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Empire TV Tycoon

76%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
monetization, grinding
76% User Score Based on 956 reviews

Platforms

iPhoneiPhoneMac OSMac OSPCPCPhonePhoneWindowsWindowsLinuxLinuxMobile PlatformMobile PlatformiPadiPad

About

Empire TV Tycoon is a simulation game where you build and manage your own television network. Create and schedule diverse programming, hire staff, and upgrade your channels to increase viewership and revenue. Compete with other networks, overcome challenges, and strive for ratings dominance in this engaging tycoon experience.

Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
Empire TV Tycoon screenshot
+2

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 956 reviews
gameplay44 positive mentions
monetization198 negative mentions

  • Empire TV Tycoon is a fun and addictive management simulation that allows players to run their own TV channel, complete with real movie titles and pop culture references.
  • The game features a variety of mechanics, including producing your own shows and movies, managing advertising contracts, and competing against AI channels, which keeps gameplay engaging.
  • The developers are actively updating the game, adding new features and improvements based on player feedback, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game can become repetitive and lacks depth after a few hours of play, with some players feeling that it doesn't offer enough variety in gameplay.
  • The audience mechanics can feel random and illogical, making it difficult to cater to viewer preferences effectively, which can lead to frustration.
  • The user interface requires players to navigate between different floors of a building, which can be cumbersome and disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • monetization
    198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization system in the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting that the ad mechanics are confusing and often buggy, requiring a percentage of viewers rather than absolute numbers, which can lead to frustration. Many players find the need to constantly adjust programming to meet ad requirements challenging, but also engaging, as it adds a layer of strategy to the gameplay. However, the scaling of ad requirements with audience expansion and the randomness of viewer demographics detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to reliably generate income from advertisements.

    • “Whenever you increase your maximum audience by an antenna, all the ads immediately need more viewers to be fulfilled, but don't create any additional money.”
    • “The ads don't scale correctly.”
    • “Advertisements work but are too restrictive in their requirements and can be buggy; most of the time I would meet the requirements but it would not count.”
  • gameplay
    178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating its unique management simulation mechanics and engaging tycoon elements, but also noting significant flaws such as repetitiveness and a lack of depth after initial play. While some mechanics are intuitive and fun, others are criticized for being cumbersome or poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game is enjoyable for fans of the genre, but many feel it could benefit from additional features and clearer mechanics to enhance longevity and replayability.

    • “Has a unique addictive gameplay loop of being a TV channel scheduler and a movie producer, all in one package.”
    • “The core of the gameplay revolves around selecting the daily TV schedule for your channel, making sure you have good content, tailoring choices to whatever demographic is going to be watching at a given time slot, while also making sure you take in enough ad revenue and maybe make some of your own TV/movie content on the side.”
    • “Great gameplay, and as a bonus, the soundtrack is also pretty great.”
    • “The gameplay you get when you first start is pretty much the same gameplay when you finish, so it can get pretty stale over an extended session.”
    • “It's not a complex game and the longevity of the gameplay isn't that long.”
    • “Very repetitive and has very little to offer as far as gameplay.”
  • graphics
    146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and basic, primarily featuring pixel art that some players find charming while others consider it lacking in detail and legibility. While the visual style is functional for the gameplay, many reviewers express a desire for improved graphics and more dynamic representations of demographics. Overall, the aesthetic is seen as fitting for a casual management sim, but it could benefit from enhancements to make it more engaging.

    • “The graphics are very unique and beautiful.”
    • “Delightful retro graphics and pixelated wonders!”
    • “The mechanics are a more approachable and intuitive version of game dev tycoon, and the pixel visuals are perfect for what the game is; an addicting, well written, gamely executed contribution to the tycoon genre.”
    • “The graphics are pretty basic and are mostly limited to the empire TV building and looking at one's own timeslots trying to figure out what should be shown.”
    • “I can't say much about the gameplay because unfortunately the text and game graphics were incredibly small with no option of making it bigger, so for me, with a kind of bad eyesight that glasses don't fix, it was basically unplayable.”
    • “The visuals are so busy at times that you can't tell what's what.”
  • music
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it nostalgic and enjoyable, particularly the main menu theme, while others criticize it as repetitive and annoying, especially during shows. Many appreciate the option to mute the music, which is seen as a necessary feature due to its irritating nature. Overall, while there are moments of charm in the soundtrack, the limited variety and looping tracks detract from the experience for some players.

    • “The nostalgia is very strong in this one - the menu music already is a blatant ripoff of the original music, you will feel right at home.”
    • “Great relaxing music corresponds with the various shows, or you can mute the show volume for some nice background music.”
    • “Great gameplay, and as a bonus, the soundtrack is also pretty great.”
    • “The music that plays during shows is quite annoying, but fortunately the developers are aware of this, which is why the game's music can be muted.”
    • “The menu music is a blatant ripoff of the original music; you will feel right at home, but it's not very original.”
    • “The music is absolutely horrible and extremely annoying, making the overall experience less enjoyable.”
  • story
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is characterized by a mix of humorous narrative elements and a focus on managing television programming, with players navigating random events and audience preferences. While the plot generator offers amusing content, many players feel the overall story lacks depth and coherence, often leading to repetitive missions that detract from the experience. Despite its entertaining mechanics, the absence of a compelling narrative arc leaves some players wanting more substance in the storytelling.

    • “There's also cute little narrative touches, like the random events that pop up when you're producing content, story events that weave a goofy tale of the hijinks and potential catastrophes involved with your upcoming movie/tv series.”
    • “The game mechanisms are original enough to attract interest; the basic idea is fun, and I especially love that frantic feeling of the day: you have to check the situation in real time to make last-minute corrections, and by the way, I love the automatic plot generator; you get extremely funny gems.”
    • “Airing the news story results in one popularity point, but hopefully the player will have made the correct choice in journalist and assignment in order to get a highly rated program.”
    • “Comparing the two, the most obvious downfalls are the lack of story and movie production.”
    • “The plot and other aspects of the show mean nothing.”
    • “It's you trying to cater to a random audience and trying to do small missions that barely make sense and are very repetitive.”
  • humor
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by a quirky, retro style that resonates well with players, featuring funny community mods and a lighthearted take on the tycoon genre. While some reviews note a lack of the original's charm and wit, many appreciate the hilarious plot generator and clever references to real-world movies and TV shows. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of comedic simulations.

    • “It's a funny, lighthearted take on the 'tycoon' genre, and while the TV premise might not sound interesting, the game delivers it very well!”
    • “The game mechanisms are original enough to attract interest, the basic idea is fun, and I especially love that frantic feeling of the day: you have to check the situation in real time to make last-minute corrections... by the way, love the automatic plot generator, you get extremely funny gems.”
    • “Pro: the TV plot generator is hilarious.”
  • replayability
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability in this game is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable and note features like scaling difficulty and channel customization that enhance replay value, others criticize the lack of depth and the subpar experience without mods. Recent updates and the introduction of a workshop for mods have improved the situation, suggesting potential for increased longevity, but many still feel it falls short of expectations for a game released over 20 years later. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements and modes that offer replayability, the game may not satisfy those seeking a robust and engaging experience without additional content.

    • “Reruns – the replay value here is astronomical; you can play an arcade mode to a set number of fame, or play endless mode and see just how far you can take your station over lengthy campaigns.”
    • “A lot of factors to deal with and tons of replayability.”
    • “It bodes well for the longevity of the title and replay value, especially as they will include Steam Workshop and mods over the coming year.”
    • “But I would expect much more replayability and depth from a game that came out more than 20 years later.”
    • “It's a decent simulator with not much time put into it; replayability without mods is subpar, and the music is absolutely horrible and extremely annoying.”
    • “If it's cheap, it's a good bit of fun, but if you're looking for a half-decent, replayable sim, sorry, this is just not going to cut it.”
  • grinding
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and overly time-consuming, with many feeling that the constant adjustments to schedules and audience demographics detract from the overall enjoyment. While some elements are simple to navigate, the repetitive nature of the tasks and the user interface contribute to a frustrating experience, leading to a perception that the game is more about grinding than fun. Overall, the concept is seen as promising but ultimately falls flat due to its tedious execution.

    • “This game is extremely tedious.”
    • “It's just... too much about grinding and not entertaining.”
    • “Tl;dr: good concept turned into a terrible tedious and confusing game.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users note that optimization significantly improves by the seventh day at advanced levels, enhancing overall program quality regardless of prior performance. This suggests a strong potential for growth and refinement in the game's optimization as players progress.

    • “On the seventh day (advanced level), they will dramatically increase the quality of the program no matter what kind of performance they had until then.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some praise the game as a brilliant indie title free from bugs, others find the advertisement system to be restrictive and occasionally malfunctioning, leading to frustration when meeting requirements that do not register.

    • “It's one of the most brilliant indie titles I've ever played... no bugs, no EA nonsense.”
    • “It's one of the most brilliant indie titles I've ever played... no bugs, no EA nonsense.”
    • “Advertisements work but are too restrictive in their requirements and can be buggy. Most of the time, I would meet the requirements, but it would not count.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is noted as an engaging element that enhances the overall experience, likened to a visually appealing version of "Mad TV." While not deemed crucial, it contributes positively to the game's ambiance.

    • “For those that want some sort of comparison, imagine Mad TV with a much more appealing look, as well as an extremely engaging atmosphere.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate that the character designs are perceived as unusual or unconventional, suggesting a lack of coherence or appeal in the visual representation of the characters.

    • “The character designs are strange.”

Buy Empire TV Tycoon

9h Median play time
19h Average play time
7-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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