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"Arcade Tycoon" is a simulation game where players can design, manage, and build their own arcade empire with pixelated isometric graphics. Choose from a variety of machines and decorations to keep guests happy and earn more income. Discover new games, tech, and staff through research and unlocking menus, and build arcades in various locations through 12 campaign levels and a sandbox mode. Inspired by popular sim games such as Two Point Hospital, Megaquarium, and Game Dev Tycoon. "

Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
Arcade Tycoon screenshot
+2

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 354 reviews
graphics29 positive mentions
story4 negative mentions

  • The game features a charming pixel art style and a nostalgic soundtrack that enhances the retro arcade experience.
  • The tutorial is helpful and introduces players to the mechanics of managing an arcade, making it accessible for newcomers.
  • The developers are responsive to feedback and actively working on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
  • The game currently lacks content, with many promised features and machines not yet implemented, making it feel incomplete.
  • There are bugs present, including issues with customer AI and the inability to save progress properly, which can disrupt gameplay.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, as there is limited variety in machines and customer interactions.
  • graphics
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic pixel art style that evokes the charm of classic arcade games, reminiscent of titles like RollerCoaster Tycoon and Theme Hospital. While many players appreciate the fun and colorful visuals, some have noted issues with graphical consistency and occasional bugs, such as disappearing props and repetitive designs. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's retro atmosphere, though there is room for improvement in diversity and detail.

    • “The visual style of Arcade Tycoon, with its pixel aesthetics, adds a nostalgic touch.”
    • “I love the pixel art style, the retro feel, and the chiptune music; the humor is fantastic!”
    • “Great new management sim with excellent isometric pixel art visuals and a new twist on the genre.”
    • “Expect semi-frequent crashes, disappearing props and decor items between saves, saves that become unplayable due to decor clipping, and graphical errors with currency pop-ups.”
    • “The graphics are very unappealing as well, but I would have overlooked that if the gameplay was good.”
    • “The graphics are lazy, because everything is copy & pasted and just multiple recolors of the same machine in every category.”
  • gameplay
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the arcade tycoon game is characterized by a steep learning curve and a mix of engaging mechanics and tedious elements, with players needing to invest time to master the game. While the nostalgic visuals and core gameplay loop are enjoyable, many users find the pacing slow and the tutorial lacking, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game shows potential with its fun mechanics and retro aesthetic, but it requires further refinement and additional features to enhance player engagement.

    • “With fun visuals, quirky staff, and strategic gameplay, it's a fresh and humorous take on the genre.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to pick up and hard to master.”
    • “The core gameplay of balancing your budget and power needs while trying to constantly expand the arcade is just the right level of challenging -- you can chill out and watch all the little people run around your arcade while you plan your next moves.”
    • “Overall, the gameplay is a huge letdown because the economy of the game is very unbalanced, the graphics are very unappealing as well, but I would have overlooked that if the gameplay was good.”
    • “Arcade Tycoon is simple to a fault, with no emergent gameplay or real freedom to be creative.”
    • “No events and nothing else to do makes sure that there's no real gameplay.”
  • music
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its catchy, retro chiptune style that complements the pixel art graphics and overall nostalgic atmosphere. While some noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive, it generally enhances the gameplay experience without becoming annoying. However, a few users pointed out issues with sound effects, describing them as dull or lacking realism.

    • “The music fits with the overall style of the game, and it doesn't become annoying even after long periods of play.”
    • “The pixel art style is very fitting for the game, and the soundtrack goes seamlessly with it.”
    • “The game has a great soundtrack that makes you want to play for a longer time.”
    • “The music is horrible and the sound effects from the arcade machines are too silent and not great or realistic either.”
    • “Completely unfinished game with repetitive and annoying sounds and music; objects constantly glitch out.”
    • “Audio: music and sound effects were currently bugged for me.”
  • story
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players finding the missions repetitive and uninspired. While there is a campaign mode, it offers little in terms of narrative progression or variety, leading to a sense of boredom as players progress. Reviewers express a desire for a more compelling storyline and diverse mission types to enhance the overall experience.

    • “Like other reviews have stated, a story or more progression other than the campaign would be more entertaining.”
    • “Some things I'd like to see are a storyline, addition of rhythm games, events/scenarios (kid's birthday party, work conflict, gaming tournaments), more decoration options, and expanded customer personalities/complaints.”
    • “Only negative is - after the first few campaign missions you'll see everything the game has to offer.”
    • “It would be nice if the devs added a story or something to hold on to, because after playing it for a while it gets repetitive.”
    • “Very simple game (too simple), no story to the game whatsoever!”
  • grinding
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overly complex, with a high learning curve that detracts from enjoyment. The repetitive tasks, such as managing arcade machines and staff bonuses, require excessive clicking and menu navigation, making the gameplay feel laborious rather than fun. While some appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic, many agree that the grind could be significantly reduced to enhance the overall experience.

    • “Learning curve is very high and the way to get good in the game is really tedious (since you need to actually learn the mechanics of the game).”
    • “To turn on your arcade machine it was a simple press, now you have to open up a menu, click the turn on switch, then you can't just turn on the other machine, you have to close the old menu, then click the new machine which felt very, very tedious.”
    • “But the amount of clicking for tedious tasks in this game is pretty high.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of quirky visuals, funny dialogues, and humorous challenges reminiscent of titles like "Two Point Hospital" and "Theme Hospital." While some players appreciate the comedic elements and random events, others feel that the humor is minimal and could be further developed. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted experience, though opinions on its comedic effectiveness vary.

    • “With fun visuals, quirky staff, and strategic gameplay, it's a fresh and humorous take on the genre.”
    • “With humorous challenges inspired by games like Two Point Hospital and Megaquarium, balance power management, staff antics, and diverse attractions to keep guests entertained.”
    • “Quirky graphics and hilarious characters add to the fun!”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without any stuttering or lag, and features impressive animations. While players appreciate the current performance, they look forward to future updates that may enhance gameplay elements and overall optimization.

    • “Well polished game; no stuttering or lag.”
    • “I like what I've seen so far; the game runs smoothly and the animation is fantastic. You get to see the players use the joystick and the buttons, etc.”
    • “Great game and runs smoothly; can't wait for future updates!”
    • “Just need time for the developer to add more items, tweak overall performance, and provide a clearer tutorial.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay. Many describe it as unfinished, indicating that it is still in early production and lacks polish, particularly in fundamental systems like the money mechanics.

    • “The game is unfinished and buggy in its current state.”
    • “Additionally, the game is buggy.”
    • “The little content present in the game now is highly buggy; basic things like the money system do not make sense.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere evokes nostalgic old-school vibes, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and retro-style graphics. However, the environment is criticized for feeling lifeless and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “The graphics are nice and really add to the retro charm and atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is also not good because every 'city' is dead and strangely designed.”
    • “The game really just gives those old school vibes with the soundtrack and the atmosphere of the game too.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy has drawn criticism for featuring significant content that is advertised but not accessible in the game, leading to concerns about transparency and value for players. While the pixel art and retro ads are appreciated, the heavy restrictions on content have raised red flags among users.

    • “I am not going to bash the devs for what is not in the game, after only a couple of hours of playtime, but what they are advertising on their store page is not in the game.”
    • “It's all blocked off and for advertising, 90 percent down is a red flag.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers decent replayability with sandbox modes and numerous elements to uncover, making it a good value for its price. However, some users feel it falls short of the essential replayability expected from a tycoon game.

    • “I will now be working on sandbox modes, and there's plenty of replay value for a cheap $10.”
    • “There's lots to uncover, which gives this game good replay value.”
    • “This game truly excels in replayability, which is essential for a tycoon game.”
    • “But this fails to live up to the most essential part of a tycoon game - it has to be replayable.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers suggest that the game would improve its character development by incorporating a wider variety of character designs, which would enhance visual diversity and reduce repetitiveness.

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The backstories and personal growth of each character are well-crafted, adding layers of complexity to the overall narrative.”
    • “The game could benefit from introducing more diverse character designs to prevent repetition and add more visual richness.”
    • “Character progression feels stagnant, with little to no meaningful choices that impact the story or gameplay.”
    • “The lack of depth in character backstories makes it hard to connect with them on an emotional level.”

Buy Arcade Tycoon

11h Median play time
8h Average play time
3-13h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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