Hot Springs Story

About

"Hot Springs Story" is a simulation game where you build and manage your own Japanese resort, positioning facilities and designing gardens to satisfy guests and attract VIPs. Craft the perfect hot spring experience by managing rooms, restaurants, and baths to become the top resort. This game offers a unique and engaging experience for players who enjoy management simulations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 31 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features charming pixel art and a relaxing gameplay experience, making it enjoyable to play at your own pace.
It offers a unique combination of management and idle gameplay, allowing players to experiment with different strategies and combinations.
The game is forgiving and accessible, making it suitable for casual gamers and those looking for a low-investment gaming experience.

Progression can feel slow and repetitive, with limited facilities to unlock and not enough depth to keep players engaged long-term.
The music can become monotonous, with only a few tracks that loop frequently throughout gameplay.
Some players may find the gameplay lacks meaningful interaction, as it often involves idling and minimal active decision-making.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
The gameplay is a blend of charming retro-style mechanics and strategic elements, requiring some initial learning but ultimately rewarding players with an engaging and addictive experience. While some users noted issues with menu navigation and repetitive elements, the game's beautiful pixel graphics and innovative construction mechanics in titles like Hot Springs Story enhance its appeal. Overall, it follows the Kairosoft formula, offering a satisfying idle gameplay experience despite some minor bugs.
- “It took me a bit to understand how all the menus and mechanics worked, but I'm glad I stuck with it, because once everything 'clicked' I started having a lot of fun.”
- “Since it's a timeless casual experience, the gameplay remains interesting.”
- “But with its beautiful pixel graphics and addictive gameplay loop, I'm an instant fan.”
- “The mechanics are not explained well; a decade-old game FAQ of the original version helped me a lot.”
- “Hollow, slow, repetitive gameplay.”
- “Bugs: clicking on the screen creates a double cursor (does not affect gameplay).”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story in "Hot Springs Story" is engaging, albeit a bit slow-paced, and offers a fresh gameplay experience centered around constructing and strategically placing elements within a hot springs business. As the second international title from Kairosoft, it builds on the success of "Game Dev Story" by introducing unique mechanics that reward players for thoughtful design and uncovering synergies between buildings.
- “Hot Springs Story is my first one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience even if it comes off as a little slow.”
- “This is the second ever international Kairosoft title released following the massively successful Game Dev Story, and boy, did Kairosoft deliver with this title.”
- “Hot Springs Story introduces a new style of gameplay, having you focus on constructing the physical layout of the business itself, rewarding the player for strategic placement and uncovering secret building combinations that complement each other for extra bonuses.”
- “This is its story.”
- “Fans of grand prix story here.”
- “Hot springs story introduces a new style of gameplay having you focus on constructing the physical layout of the business itself, rewarding the player for strategic placement and uncovering secret building combinations that complement each other for extra bonuses.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The graphics of the game are characterized by cute and appealing pixel art, showcasing a charming Japanese aesthetic. Players appreciate the vibrant and customizable visuals, which enhance the overall addictive gameplay experience.
- “Cute and appealing graphics.”
- “But with its beautiful pixel graphics and addictive gameplay loop, I'm an instant fan.”
- “Kairosoft has packed this game to the brim with charm with its Japanese aesthetic and being able to customize literally every single tile shows how diverse and customizable the experience is.”
- “Inn management sim, simple pixel graphics, lots of idling, linear progression systems.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game's music is described as cute but can become repetitive, with only a few tracks available, leading to a reliance on a short loop. Additionally, the menu music is noted to be excessively loud, which may detract from the overall experience. Players do have the option to turn off the music if desired.
- “The music is very cute, with about three tracks as you progress, but you'll mostly be listening to one short song loop for a while, so it can be repetitive. However, you can always turn it off if needed.”
- “The music on the menu is eardrum-piercingly loud.”
- “If I had to make any complaints, the music is very cute. There are maybe about 3 tracks as you progress, but you'll mostly be listening to one short song loop for a while, so it can be repetitive. However, you can always turn it off.”
- “If I had to make any complaints, the music is very cute. There are maybe about 3 tracks as you progress, but you'll mostly be listening to one short song loop for a while, so it can be repetitive. However, you can always turn it off.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its comforting quality and charming pixel art, creating an inviting and delightful experience for players.
- “I adore every aspect of their games, from their comforting atmosphere to the delightful pixel art that exudes charm.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that while the game offers a speed-up option, achieving 100% completion can become tedious due to frequent interruptions from pop-ups that halt progress, making idle grinding challenging in the final stages.
- “By the end of the game, if you're wanting to 100% it, it gets a bit grindy. You'll just be waiting a lot at that point for things to max out. Luckily, there's an option to speed up the game time a bit, but there are always these occasional pop-ups on screen that pause the game progress, and you have to manually dismiss them each time, which makes it hard to just idle-grind the final parts out.”
- “The grinding in this game feels excessive. After a while, it becomes more about waiting for resources to regenerate than actually enjoying the gameplay.”
- “I found the grinding to be tedious and repetitive. It often felt like I was just going through the motions without any real sense of progress or achievement.”