GearCity

About

GearCity is a single player strategy game with a business theme. It was developed by Visual Entertainment And Technologies and was released on January 14, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

"GearCity is a single-player business strategy game with spectacular mechanics and good graphics, simulating the historic global automobile industry. Create and manage every aspect of your car company, from designing vehicles to setting prices and negotiating deals. Despite some grinding and bugs, its complexity and realism provide high replayability, challenging you to become a successful industry leader."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 980 reviews

graphics31 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

Incredibly detailed and immersive economic simulation that allows players to design and manage their own car company.
Offers a high level of customization for vehicles and components, providing a satisfying experience for car enthusiasts.
The developer is highly responsive and actively engages with the community, regularly updating the game based on player feedback.

The user interface is clunky and outdated, making navigation and accessing information cumbersome.
The steep learning curve can be overwhelming for new players, with insufficient guidance in the tutorials.
The car design process can be frustrating, as it lacks intuitive controls and often results in poorly aligned components.

graphics
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
71%
9%
The graphics in *GearCity* are generally considered outdated and simplistic, reminiscent of games from the late 90s, with many users noting that they are not a focal point of the experience. While some players find the visuals adequate for a management simulation, others express a desire for a graphical overhaul, particularly in the car design aspect. Overall, the consensus is that the game's depth and mechanics outweigh its graphical shortcomings, making it appealing primarily to those who prioritize gameplay over visuals.
- “Great game, no flashy graphics just a very detailed and realistic business and economics simulator.”
- “The graphics remind me of the 1990s games, but who needs graphics when you can study graphs and statistics and design cars all day!”
- “Gearcity easily makes up for its spreadsheet-style graphics with the incredible depth of its simulation and strategy elements.”
- “The graphics engine uses DX9.0 and it shows; the designer is sadly just as basic. If you like watching virtual money pile up and enjoy the resulting satisfaction of launching successful virtual projects, you will enjoy GearCity, just don't expect to be terribly impressed by the cars you are able to design or the ease of making parts behave.”
- “The graphics are clearly outdated, as is the UI.”
- “The only gripe I can see people finding with this game is the sub-par graphics.”
gameplay
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
70%
5%
The gameplay of Gearcity is characterized by its deep and complex mechanics, offering a satisfying loop of designing, producing, and selling cars, which many players find rewarding despite a steep learning curve. While the game excels in economic simulation and provides extensive options for customization, it suffers from a dated interface and some unintuitive mechanics that can frustrate new players. Overall, it appeals to those who prioritize gameplay depth over graphics, though it may require patience and effort to fully appreciate its intricacies.
- “Every time a new mechanic clicks, I’m left in awe at the game’s sheer depth.”
- “The gameplay is great.”
- “Gameplay over graphics was the priority and it shows; the gameplay is deep and immersive.”
- “Innumerable clicks, lack of scaling, and the inexplicable omission of hotkeys really kills this game, since so much of the gameplay loop is tweaking various production and price settings.”
- “The game isn't pretty enough or interesting enough to justify the level of tedium on the business side of things, and the cars themselves don't have anywhere near the level of mechanical detail as a game like Automation.”
- “The user interface is so overly complicated it is impossible to learn the mechanics of the game without a lot of concerted effort.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
76%
12%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on modern machines, users report cumbersome production management that requires repetitive manual adjustments across factories. The depth of customization and performance metrics is appreciated, but the interface is seen as obtuse and accessibility is low, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, while there are steady improvements, many players hope for further updates to address various optimization issues.
- “I really don't care about graphics; for me, the most important things for a game to have are: run smoothly and give me all the data my eyes are craving.”
- “Steady improvements to the gameplay mechanics, stability, and performance have kept it from getting stale.”
- “There is so much to consider; even the way you visually design your car will make a difference, as a more aerodynamic shape and a smaller vehicle size will have an impact on your vehicle performance.”
- “That's great, but after pressing the 'refurbish' button, production isn't optimized and you have to go factory by factory, production line by production line, pressing a single button each time to recalculate car output.”
- “Poorly optimized and has some weirdness with some cars being always super popular but new enhanced models don't sell almost at all.”
- “I hope the dev keeps updating this awesome game, because there are lots of little problems and optimizations to be made.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
57%
13%
The music in the game is noted for its immersive quality and variety, transitioning from classic to modern styles as gameplay progresses, which enhances the overall experience. While many players appreciate the soundtrack and its ability to evoke nostalgia, some criticize it as generic or monotonous, suggesting that it may not hold up in a menu-driven context. Custom music options are available, allowing players to tailor their auditory experience.
- “Every bit of flavor text, every mechanic, every backdrop, the music, everything has an immense amount of character that is simply astonishing.”
- “Very good game gets addicting and the song 'Dawn' fits the game very well, I gotta say.”
- “Even your office will evolve from a typewriter and classical music to a computer and modern pop music.”
- “The music is, for the most part, a cacophony of terribadness, so be prepared to just turn that off and play your own music, but that's not a big loss since even the most brilliant soundtrack gets monotonous in an exclusively menu-driven game.”
- “Music is very, very generic.”
- “There are many songs in the game that change as the years pass.”
replayability
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, offering a wealth of variety and flexibility in gameplay that keeps players engaged for hours. Many reviewers highlight the depth and customization options available, which contribute to its addictive nature and encourage repeated playthroughs. Despite some criticisms regarding the user interface, the game's replay value is consistently noted as a strong selling point, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.
- “There's a large amount of variety and replayability as you get to have a lot of flexibility in your car making.”
- “Engaging, replayable to the extreme.”
- “You see how it looks, but gameplay is the true meat of this rough gem of a game and honestly I wish there were more strategy games like this one, not some dumbed down garbage with no replayability value.”
- “There are some tweaks that should be made but overall a very playable game with a lot of depth and replayability.”
- “For the price, you get a game with a helluva lot of replay value -- and a game that actually goes a little in-depth.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, often requiring significant time investment to manage and optimize various tasks. While some appreciate the complexity and challenge, many express frustration with the game's cumbersome UI, repetitive activities, and the need for extensive micromanagement, particularly in later stages. Suggestions for improved automation and better navigation have been common, as players seek to alleviate the monotony of grinding.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “If you're looking for a few hours of grinding, staring at the same 4-5 screens, and ultimately creating the biggest automobile monopoly of the century, then this might be the grind for you.”
- “The terrible tutorial, tedious navigation/menus, and lack of polish in the game at this point make it too difficult for me to jump into.”
stability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
89%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and bugs, particularly in the design interface and tutorial system. While some players note improvements and fewer issues compared to earlier versions, others still experience significant performance problems, especially when multitasking or navigating menus. Overall, the game is considered unstable, especially for those seeking a bug-free experience, but it shows potential for improvement with ongoing updates.
- “The gameplay is very in-depth and bug-free.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any major issues.”
- “I appreciate the stability; it allows for an immersive experience.”
- “I lost count of how many designs and progress I lost because of freezes and crashes.”
- “I find that GearCity still is lacking in some departments, like loading times, or how the entire game freezes when you tab away, which hurts especially when processing turns, or the unintuitive nature of the menus that make up the core gameplay.”
- “The interface is extremely buggy; on most designs, I can't apply any accessories besides wheels and headlights, as for whatever reason the rest of the components appear invisible or aren't placing correctly.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game emphasizes a complex and realistic simulation of vehicle production and marketing, where players must balance various costs such as advertising, research and development, and factory management. While vehicle design is a key feature, it often takes a backseat to the importance of effective advertising and dealership expansion, which are crucial for success. Players engage in a detailed economic strategy that includes managing personnel, production, and market trends, reflecting the intricacies of the automotive industry.
- “Anything you do in terms of vehicle design is absolutely eclipsed by the need to spend more on advertising and open more branches.”
- “It seems to fade into the background compared to the overwhelming focus on advertising, an excessive number of overpriced car models, and numerous dealerships.”
- “Having to plan the prices based on the costs of materials, R&D, labor, transport, and advertising was impressive, but it highlights the game's heavy reliance on monetization.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's story is described as minimal, with some players noting a lack of depth, while others appreciate the economic simulation grounded in the context of car manufacturers. Additionally, players can choose from various starting years, which adds a layer of personalization to their experience.
- “The economic sim seems well grounded and there's also the focus on everything that has made the story of car manufacturers tawdry and interesting.”
- “But here's the story of my current playthrough:”
- “☐ no story”
- “☐ story?”
- “When you start your story you have a few options for starting years.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted through its clever references, such as the nod to "Train to Busan," and the inclusion of amusing magazine reviews and challenges within the gameplay. Players appreciate the game's detailed mechanics and the lighthearted approach to its extensive stats and design elements, which contribute to an overall entertaining experience.
- “Astonishing game with so much to do it's hilarious.”
- “Monumental level of detail, from opening factories, stats, marketing effect, designing cars, race teams, vehicle popularity, funny magazine reviews, and more.”
- “I then decide to set my HQ up in Busan for the entire reason of 'Train to Busan is a funny movie.'”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its beautiful atmosphere, which immerses players and gives them a sense of control, particularly for those who take the time to understand the graphical user interface. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently described as great.
- “The game has a beautiful atmosphere, and the player really feels in control if one manages to understand how things are shown in the GUI.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is great.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional journey in the game to be both challenging and rewarding, as initial struggles lead to significant achievements. However, this success is tempered by a poignant sense of loss and heartbreak as the consequences of overexpansion and complacency unfold over time.
- “It's difficult, especially at first, but that just makes it so very, very rewarding when you finally hit it big, and all the more heartbreaking 50 years down the line as your company decays under the weight of overexpansion, pensions, and complacency.”