Empire TV Tycoon

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 478 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

monetization99 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, managing advertisements, and competing against AI channels, which keeps the gameplay engaging.
The developers are actively updating the game and responding to community feedback, which bodes well for future improvements and content.

The game can become repetitive after a few hours, as the core mechanics do not change significantly, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
The audience mechanics can feel random and illogical, making it difficult to predict what content will appeal to viewers at any given time.
The user interface can be cumbersome, requiring players to navigate between floors in a building to manage different aspects of their channel, which can slow down gameplay.

monetization
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization system in the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting that the ad mechanics are confusing and often buggy, leading to frustration in meeting viewer requirements for ad contracts. While the concept of targeting specific demographics for ads adds a layer of strategy, many players feel that the percentage-based viewership requirements are overly restrictive and can hinder progress, making it difficult to generate consistent revenue. Overall, while the advertising aspect is integral to gameplay, its execution has been criticized for being flawed and not user-friendly.
- “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 most annoying thing is the advertising requirements.”
- “I was buying ads that I wasn't able to reach the requirements for, which made me go bankrupt.”
gameplay
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
70%
6%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun and engaging mechanics of managing a TV channel and producing content, while others find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth after a few hours. Many appreciate the simplicity and accessibility of the mechanics, but criticize the lack of variety and the presence of frustrating elements, such as AI catch-up mechanics and unclear instructions. Overall, while the game offers a unique experience within the tycoon genre, it could benefit from additional features and a more robust campaign mode to enhance longevity.
- “Cute game, honestly pretty fun gameplay with entertaining dialogue.”
- “Has a unique addictive gameplay loop of being a TV channel scheduler and a movie producer, all in one package.”
- “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.”
- “To be honest, it gets repetitive after some time, since the whole gameplay is basically based on programming a table.”
graphics
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
73%
4%
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and basic, often compared to retro pixel art styles, which some players find charming while others consider them lacking. While the visuals effectively support the gameplay mechanics, there are complaints about legibility and the overall aesthetic feeling outdated or busy at times. Despite these criticisms, many players appreciate the unique character representations and the functional design that aligns with the game's management theme.
- “The graphics excellent.”
- “Delightful retro graphics and pixelated wonders!”
- “The graphics are very unique and beautiful.”
- “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.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
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. Many appreciate the option to mute the music, as it can become irritating over time. Overall, while there are positive aspects to the soundtrack, its limited variety and looping nature 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 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.”
- “The music is also quite irritating, and your eyes might hurt after a while due to small fonts and menu screens which are perhaps not the best design.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
73%
14%
The game's story aspect is characterized by a lighthearted and humorous narrative that unfolds through quirky events and random quests, adding a layer of entertainment to the management simulation. While players appreciate the engaging mechanics and the challenge of catering to audience preferences, many feel that the overall story lacks depth and coherence, often leading to repetitive gameplay. The inclusion of a TV plot generator is a highlight, providing amusing content that enhances the experience despite the game's narrative shortcomings.
- “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, getting films and TV series done... by the way, love the automatic plot generator, you get extremely funny gems.”
- “Sometimes news agencies will come to show on your channel too, and you have to decide what's better to show, the true story or exciting lies.”
- “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
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a quirky retro style, with many players appreciating its lighthearted take on the tycoon genre and the amusing scenarios generated by the TV programming mechanics. While some reviews note a lack of the original's charm and wit, the game still delivers plenty of laughs through its community mods, funny plot generators, and clever references to real-world movies and TV shows. Overall, the humor is a significant highlight, contributing to the game's addictive nature and enjoyment.
- “A bit weird retro sense of humor is strong in this one.”
- “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.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable with various modes and customization options that enhance replay value, others criticize it for lacking depth and variety, especially without mods. Recent updates and the introduction of a workshop for mods have improved replayability, but opinions vary on whether it meets expectations for a game released over 20 years later. Overall, it offers potential for replayability, particularly for those who engage with its features and upcoming content.
- “This game is super fun and is easily replayable!”
- “A lot of factors to deal with and tons of replayability.”
- “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.”
- “But I would expect much more replayability and depth from a game that came out more than 20 years later.”
- “Not much replayability.”
- “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
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and time-consuming, with constant adjustments to schedules and a cumbersome UI contributing to a frustrating experience. While some elements are simple to navigate, the overall gameplay feels drawn out and lacks enjoyment, leading to a perception of the game as more of a chore than a fun activity.
- “It's not bad but a playthrough feels overlong, and your knowledge of audience demographics for time slots updates throughout the day, so you're just fiddling and tweaking with your schedule constantly until it becomes tedious.”
- “This game is extremely tedious.”
- “It's just... too much about grinding and not entertaining.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Reviews indicate that the game's optimization significantly improves by the seventh day, regardless of prior performance levels, suggesting a notable enhancement in quality and user experience 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.”
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
Overall, users report that while the game is generally stable and free from major bugs, there are issues with the advertisement system being overly restrictive and occasionally failing to register completed requirements. Despite these minor frustrations, the game is praised for its quality and lack of typical industry pitfalls.
- “It's one of the most brilliant indie titles I've ever played... no bugs, no EA nonsense.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a seamless experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; I can focus on enjoying the story without interruptions.”
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is noted as an engaging and appealing experience, reminiscent of a visually enhanced version of Mad TV, which contributes positively to the overall enjoyment, even if it isn't the primary focus.
- “Overall, this wasn't so important, but it added some atmosphere.”
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that while the character designs are unconventional, there is little mention of depth or growth in character development, suggesting a focus on aesthetics over narrative progression.
- “The character designs are strange.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional and unrelatable.”