, it could reach its full potential.
“FPS never became an issue for me, the game seems well optimized.”
“I should also say performance is stronger than most games of this type.”
“As far as I can tell, the game does not have any major performance issues.”
“First of all, it is poorly optimized.”
“I think if they add more and fix the performance, then I would update my review; until then, there are better sim builders out there.”
“I understand that this game is in early access; yes, early access games lack content, optimization, and bug fixing.”
- grinding13 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it comes to tasks like placing furniture and managing multiple stores. The repetitive nature of micromanagement and the lack of depth contribute to a sense of aimlessness, making the experience feel more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay. Overall, while some players may persist for achievements, many express frustration with the grindy mechanics and the game's pacing.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I persisted through it for all the achievements, but found the game to be oh so tedious and boring.”
“If you are looking for something to pass some time, sure, you could pick this up, but replayability is low, there is no real depth to the game and some of the mechanics are tedious as hell.”
“The micromanagement can quickly become tedious if you look to build on a large scale or have lots of stores running.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is generally perceived as basic and lacking depth, with some users noting that the absence of music contributes to a boring and stale environment. Additionally, there is a suggestion that customer interactions could be enhanced by developing the atmosphere further to influence spending behavior.
“The feel and atmosphere are pretty basic.”
“The lack of music creates a boring and stale atmosphere.”
“Atmosphere development should include customer reactions based on how they spend money.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that implementing an advertising option could enhance customer acquisition and boost profits, even if only temporarily.
