Hollywood Visionary

About

"Hollywood Visionary" is a 1950s-set, interactive novel where you run a movie studio, making creative and financial decisions to create films and build your studio's reputation. Engage with Hollywood stars, shape your own identity, and explore extensive romance options across five different endings. With control over every aspect of filmmaking, including genre and casting, unleash your inner auteur and become a Hollywood visionary.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 83 reviews

story19 positive mentions

The game effectively captures the classic Hollywood vibe of the 1950s, immersing players in a well-executed narrative filled with historical references and engaging details.
Players have significant control over their character and story outcomes, with a wide array of choices that impact the narrative, leading to high replay value.
The writing is praised for its quality, keeping the momentum up and making the story emotionally engaging, with many players feeling invested in their choices and the characters.

Some players found the game to be too short, with a playthrough lasting only about 1.5 to 2 hours, leading to a feeling of a lack of depth in the story.
Critics noted that the game can feel one-sided in its political themes, particularly regarding the portrayal of the Red Scare, which some found forced or overly simplistic.
Character development was seen as lacking by some players, with relationships feeling bland or underdeveloped, making it difficult to form attachments to the characters.

story
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The game's story is engaging and well-written, offering a mix of personal and cinematic experiences set against the backdrop of 1950s Hollywood. Players appreciate the diverse choices that shape their journey, although some note that the narrative can feel linear and lacks significant branching paths. Overall, while the story is enjoyable and filled with interesting twists, it may leave some players wanting more depth and resolution.
- “The story is engaging, your choices heavily matter, and the fact that it's reading adds to the imagination in one's head.”
- “Beautiful, intense, and thrilling story.”
- “The game is excellently written, the storyline is interesting, and the choices are varied enough to entertain you for several playthroughs.”
- “The story is pretty much the exact same every time.”
- “You only get to make one film, and the details of that film don't seem to affect the story in any way (they can unlock some achievements, though!).”
- “Some of the story turns are forced and/or nonsensical.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its multiple choices that significantly alter outcomes, allowing players to explore various narratives and character identities. While some users noted limited replay value after multiple playthroughs, many found the experience engaging enough to warrant repeated plays. The game's strong writing and diverse options contribute to its appeal for revisiting.
- “Relatively short, but with a very high replay value due to the multiple choices that change the outcomes of events.”
- “Oh, and for those of you concerned with cost, you can stop fretting: the sheer multitude of choices one can make guarantees exceptional replayability.”
- “It's brilliantly written and has a very high replay value.”
- “Not much replay value here.”
- “Definitely has some replay value, though you'll find yourself skimming text once you've read it a few times.”
- “I have only played it once so far, but there seems to be ample replay value here as well.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional investment throughout the game, particularly highlighting a moving and unexpected ending that evokes both tears and laughter. The experience is described as emotionally draining yet rewarding, making players feel deeply connected to the narrative and characters.
- “I was very emotionally invested by the end.”
- “The ending in particular was moving and unexpectedly emotional.”
- “Making one hard decision after the next felt emotionally draining, but when I reached the ending, I found it hard to read through the tears in my eyes and the involuntary laughter.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The gameplay is highly praised for its engaging choice-based mechanics and the intricate balance between stat management and character relationships, creating a dynamic and immersive experience. Players appreciate the variety of variables that enhance the overall enjoyment and emotional impact of the narrative.
- “The amount of variables made for a fantastic gameplay experience.”
- “I enjoyed the choice-based gameplay.”
- “I've just completed my first playthrough, and I must say I enjoyed it immensely: the writing was truly engaging at all stages and actually quite affecting in some specific scenes, with the stat-based mechanics constantly keeping the pressure on, making the balancing of the development of the movie and maintaining the more story-involved character relationships precarious at best.”
- “The gameplay feels unbalanced and often frustrating, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “The mechanics are clunky and detract from the overall immersion of the game.”
- “I found the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, which made it hard to stay engaged.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The music aspect of the game is noted as lacking, with players suggesting the addition of background music to enhance the experience. Some players prefer to supplement their gameplay with their own music, such as epic uplifting tracks from YouTube, to create a more immersive atmosphere. Overall, while the game's narrative and character development are praised, the absence of an original soundtrack is seen as a missed opportunity.
- “This game is beautiful; the author is one of the greatest writers in terms of character development. I suggest putting some sort of music in the background while you play this game (I prefer to listen to epic uplifting music on YouTube). Regardless, this game/novel is nearly perfect, and I plan to put many more hours into it.”
- “Now whether or not the story in question is liable to set your world on fire is a slightly more subjective thing, and obviously all the non-readers out there should just leave the store page now and go find themselves a sam to get serious with (it's literally just words, not even any pictures or music)!”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is described as inconsistent, with some users finding it very poor, while others praise the author's writing as exceptional. Despite the mixed opinions, the overall experience is considered nearly perfect, suggesting that character development may not be the primary focus for all players.
- “This game is beautiful; the author is one of the greatest writers in terms of character development. I do suggest putting some sort of music in the background while you play this game (I prefer to listen to epic uplifting music on YouTube). Nevertheless, this game/novel is nearly perfect, and I plan to put many more hours into it.”
- “Very poor character development overall.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere effectively blends a light-hearted narrative with a serious exploration of the fear and paranoia from the McCarthy witch hunts, creating a unique and engaging backdrop that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the historical depth and the way it enriches the storytelling.
- “I personally enjoyed the historical factors concerning the witch hunt of communists and the overall atmosphere.”
- “Although the game sells itself as a 'be a Hollywood movie-maker!' type of story, it actually goes in-depth about the atmosphere of fear and paranoia surrounding the McCarthy witch hunts that happened around that time, lending an unexpectedly serious tone to an otherwise fairly light-hearted piece.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The graphics are highly praised for their artistic quality, evoking a strong emotional response and standing out as exceptional in the gaming landscape.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning, creating a breathtaking visual experience.”
- “The attention to detail in the environments is remarkable, making every scene feel alive.”
- “I can only think of a few other pieces of artwork that have come close to this feeling.”