Big Ambitions

About

Big Ambitions is a single player strategy game with a business theme. It was developed by Hovgaard Games and was released on March 10, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

In "Big Ambitions," players start with limited funds and an entry-level job, aiming to achieve success and control New York City through various business ventures. The game offers a vast sandbox experience, allowing players to build and grow multiple businesses, invest in real estate, and manage their personal well-being. The journey from humble beginnings to tycoon status is filled with opportunities for failure and rebuilding, providing a unique and engaging business simulation experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 7,690 reviews

gameplay220 positive mentions

grinding212 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that allows players to build and manage their own business empire in a vibrant open world.
The game features a variety of businesses to run, each with unique challenges and opportunities for customization.
Active developer support with regular updates and community engagement, showing commitment to improving the game.

The game can become repetitive and tedious, especially in the mid to late game as players manage multiple businesses.
Driving mechanics are clunky and can lead to frustration, with issues like difficult parking and erratic AI traffic.
Some gameplay elements, such as employee management and character needs, feel underdeveloped and can detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
750 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
The gameplay of "Big Ambitions" is characterized by a blend of business simulation and life simulation elements, offering players a satisfying and addictive core loop of managing and expanding their businesses. While the game features engaging mechanics and a variety of business options, some players find the early game tedious and repetitive, with a need for more depth and variety in gameplay as they progress. Overall, the game shows significant potential for growth and improvement, especially with ongoing updates and community feedback.
- “Big Ambitions is amazing; the gameplay loop is simple, satisfying, and gets increasingly complex as you earn more money.”
- “The gameplay in Big Ambitions strikes a decent balance between accessibility and depth, making it engaging and rewarding.”
- “The combination of open-endedness and deep gameplay mechanics offers a sense of satisfaction when your grand plans unfold to reap a profit.”
- “The early game is unbelievably tedious and boring the second/third time; I shouldn't have to restart (would require hours of boring setup) to disable a game-breaking mechanic.”
- “Decent concept of starting your own business and 'working up the ladder', but by the 30-minute mark I felt like I had already experienced all this game had to offer with its gameplay loop: roam from point A to B and stocking up on items to build up your business.”
- “There is tons of opportunity to improve this; many on the forums have made excellent observations on what could be done to make each type of retail business you operate unique from any of the others, but the gameplay loop is go to a wholesaler, buy products, rent a space, and then just stock the shelves/grills/displays with the product appropriate for that type of industry with the same mechanics for all industries.”
story
292 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
82%
6%
The game's story mode serves primarily as a tutorial, guiding players through the basics of business management while offering a simple narrative about starting from scratch after a family loss. While some players appreciate the engaging storyline and the freedom to deviate from tasks, others find the progression tedious, particularly with missions requiring the management of numerous businesses. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoying its structure and others criticizing its lack of depth and repetitive nature.
- “Big Ambitions does a solid job in terms of storytelling, providing a very interesting narrative that keeps you involved in your business empire journey.”
- “The story line and format to start from scratch to build an empire of modern business is very well put together and thought out to introduce someone to the game, but also allowing almost total freedom of gameplay.”
- “With its beautiful graphics, engaging storyline, and focus on personal growth and development, 'Big Ambitions' is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end.”
- “Game is great until you get to the giant gaping hole in progression/story and you get smacked with 'make 80 businesses and live to be 100' which is just 'time to tank the game and mass purchase shell companies'.”
- “After playing through most of the story, the storyline appears to be rigged to test the game; i.e. you end up getting a mission to own and operate 80 different businesses... and what is it all for?”
- “The tutorial, called 'story mode,' takes dozens of hours and offers little freedom.”
grinding
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
15%
84%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early and mid-game stages, where players often find themselves performing the same tasks over and over to build their business empire. While some enjoy the depth and simulation elements, many reviewers express a desire for more automation options to alleviate the monotony of managing multiple businesses and employees. Overall, the game requires significant grinding, which may appeal to fans of life simulation games but can become a chore for others.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Not the tedious loop of running in and out with your hand truck to physically set the stuff up over and over again.”
- “The game really needs a way to automate or, at least, speed up the process of furnishing stores and hiring people, because until then this isn't really a business sim, it's an interior decorating sim and most of your time will not be spent making a fortune, but instead running back and forth to the IKEA and decorating buildings utilizing the most tedious tools possible.”
- “After acquiring so many properties and businesses, it starts to get tedious and boring but many of the achievements and later objectives are still quite far off.”
- “When you reach a point where you can open up numerous businesses it becomes so tedious driving to one store grabbing 4 items loading it up over and over again, drive across the map and then unloading it over and over again per new business.”
graphics
236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the thoughtful design and immersive environments, while others criticize the visuals as unpolished, repetitive, or lacking in detail. Many users note that while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are adequate for the gameplay experience, and some even find them charming in a retro sense. Overall, there is a consensus that improvements could be made, particularly in terms of performance and visual polish, but the game's engaging mechanics often compensate for its graphical shortcomings.
- “The graphics are great, and I can tell they took a lot of time in the development.”
- “The game has some really beautiful environments, and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
- “As soon as I started playing 'Big Ambitions,' I was immediately drawn in by the stunning graphics and engaging storyline.”
- “Graphics are dry and repetitive.”
- “The options to create an avatar were very dated and limited, and the graphics looked awful in the menus.”
- “The copy and paste exact same 5/6 businesses everywhere around you with the exact same simple graphics really killed it for me.”
music
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the upbeat and energizing soundtrack, which features a variety of genres, including pop, rap, and some country and rock influences. However, several users have noted the repetitiveness of the limited song selection, expressing a desire for more variety and the ability to customize playlists, especially on certain platforms like Mac. Overall, while the music enhances the gameplay experience for some, others find it becomes monotonous over time.
- “The soundtrack is also amazing, I usually listen to my own music and mute the games I'm playing, but this one has such bangers I find myself singing along while I build my empire!”
- “The game's soundtrack is also worth noting - it's upbeat and energizing, which really helps to set the tone for the game.”
- “I am completely blown away.... this game has everything and the soundtrack is fire.”
- “It's incredibly repetitive and just plays the same songs over and over and over.”
- “For now I've turned the music off since it seems like it's less than 10 songs on loop.”
- “The biggest negative is the music.”
stability
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
82%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players experiencing frequent crashes and freezes, particularly during specific interactions like entering buildings or accessing menus. While some users report minor glitches that do not significantly impact gameplay, others express frustration over persistent issues that disrupt their experience. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization to enhance stability, especially given its early access status.
- “For early access, this game runs great and has plenty of content available.”
- “Game is pretty much bug free (I haven't seen any bugs yet).”
- “Ba has a great foundation and, performance-wise, runs great at 4K max settings.”
- “But after the update, it crashes at the menu and freezes my PC.”
- “Is not bad but a majority of the time I spent playing this game was me starting it back up because all this game does on my system is just crash randomly. Most of the time it is when the dialog pops up telling me how good I've been doing with my job sites, and also going into shops/stores. Pretty much anything that I can enter in a building besides somehow my own apartment just crashes, freezes, and stops working in general. I have an RTX 4080, with an Intel Core 13th Gen i9 processor with 32GB of RAM and about 6TB of storage.”
- “Game freezes constantly.”
optimization
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
55%
10%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed, with some players experiencing smooth performance and minimal bugs, while others report significant issues, particularly on high-end graphics cards and MacOS systems. Many users note that the game is still in early access, which may account for its performance inconsistencies, and some express hope for future improvements. While some players find it runs well even on older hardware, others struggle with sluggishness and the need to lower graphics settings for a better experience.
- “Excellent simulation game with smooth performance and no bugs encountered so far.”
- “As far as optimization goes, it is pretty solid and the loading times are extremely fast which is very nice to see.”
- “Big Ambitions is one of those very few early access games that are offering lots of content, no performance issues at all and contain almost no bugs directly after release.”
- “Although the game is in 0.5 EA, I somewhat expected it to be more optimized for macOS machines.”
- “There are also other issues, with the game performing absolutely terrible on a 4070 Ti while looking like a 4-year-old mobile game, but it's early access so I won't dock points for that, especially since I primarily played this using Proton (but Windows performance was not much better).”
- “This game has flaws, a lot of flaws, it is so repetitive, it looks ugly, it has optimization problems and so on ...”
replayability
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its variety of businesses, dynamic economy, and extensive customization options, with many players noting the potential for endless gameplay experiences. While some reviewers mention that replay value may diminish after mastering the game, the early access status suggests ongoing content updates that could enhance replayability further. The inclusion of community-driven features and random events is also seen as a way to increase variability and keep the gameplay fresh.
- “Its variety of businesses, dynamic economy, and high level of customization provide a rich gameplay experience with plenty of replay value.”
- “There's a ton of depth and a lot of stuff to do, and the replayability is nearly endless as the map is a bit different every time you start a new game.”
- “The gameplay is incredible; the replayability is endless, and the amount of objects to place in your stores and offices is unbelievable.”
- “Basically what I'm saying is it needs to be possible to fail and there needs to be a level of difficulty in starting a business; otherwise, the game will always just be a 150-hour game rather than an 'infinite' replayable game.”
- “The gameplay is tedious after you master it, and it doesn't have any 'triggers' for replayability.”
- “Just don't expect (at the moment) the type of replayability or infinite growth possible with a game like Factorio.”
humor
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in the absurdity of managing businesses and the comedic elements of gameplay, such as the amusing driving mechanics and quirky in-game names. Many users suggest that adding more humorous or criminal elements could enhance the experience, making it feel less monotonous. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor that keeps players engaged and entertained.
- “It adds just that extra bit of humor when you're trying to race to buy some furniture before a store closes.”
- “Not to mention the driving is hilarious; it is way too fun to drive like a maniac, dodging the oncoming traffic to get around slow drivers... my burger restaurant needs more burgers right now!”
- “It would be hilarious to have a large commercial space filled up like an Amazon data center.”
monetization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, which players see as a significant positive in today's gaming landscape. Reviewers appreciate the depth and passion behind the game's design, viewing it as a genuine project rather than a cash grab. However, there are concerns about potential future monetization practices, with players urging the developers to maintain their integrity and avoid exploitative strategies.
- “While not without flaws, the game is satisfying, with no microtransactions, which is always a big win in today's gaming market.”
- “Whatever you do, Hovgaard Games, don't turn into the studios that ruin what we love for the sake of cash grabbing.”
- “I opened them in districts with high demands for their items, diversified the available items they sold, rented shops with high foot traffic, maxed out advertisement, decorated the store, trained workers, etc. Nothing worked.”
- “At first, I thought that this was a scam like Mafia City ads (too good on video to be true, turns out to be garbage), but then I saw that these are the same guys who made Startup Company, which was a legit great game, so I purchased Big Ambitions and was never disappointed.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
12%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its lively and immersive city simulation, particularly in capturing the essence of a bustling Manhattan. While many players appreciate the smooth gameplay and fantastic soundtrack that enhance the experience, some feel that the atmosphere could benefit from further refinement to fully engage players. Overall, it offers a captivating environment with plenty to explore and enjoy.
- “When it comes to simulating the atmosphere of a busy city, this is on point.”
- “The atmosphere in the city is lively and there is a lot to discover.”
- “The soundtrack is also fantastic, providing a calming and atmospheric backdrop to the gameplay.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of frustration and emotional investment in the game, particularly regarding the challenges of balancing family and business management. The repetitive nature of gameplay can lead to feelings of heartbreak and dissatisfaction, while the potential for deeper emotional engagement through complex decision-making is noted as a positive aspect. Overall, the emotional experience is characterized by both wholesome moments and poignant struggles.
- “It's heart breaking... this pisses me off...”
- “Managing a family alongside a business could offer fresh challenges and decisions, adding a new layer of complexity and emotional investment for players.”
- “Wholesome playing.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
"Big Ambitions" offers a robust character development system that allows players to manage their character's personal life alongside business operations, focusing on aspects like health, sleep, and finances. Players express a desire for future updates to enhance customization options, which they believe would enrich the endgame experience.
- “Big Ambitions introduces character development, allowing players to manage not only their business but also their character's personal life, including health, sleep, and finances.”