DevLife
- August 21, 2020
- Roman Studio
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"DevLife is a single-player Business Strategy game that offers 5 hours of playtime, where you can experience the IT industry firsthand. Create your character, build your career through four extensive skill trees, and make thought-choices in interactive events that shape your story. Fulfill commissions for external clients, hire employees and lead them to success."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game has a promising concept and potential for improvement, especially for fans of simulation and tycoon games.
- Players appreciate the core gameplay mechanics of managing a company and the ability to create projects, which can be engaging.
- Some users find the game enjoyable despite its current state, noting that it can be fun and immersive with the right updates.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and a clunky user interface, making it frustrating to navigate and play.
- Many players report an unbalanced difficulty curve, with random financial crises leading to quick bankruptcies and a lack of clear gameplay direction.
- The game lacks depth and content, often requiring excessive grinding for minimal rewards, which can lead to a tedious experience.
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of depth and clarity, with many users noting that it feels more like a visual novel than a true tycoon game. The tutorial is brief and unhelpful, leading to confusion about the mechanics, while the overall experience is marred by poorly designed random events that disrupt gameplay. Overall, players feel that the game fails to deliver engaging or enjoyable gameplay, especially when compared to other titles.
“This game tries to be a tycoon game with visual novel elements.”
“Core gameplay is there - you are a young developer, trying to manage work, learn, and rest patterns.”
“The tutorial lasts 2 minutes and is essentially a video explaining how search filters work, which makes some of the questionable mechanics in the game even more confusing.”
“Even better, don't add random events which can't be skipped or events which ruin the gameplay.”
“Barely any gameplay here.”
“The tutorial lasts 2 minutes and is essentially a video explaining how search filters work, which makes some of the questionable mechanics in the game even more confusing since I'm unsure whether it's bad mechanics or me doing something wrong.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the use of generic asset packs that contribute to a lack of originality and poor visual quality. While some appreciate the Unity-like aesthetic, others find the overall visuals and animations disappointing and uninspired.
“Graphics are very Unity-like, but it's good.”
“The visuals are disappointing; I can't be sure which asset pack was used, but it seems to be that same low-quality Synty asset pack that every other indie game on Steam relies on.”
“The graphics are not just uninspired; they seem to be the source of inspiration for the game's poor visuals as well.”
“As much as I wanted to like this game, after skipping past it 20 times on the Steam store, I can confidently say that based on the graphics and animation alone, there's nothing to appreciate just yet.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is integrated with tycoon gameplay through visual novel elements, featuring dialogue choices and narrative segments. However, some players feel it falls short compared to classic titles like Game Dev Tycoon and Game Dev Story, suggesting that the storytelling may not be as engaging or impactful.
“When I first played the game, I did sit through a few of these story elements.”
“In 96 minutes I played, this game did less than the age-old Game Dev Tycoon or even Game Dev Story.”
“This game tries to be a tycoon game with visual novel elements.”
“It pops up story elements and gives you dialogue choices.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players criticizing it as repetitive and poorly executed, while others appreciate its warm and welcoming tone. Additionally, there are reports of audio bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“The soundtrack is warm and welcoming.”
“The music creates an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.”
“The variety of tracks keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
“Another indie game with garbage audio.”
“Especially that awful music constantly on loop.”
“Bugs where the screen blanks out with the game locked, just playing music when you try to assign skill points to a new employee.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, a clunky interface, and a lack of clarity regarding gameplay mechanics, which hampers progression. Users express frustration with the reliance on RNG and the overall buggy experience, leading to a reluctance to recommend the game until these issues are addressed.
“The game is buggy, has no overview of why you lose all your money, and is extremely reliant on RNG.”
“Buggy UI, bad tutorial.”
“This game is very promising, but I'm not going to change my recommendation to 'yes' until it's less buggy, as it's almost impossible for me to progress at the moment.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for being unbalanced and potentially exploitative, with players feeling that the game's mechanics lead to financial instability and frustration. Many users express concerns that the game appears to prioritize profit over player experience, labeling it as a "cash grab" in its current early access state.
“I know it's early access, but this game is so bugged right now. I went from having a company that was worth $100,000 and a personal account of $43,000, completing all commissions on time and 'fast' with no bonus, but still making money. The company costs $420 a month and personal expenses are $290. The 2008 financial crisis hit, and nothing changed, but the game is over before the year ends. I don't know why, besides a bad unbalanced game. If you check the discussions, you'll see I'm not the only one saying this, but it's still not been addressed. So stay away until the developer earns their reputation and track record, or until the game actually releases, because right now it's just a cash grab and potential abandonware.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived negatively, with players expressing frustration over the extensive time required to create jobs and the potential for significant effort to be wasted upon release. Concerns about the game's profitability and sustainability due to high distribution costs further exacerbate these issues.
“Creating your own jobs - good luck. Ten game years of grinding evaporates on release. It's too long for sales to recoup costs; the company will go broke and shut down prior to becoming profitable due to distribution costs.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I spent hours grinding for resources, only to find out they were not worth the effort. It feels like a waste of time.”
