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About

"City Game Studio" is a tycoon game where you run your own video game development company, starting in a small space and growing to hire artists, developers, and testers. Successful games will allow you to move to larger locations and self-publish, but working with publishers may be necessary in the beginning. The game features engine development and publishing contracts as you aim to dominate the market.

City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
City Game Studio screenshot
+16

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,204 reviews
gameplay48 positive mentions
grinding18 negative mentions

  • City Game Studio offers a deeper and more complex experience than Game Dev Tycoon, with features like multiple studios, console creation, and a dynamic city map.
  • The developer is highly responsive to community feedback, frequently updating the game with new content and improvements.
  • The game provides a satisfying challenge, allowing players to experience the growth of their game development company from a small startup to a major player in the industry.
  • The user interface can be cluttered and confusing, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the mechanics.
  • The game can become repetitive, with a lack of engaging content in the late game, leading to a feeling of directionlessness.
  • Some mechanics, such as employee management and game scoring, can feel unbalanced or poorly explained, resulting in frustration for players trying to optimize their strategies.
  • gameplay
    170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this management simulation game is often compared to "Game Dev Tycoon," featuring a similar core loop but with added complexity and depth in mechanics, such as custom console creation and resource management. While many players appreciate the intuitive design and engaging progression system, some criticize the interface for being cluttered and the gameplay loop for becoming repetitive over time. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for both newcomers and seasoned players, though it may require a steep learning curve to fully grasp its mechanics.

    • “You can dive deep into every aspect of game development, from designing and releasing your own custom console to tweaking in-game mechanics like microtransactions.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are intuitive and easy to grasp, making it accessible to both newcomers and seasoned gamers.”
    • “The process of balancing development tasks, managing resources, and strategically releasing games adds an exciting layer of strategy to the gameplay.”
    • “On top of the mechanical and UI issues, the screen is hard to read in a sense of telling what's going on at a glance.”
    • “While the game has some interesting proposals and innovative ideas over the genre, its mechanics have very little depth in my opinion.”
    • “The gameplay, it is exactly like Game Dev Tycoon but misses the mark in every step.”
  • graphics
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally described as minimalist and functional, prioritizing clarity over flashiness, though opinions vary widely. Some users appreciate the unique art style and depth of visuals, while others criticize the graphics as subpar or in need of optimization, particularly in late-game scenarios. Overall, while the visuals may not be the game's strongest aspect, they are often seen as adequate for the gameplay experience.

    • “The visuals themselves are minimalist but effective, focusing on clarity and functionality rather than overly flashy graphics.”
    • “It has a lot of depth, features, etc. The UI is solid and the graphics match the game's style.”
    • “Nice graphics and awesome content so far, can't wait to see how this game grows and progresses.”
    • “My main takeaways and drawback is that the game has absolutely atrocious graphics and UX.”
    • “It's like Prison Architect, with garbage visuals.”
    • “The graphics leave something to be desired, but by no means are bad.”
  • story
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of "City Game Studio" is generally viewed as lacking depth compared to its predecessors like "Game Dev Story" and "Game Dev Tycoon." While players appreciate the game's mechanics and the ability to adjust story elements based on game genres, many feel it misses the charm and narrative engagement found in earlier titles, often reducing the experience to a more mechanical and less immersive simulation. Overall, the game is seen as a more complex iteration of its inspirations, but it could benefit from a richer storytelling component.

    • “I rarely write reviews, but as a huge game dev story/tycoon fan, this game takes it to the next level.”
    • “If you liked game dev story and its PC equivalent game dev tycoon, you'll be very satisfied with city game studio.”
    • “If you ever played game dev story, this is a more fleshed out version of that.”
    • “It's basically a featureless clicker game with a game dev story skin.”
    • “It has absolutely zero of the charm that game dev story and other games in the genre have - like you never get letters from fans about how much they like your games, you're never told how/what your games are doing in any terms other than the raw sales numbers and fan count.”
    • “How could a theme park game need a story??”
  • replayability
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, primarily due to its procedural generation and extensive options for genres and themes, reminiscent of the original Game Dev Tycoon. While some players note that the fixed historical context can limit replay value, the potential for modding and future expansions could enhance the experience further. Overall, it is considered a worthwhile investment for fans of the tycoon genre, with ample opportunities for varied gameplay.

    • “The procedurally generated nature of this game is what makes it insanely replayable when compared to other games of this very special genre.”
    • “The amount of options for genres and themes is already massive in the base game and it can be very easily increased with mods, which gives this loop insane replayability, similar to what it had in Game Dev Tycoon.”
    • “I would highly recommend the developers of this game to continue exploring new ways to increase that replayability, with procedurally generated consoles, designs, maybe even branching out to more cities/countries, maybe bringing a major expansion that takes us to the deep future where the concepts of the video game industry are completely different from what we know today.”
    • “It hurts the replayability - because actual history never changes.”
    • “Unfortunately, finding a game to match the depth, replayability, polish, and charm it had has been a pain.”
    • “But on the other hand, it lacks replayability.”
  • grinding
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to scaling up and multitasking, which can feel micromanagement-heavy. While some improvements have been made over time, such as incentives for consolidating projects, many still feel that certain achievements, like reaching 1000 games, are excessively grindy. Overall, the balance between challenge and tedium remains a significant concern for players.

    • “But the issues make it too tedious for my enjoyment.”
    • “This leads to you spamming 'publish game offers' so more games in total are released which feels very micromanagey and tedious.”
    • “[b]Grinding achievements:[/b] yes, the 1000 games and postmortems are a big big grind.”
  • monetization
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization system in the game allows for extensive customization, including the integration of microtransactions and ads, which can enhance gameplay but also has limitations, such as a cap of 16 microtransactions that may feel restrictive over time. Players appreciate the hands-on approach to game development but suggest that the developer should consider increasing the maximum number of microtransactions or allowing for incremental increases with updates. Overall, while the monetization features add depth, some aspects may become less engaging as players progress.

    • “You can dive deep into every aspect of game development, from designing and releasing your own custom console to tweaking in-game mechanics like microtransactions.”
    • “It has much more features that you can add to your game (microtransactions + ads) and you can even make a free-to-play game.”
    • “So the developer should definitely increase the number of microtransactions or make it that at first you can add 16 max but every time you update you can add like 4 more.”
    • “There is a small problem with the microtransactions; you can add a maximum of 16, which might seem like enough at the beginning, but it becomes pretty limiting later.”
    • “The developer should definitely increase the number of microtransactions or allow that at first you can add 16 max, but every time you update, you can add like 4 more.”
    • “Over time, you unlock things like more sliders while creating games that you'll very quickly have zeroed in on their ideal spot and then never touch again, or more advertising options despite the best option still just being clicking the button to use all advertising, or more optional side-features that aren't worth engaging with.”
  • music
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's music features a mellow soundtrack that blends ambient and lounge elements, creating a balanced atmosphere that enhances gameplay. While some players find the music repetitive and occasionally loud, it generally complements the game's charm without detracting from the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered fitting for the environment, though it may lack variety.

    • “Adding to the game’s charm is its mellow soundtrack.”
    • “The music creates a nice, balanced atmosphere that complements the flow of the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay loop is solid, the music is okay albeit repetitive (befitting of the environment, I suppose), the game is good looking, and it's got a very good concept and well worth the money.”
    • “The graphics leave something to be desired, but by no means are bad; as well with the music - while being repetitive and unvaried, it doesn't make you want to turn off or down the volume.”
    • “The music is a hodgepodge of ambient and lounge music.”
  • optimization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received positive feedback, with many players praising its impressive performance and stability, especially given the complexity of its graphics. However, some users noted that there are still areas for improvement, particularly regarding graphics optimization, as certain setups experienced lag. Despite these concerns, the game is generally regarded as well-built and capable of delivering a smooth experience.

    • “The optimization is insane and it's so good, well built. In my opinion, 9/10. It's a bit fast-paced, but other than that, amazing time playing this.”
    • “I believe this one has a much better performance with much more going on, so great job on the optimization.”
    • “Graphics could use some optimization, with studios of 100+ members causing lags on pretty decent machines (3770k/16g/ssd/1080ti).”
    • “I mean, think about it for a second; if you focus on optimization more than what is 'recommended', you end up with a bad game.”
    • “The game has very high potential in terms of depth, gameplay, performance, and stability.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing frequent crashes and bugs, particularly around specific in-game events like the end of December. While a few users acknowledge the presence of bugs and an unintuitive interface, others find the game relatively stable and enjoyable, suggesting it has potential despite its issues. Overall, stability remains a concern for many players, impacting their gaming experience.

    • “This game is good, but it keeps crashing every time it hits the end of December; it freezes even though I have 4 mods on.”
    • “The game is absolutely bug-ridden, and when combined with the very unintuitive interface, it does not make for an overall pleasant gaming experience.”
    • “I still have much to learn, and there are a few buggy issues, but this game has a lot of promise.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by a well-balanced musical score that complements the gameplay. Players feel captivated from the outset, appreciating the authentic environment crafted by the developers.

    • “The music creates a nice, balanced atmosphere that complements the flow of the gameplay.”
    • “From the moment I set foot in my modest rented office space, I was captivated by the immersive gameplay and the authentic atmosphere that City Game Studio effortlessly created.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its clever and humorous elements, including funny automatically-generated game names and pun-filled competitor names. Additionally, the office decoration mechanic adds a comedic twist, allowing players to cram employees into tight spaces for efficiency, which enhances the overall humor of the gameplay.

    • “The game has a great sense of humor: automatically-generated game names are absolutely hilarious, and the punny re-named competitors are clever.”
    • “(Is decorating the office strictly necessary? Not really, but it allows you to play a sort of mini-game of arranging your employees and decorations for maximum efficiency—though it hilariously doesn't require you to leave much actual room for your employees, so you can pack them into some pretty tight arrangements if you want to.)”

Buy City Game Studio

31h Median play time
40h Average play time
17-100h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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