Game Dev Story

About

"Game Dev Story" is a single-player business role-playing game with an interesting plot and plenty of humor. As the owner of a new game development company, you'll hire staff and develop games for various platforms, tracing the history of the video game industry from the 1980s to the present. Despite its excellent graphics and various gameplay mechanics, the game can be very grinding and is poorly optimized, but its high replayability makes up for it.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,945 reviews

graphics95 positive mentions

monetization37 negative mentions

graphics
233 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
6%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players appreciating the cute, retro pixelated art style that evokes nostalgia. While some users note minor graphical glitches and performance issues, the overall aesthetic is considered charming and fitting for the gameplay. However, there are calls for improvements, particularly in scaling graphics for larger screens and enhancing visual quality on more powerful devices.
- “The graphics are amazing, the story is great but in my opinion too short, I would love it to be longer.”
- “Cute pixel graphics, almost clean of bugs, fun and lots of replayability.”
- “Flat out fantastic, super addictive, gorgeous graphics.”
- “The graphics option makes the game run awful, the performance option still lags sometimes, and it drains my battery extremely fast.”
- “Horrible frame rate, very weird graphic glitches, the background music stops randomly, clearly not designed for this device.”
- “The graphics are not great, but does not detract from gameplay.”
story
213 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
80%
1%
The story of "Game Dev Story" is engaging and addictive, spanning a 20-year timeline that challenges players with the rapid release of new consoles and the need to manage budgets and market share. While many players appreciate the fun and creativity involved in developing games, there is a common desire for a longer storyline and more content, as the current narrative feels somewhat short and repetitive after multiple playthroughs. Overall, the game is praised for its unique take on the simulation genre, but fans are eagerly awaiting a sequel to expand on its potential.
- “The story timeline is 20 years (about 6 hours if you play straight through), and the first 10 years is exciting and challenging with new consoles being released at a frenetic pace, forcing you to carefully consider your budget and market share of each platform.”
- “I love creating my story as I develop games.”
- “The story is simple, but the randomness of the game is very well tuned and once past the pixelated graphics, the game is hugely fun.”
- “The story is simple, but the randomness of the game is very well tuned and once passed the pixelated graphics, the game is hugely fun.”
- “But then the story just stopped at the 20th year.”
- “Fun for a while, it gets boring over time after 3 days... needs more story to it.”
gameplay
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
46%
6%
The gameplay is generally described as addictive and fun, with a satisfying loop that keeps players engaged for hours. However, many users note that the mechanics can be unclear and repetitive over time, leading to a decline in interest after extended play. While the game offers a simple and enjoyable experience, there are calls for more depth, transparency in mechanics, and additional content to enhance replayability.
- “The gameplay is really addictive and fun.”
- “The gameplay loop is very satisfying to me; I get a sense of growing a game studio.”
- “Its art direction is gorgeous, gameplay is simple, and it's addicting as hell.”
- “Gameplay gets repetitive after year 15 or so (depending on the player's skill level), and once a certain amount of capital is acquired it becomes nearly impossible to lose (or get better either).”
- “The stupid 'blackout' mechanic happened to destroy the game I was working on and spent millions of dollars on, so it pretty much removed any desire to play this game from me.”
- “There is little end game content, and gameplay becomes repetitive very quickly.”
replayability
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
46%
9%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its high replay value due to features like "new game+" and various gameplay combinations. However, some users noted that after a few playthroughs, the experience can become repetitive and lose its appeal, leading to a decline in replayability. While many found it enjoyable enough to return to, others expressed a desire for more depth and content to enhance long-term engagement.
- “The 'new game+' sort of feature makes the replayability a joy!”
- “Great game with a lot of replayability, 100% worth the purchase to just have available.”
- “Best of all, the replay value is through the roof--each successive playthrough brings you closer to the top!”
- “Little replay value, it gets very repetitive and boring.”
- “Does not take long to finish the main part of the game, and there is little to no replay value.”
- “Great game but once you make some great selling games, it gets boring because that's all you make and you have nothing else to work for.. replay value is low.”
monetization
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
29%
44%
The monetization aspect of the game is largely praised for its absence of intrusive ads and microtransactions, with many users appreciating the straightforward purchase model that allows for uninterrupted gameplay. However, some players express frustration over recent updates introducing in-app purchases and ads in a previously ad-free paid game, leading to concerns about the developer's shift towards a more monetized approach. Overall, the game is celebrated for providing a complete experience without the typical freemium pitfalls common in mobile gaming.
- “No ads, no gimmick.”
- “Best part is there aren't any in-app purchases!”
- “No microtransactions: pay once, enjoy the full game forever!”
- “They added advertisements in a paid game after being purchased without advertising; it used to be good, but now they are just money-grabbing with every release.”
- “I paid for a full game in which you stuck ads onto during updates after.”
- “This new update adds cheeky in-app purchases and invasive permissions that are associated with irresponsible advertising and data collection.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it catchy and fitting the pixelated graphics, while others describe it as repetitive and annoying, leading to a desire for an option to mute it. Many users report issues with the game's audio settings, such as in-game music overpowering other audio sources like Spotify, and bugs that affect music playback. Overall, while the music can enhance the experience for some, it detracts from enjoyment for others, suggesting a need for improvements in this aspect.
- “Great music and amazing graphics for a pixel game.”
- “The music is catchy and gets stuck in your head, and the variation among different play-throughs is great.”
- “Love the graphics and the music is kind of memorable, and the sound effects are great.”
- “I love this game, but the in-game music gets obnoxious quickly, and even when you turn it off to play Spotify in the background, the game still holds some kind of audio priority, which causes Spotify to stay at a much lower volume while in the game.”
- “The only problem is the atrocious soundtrack.”
- “The music gets grating quickly.”
optimization
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
66%
23%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues on newer devices despite setting preferences to "performance." While some updates have improved performance for certain phones, others still experience lag and slowdowns, particularly on tablets and newer models. Overall, the game is seen as fun but in need of better optimization to fully utilize the capabilities of modern hardware.
- “Revising my review because they have finally released an update which hugely improves performance on new phones, and improves resolution for larger phone screens.”
- “Performance is way better now.”
- “If you go into the menu options you can change the priority from graphics to performance and it seems to run perfectly with that setting with no effect on the graphics.”
- “Fun game, but even running on performance mode lags badly and don't even think about making graphics a preference.”
- “It's a fun game, and ran great on my old phone, but when I switched, game performance slowed to a crawl to the point where it's not even worth bothering to play anymore.”
- “The graphics option makes the game run awful, the performance option still lags sometimes, and it drains my battery extremely fast.”
humor
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky character names, clever references, and playful parodies of real-world gaming elements, making it both funny and engaging. Players find the humor to be a significant draw, contributing to the game's addictive nature, although some note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's lighthearted and humorous approach is a standout feature that resonates well with players.
- “Very addictive game and hilarious references throughout.”
- “I love the quirky sense of humor (ex. the final console to be released looks suspiciously like a toilet (complete with TP controller)).”
- “Amazing game, really enjoyed the play on words for all the real-world consoles and games as a lot of them were really funny and cute.”
stability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
5%
65%
The stability of the game is highly inconsistent, with many users reporting frequent freezing and crashing issues across various devices, particularly older models. While some players enjoy smooth performance on newer phones, others experience significant glitches and lag, indicating a need for further optimization and patches. Overall, the game's stability appears to be a major concern for a substantial number of users.
- “Seriously awesome and runs great.”
- “No glitches or anything.”
- “Very high quality and runs great.”
- “This game was really fun for the first couple of minutes, but now it freezes after the first 4 minutes of starting it up.”
- “Update: even after January's update, the game still freezes up after about 2 minutes.”
- “Always freezes or crashes and forces me to shut down my phone or take the battery out of it. I want a refund; it worked fine up until today!”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that while the game offers a rewarding experience through grinding, it quickly becomes tedious and repetitive, especially in the later stages. Players appreciate the ability to max out their teams but often find the grind excessive and lacking excitement, leading to a sense of monotony over time. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a double-edged sword, providing initial enjoyment but ultimately detracting from long-term replayability.
- “Gets too grindy too quickly without the same excitement of game dev tycoon.”
- “In a word, tedious.”
- “Somewhat repetitive and grinding at the endgame.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional impact of the game to be profound, often leading to tears, and note that the experience is enhanced by smooth performance settings.
- “This is pretty heartbreaking with nothing running in the background and my settings set to 'performance.' Update: smooth as butter!”
- “It made me cry.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for being delightful and engaging, complemented by intuitive options that enhance the strategic gameplay. However, some users have experienced technical issues, such as crashes when receiving fan letters, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “Delightful atmosphere with intuitive options.”
- “When I obtain my first fan letter, my game crashes every time, but I love the atmosphere and the strategy you have to utilize to make things function.”
- “When I receive my first fan letter, my game crashes every time, but I love the atmosphere and the strategy you have to utilize to make things function.”
- “The atmosphere feels empty and lifeless, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the atmosphere lacks depth and fails to immerse me in the experience.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews highlight a desire for deeper character development, suggesting features like rewarding or scolding employees, extending development cycles, and allowing developers to focus on specific areas needing improvement. This indicates that players seek more nuanced interactions and growth within the game's character dynamics.
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I was disappointed by the limited options for character growth; it feels like the developers didn't put much thought into this aspect.”
- “The characters don't evolve in a way that feels rewarding, leaving me feeling detached from their journeys.”