Blooming Business: Casino
- May 23, 2023
- Homo Ludens
Get on Steam"Blooming Business: Casino" is a relaxed sim-management game where you build, design, and manage a retro casino in the districts of Las Venas. With two modes, Story and Sandbox, players can complete quests, satisfy the needs of clients and VIPs, and hire staff to create a thriving casino empire, all while enjoying the company of cute animals. The game is inspired by the rise of Las Vegas in the 1950s and offers multi-floored casino building for maximum profitability.
Reviews
- The game is very relaxing and fun, with a charming art style and engaging story.
- It offers a casual experience, making it suitable for players who enjoy light management without high difficulty.
- The quirky characters and humor add a delightful touch, making the gameplay enjoyable and entertaining.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs that can disrupt gameplay and prevent story progression.
- Many players find the gameplay too easy and repetitive, lacking depth and challenge in the management aspects.
- The lack of clear objectives and intuitive mechanics can lead to confusion and frustration during play.
- story42 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its quirky characters and engaging narrative, providing a fun backdrop for gameplay. However, several players have reported game-breaking bugs that hinder story progression, leading to frustration and a lack of recommendation for the game. While the story mode is enjoyable and focuses more on storytelling than traditional tycoon mechanics, some players feel it lacks depth and challenge, making it more akin to a casual simulation experience.
“The story and writing (what I could experience) are fun, and the art direction and setting are really solid.”
“Quirky characters and a nice story really helped the game come together.”
“The combination of the engaging story mode and the freedom of the sandbox mode kept me entertained for hours.”
“After about 3 hours in, I hit a game-breaking bug that prevents story progression.”
“Given that it literally prevents story progression, and the bug occurs just at the refund window for gameplay time, I can't conscientiously recommend this game.”
“For the most part, the game plays itself and the story became a repetitive grind of 'meet the minimum requirements and wait'.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players enjoying the simple mechanics and engaging casino elements, while others criticize the core gameplay for being too easy and repetitive. Major bugs have also been reported, significantly hindering progression and enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a casual experience that may appeal to newcomers but lacks depth for more experienced players.
“A few of the quests can be a bit tricky, but besides that the mechanics are easy to navigate.”
“Cute graphics, simple mechanics, well balanced and gripping gameplay loop... I'll be back for more soon, for sure.”
“The use of story quests is a nice way to get into the mechanics at a comfortable speed while including some world building.”
“Finally, there are many major bugs that make gameplay almost impossible.”
“Unfortunately, that's about all it had going for it as the core mechanics are far too easy and snooze-worthy for anyone with even an inkling of experience with the genre.”
“The main issues lay with the core gameplay.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their immaculate and cutesy art style, which is described as clean, stylized, and likely to age well. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and engaging aesthetics, which complement the gameplay and narrative. However, some users noted performance issues, particularly with the campaign navigation screen, which can be demanding on hardware.
“The vibes are immaculate, 10/10 visuals, 10/10 music, quality of life/accessibility is great, and the story (though very PG and lacking the kind of Scorsese crime grit you might expect) is enough to keep me engaged.”
“Genuinely, the art style is lovely and will age far better than others.”
“The art style is amazing, the characters seem thought out, and it's overall addicting.”
“The campaign navigation screen maxes out my graphics card and my fans go on full speed... like the navigation screen, not the game or gameplay.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its pleasant and immersive qualities, with a soundtrack that complements the visuals and gameplay effectively. Reviewers highlight its soft, cutesy style that enhances the overall experience, although some feel it could benefit from additional quality-of-life improvements. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, making it enjoyable for both short and long play sessions.
“The vibes are immaculate, 10/10 visuals, 10/10 music, quality of life and accessibility are great, and the story, though very PG and lacking the kind of Scorsese crime grit you might expect, is enough to keep me engaged.”
“On top of that, the OST is great; it fits well with the setting.”
“The soundtrack is pleasant to listen to and has variations depending on what floor you're on.”
“The music is so-so, and it could use some quality of life improvements, like hotkeys and see-through walls or at least the ability to hide walls.”
“The soundtrack is soft, but it lends itself well to the gameplay, allowing you to observe the evolution of our casinos without interference or headaches.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized as charming and enjoyable, featuring numerous jokes and lighthearted moments that elicit laughter. While some players find the humor a bit transparent, it contributes positively to the overall experience, despite the game's existing issues. Many recommend waiting for bug fixes and additional content to enhance the experience further.
“This is a really fun little game with an interesting and funny story.”
“There's lots of little jokes, goofs, and gaffs that made me laugh and smile a stupid goofy smile.”
“It is enjoyable, cute, and I find the tone really funny.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches in animations and UI, and issues with building and editing rooms that can render them unresponsive. While some find the game charming, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to a repetitive and frustrating gameplay experience.
“The building can also sometimes be buggy, and both building and editing rooms can sometimes just decide to not work at all.”
“There are bugs, animation, and UI glitches.”
“Confusing, buggy, repetitive, and just dull.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy appears to focus on targeted advertising and VIP favoritism, allowing players to succeed through selective marketing rather than relying solely on ads. Additionally, the game incorporates various features like club rooms and urban development, suggesting a blend of gameplay elements that may enhance player engagement and spending.
“I pictured things like advertisements, researching new things, VIP favoritism, building club rooms to entertain them, random events, expanding to multiple levels and multiple buildings at once, dealing with urban issues as we moved from the outskirts of Las Venas to the city proper, hotel-casino hybrids, so I stuck with it.”
“You can succeed without advertising to a certain clientele.”
“You can succeed by only advertising to a certain clientele.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game currently has some bugs affecting its optimization, but frequent updates are being released, leading to optimism that performance will improve soon.
“I have to acknowledge that in its current state, the game has some bugs, but it is receiving updates every few days, so I'm confident it'll soon run smoothly.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the character designs are praised for their cuteness, there is little mention of depth or growth in character development, suggesting that the focus may be more on aesthetics than on evolving narratives.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently praise the game's atmosphere as cozy and relaxing, creating an engaging environment that draws them in from the very beginning.
“From the moment I started playing, I was hooked by its cozy and relaxing atmosphere.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users see significant potential for replayability, expressing optimism that future updates will enhance the game's playability and encourage repeated playthroughs.
“Has great potential, and I look forward to it one day being more playable.”
