Empire TV Tycoon

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 900 reviews
  • monetization
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Empire TV Tycoon Game Cover
Starting at $2.99Buy now
Get on Steam

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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 900 reviews
gameplay42 positive mentions
monetization174 negative mentions
  • Empire TV Tycoon is a fun homage to the classic Mad TV, offering engaging gameplay where players manage a TV station and create their own shows and movies.
  • The game features real movie titles and pop culture references, adding a layer of humor and nostalgia for players familiar with the original.
  • The developers are responsive and actively update the game, showing commitment to improving the experience and adding new features.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with many players feeling that it doesn't offer enough variety or long-term engagement.
  • The audience mechanics are frustrating, as they change randomly each hour, making it difficult to build a consistent programming strategy.
  • The tutorial is not very helpful, leaving players confused about the mechanics and how to succeed in the game.
  • monetization174 mentions

    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 ad requirements overly restrictive and poorly scaled, making it difficult to fulfill contracts and generate revenue effectively. While the core concept of managing ads and programming is engaging, the execution leaves much to be desired, with players often feeling overwhelmed by the need to constantly adapt their strategies to meet fluctuating audience demands.

    • “The ads don't scale correctly.”
    • “Advertisements require a certain amount of viewers and you have 2 or 3 days to air a certain amount of blocks to fulfill the contract and get paid; if you fail, you lose money.”
    • “I was buying ads that I wasn't able to reach the requirements for, which made me go bankrupt.”
  • gameplay166 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is characterized by a mix of simple mechanics and repetitive elements, leading to a fun yet ultimately limited experience. While players appreciate the engaging management simulation aspects, such as scheduling TV shows and managing advertisements, many express frustration with certain mechanics, including AI catch-up features and a lack of depth in gameplay modes. Overall, the game is enjoyable for fans of the tycoon genre but could benefit from additional features and clearer mechanics to enhance longevity and challenge.

    • “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.”
    • “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 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.”
    • “There are so few events and after 10 hours of gameplay basically you're done with everything.”
    • “Very repetitive and has very little to offer as far as gameplay.”
  • graphics132 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally described as basic and simplistic, often compared unfavorably to other titles like "Mad TV." While some players appreciate the charming pixel art style, others find the visuals busy and difficult to interpret, particularly due to small text and graphical elements. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in a management sim context but could benefit from improvements in clarity and detail.

    • “The graphics are excellent.”
    • “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 time slots 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.”
  • story44 mentions

    The game's story aspect is characterized by a mix of humorous and chaotic narrative elements, driven by a plot generator that produces amusing scenarios. However, many players feel that the overall story lacks depth and coherence, often leading to repetitive missions and a focus on managing schedules rather than engaging storytelling. While there are cute narrative touches and random events, the primary goal of competing for audience ratings overshadows any meaningful plot development.

    • “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.”
  • music38 mentions

    The music in the game receives 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. Fortunately, the developers have included an option to mute the music, which many players appreciate. Overall, while the soundtrack has its charms, it can become tiresome over extended play sessions.

    • “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 sounds are basic, but the music that plays during shows is quite annoying. Fortunately, the developers are aware of this, which is why the game's music can be muted.”
    • “The nostalgia is very strong in this one - the menu music is a blatant ripoff of the original music; you will feel right at home.”
    • “It's a quarter decent simulator with not much time put into it; replayability without mods is subpar, and the music is absolutely horrible and extremely annoying.”
  • humor36 mentions

    The game features a quirky, retro sense of humor that resonates well with players, particularly through its amusing TV programming mechanics and a hilarious plot generator. While some reviews note a lack of the original's charm and wit, many appreciate the funny community mods and the lighthearted take on the tycoon genre, making it an enjoyable experience overall. However, mixed audience preferences can sometimes detract from the humor, leading to less funny scenarios.

    • “Funny little sim, after finishing the final achievement (had to read up on how to do it), I can uninstall it now and look for similar stuff :) 69 hours playtime seems worth the money.”
    • “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 channels and the people we see watching those channels are hilarious.”
  • replayability34 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable and appreciate the recent updates that enhance replay value, others criticize it for lacking depth and variety, especially without mods. Features like scaling difficulty and channel customization offer some replayability, but many feel it falls short compared to expectations for a modern title. Overall, the potential for increased replayability exists, particularly with future updates and mod support.

    • “Latest update adds replay value, and workshop added for mods; hope to see some mods for the game.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and overly time-consuming, with players feeling that the constant tweaking of schedules and navigating the user interface detracts from enjoyment. While some elements are simple to understand, the overall experience is described as slow and lacking fun, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement. Many reviewers feel that the game's good concept is undermined by its excessive focus on grinding.

    • “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.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Users indicate that optimization significantly improves program quality by the seventh day at advanced levels, regardless of prior performance. This suggests a transformative enhancement in the game's optimization over time.

    • “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.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The reviews indicate that the character designs are perceived as unusual or unconventional, suggesting a lack of clarity or coherence in character development.

    • “The character designs are strange.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report that while advertisements function, they often come with overly restrictive requirements and can be buggy, leading to instances where meeting the criteria does not register correctly. This inconsistency affects overall stability in gameplay.

    • “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.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is generally considered a secondary element, yet it contributes positively to the overall experience, enhancing immersion without being a focal point.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Empire TV Tycoon

Play time

9hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
7-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games