Idol Manager

What starts as a challenging and potentially exciting management sim, Idol Manager fails to keep your attention in the long term. Once you overcome those early financial hurdles and the money starts rolling in, the challenge ends, making for a stale simulated day-to-day experience.

91%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, grinding

91% User Score Based on 1,390 reviews

Critic Score 69%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom €16.79

Buy NowGet on Steam€16.79

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Buy NowGet on PS Store$24.99

About

"Idol Manager" is a simulation game where you step into the role of a talent agency manager, nurturing and guiding aspiring idols on their path to fame. Oversee auditions, train idols, schedule events, and make tough decisions to ensure your agency's success. Balance finances, public image, and interpersonal relationships to build a prosperous idol empire.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,390 reviews

story96 positive mentions

stability31 negative mentions

Engaging management gameplay with a unique blend of visual novel elements.
Challenging yet rewarding, especially once players learn the mechanics.
Active modding community that enhances replayability and customization options.

Game-breaking bugs, including time freeze and save file corruption.
Steep learning curve that can lead to frequent bankruptcies for new players.
Repetitive gameplay loop that can become tedious in the late game.

story
320 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The story in "Idol Manager" is a standout feature, blending management simulation with a compelling narrative that explores the complexities of the idol industry. Players encounter a variety of engaging characters and philosophical themes, with multiple routes and endings that enhance replayability. While some find the story's pacing and integration with gameplay to be inconsistent, many appreciate its depth and emotional impact, making it a significant draw for fans of both management games and visual novels.
- “The story is well grounded and captivating, and you have to deal with real challenges and choices an idol agency must deal with: public opinion, cancel culture, mental and physical health of your idols, training, relationships, a good behind-the-scenes team, organizing concerts and tours, money investment, sometimes getting a loan for boosting your marketing and sales, finding the best idols, retiring your best ones and maybe putting them as fellow managers when the time comes...”
- “What surprised me the most is the story; I wasn't expecting much of it here but I loved it.”
- “The story is really great. This game has a hell of a story and is an incredibly fun, if relatively simple, tycoon game.”
- “The story is... improvable.”
- “The writing is bad, events and the main story often don't make sense.”
- “The story is okay but it feels like they didn't really focus much on developing these elements that give the game longevity and replayability.”
gameplay
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of "Idol Manager" is characterized by a simple yet addictive loop that offers significant replayability, enhanced by a robust modding community. While many players appreciate the depth and engaging mechanics, some criticize the repetitiveness and lack of complexity in certain areas, particularly in late-game scenarios. Overall, the game successfully combines management simulation with unique idol culture elements, though it may require some adjustments to improve balance and user experience.
- “Whether you're interested in altering character appearances, adding new storylines, or enhancing the overall gameplay experience, the modding community has contributed to making Idol Manager a game that feels fresh every time you play.”
- “With its clever mechanics and dark undertones, Idol Manager excels at making each playthrough unique.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying, and I enjoy any type of management game system.”
- “The actual management mechanics are boring.”
- “The gameplay loop is quite repetitive after the first few hours.”
- “The gameplay gets very repetitive very fast, as you just cycle through making singles and concerts to no end.”
music
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
81%
5%
The music in the game is generally described as decent but repetitive, with some players noting that it lacks variety and can become tiresome over time. While the background tracks are upbeat and fit the idol theme, many reviewers express a desire for a more extensive soundtrack and original vocal tracks. Overall, the music serves its purpose within the management gameplay but does not stand out as a highlight of the experience.
- “The soundtrack deserves special mention for its catchy tunes that encapsulate the energy and excitement of the idol world.”
- “Whether it's the upbeat melodies during successful performances or the more reflective tunes during downtime, the music enhances the overall experience.”
- “The music is very good, but that is subjective.”
- “The music is almost non-existent, despite a fitting track in the main menu.”
- “You'd expect an idol game to feature some quality music, but unfortunately, this game uses pretty short repetitive samples.”
- “The background music is very repetitive.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful artwork and charming aesthetics, featuring a mix of solid 2D visuals and pixel art that effectively captures the theme of the idol industry. While many players appreciate the art style and character designs, some note that the visuals can become repetitive over time, and there are occasional technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, making it a standout title in the simulation and management genres.
- “The game graphics and execution of the concept are on point, but the game can initially be quite challenging and the tutorial is not as helpful as it should be.”
- “Its various gameplay features and visuals all work in tandem to build an immersive facsimile of Japan’s idol industry that is compelling to take part in.”
- “Graphics are a mix of pretty solid 2D artwork and charming pixel art.”
- “The game is playable, but I would say that 25% of the experience is purely bugs, either with your progress or visuals.”
- “What else... I'd say the graphics for head figures are sub-par; I would expect something better.”
- “I don't know, they made good money for all of their stretch goals and more, but it doesn't feel like much was spent on the actual game or improving artwork.”
stability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches that significantly disrupt gameplay, including freezing issues and game-breaking errors. Many users express frustration over the lack of updates and support from the developers, leading to a sense of abandonment. While some players find enjoyment despite the bugs, the overall consensus is that the game is currently too unstable to recommend.
- “This game has a lot of unfulfilled potential; I can see what they were trying to do, but overall the entire thing feels unfinished and buggy.”
- “However, the developers have basically abandoned this game in its entirety. No updates have been pushed in years, and it's extremely buggy - I just lost about 4-5 hours of progress to a bug.”
- “But at its current state, I absolutely cannot recommend it. It has an insane amount of game-breaking glitches that even starting a new save does not fix. It's been years, and the devs have yet to update the game and have not even addressed the situation; their social media has gone completely quiet, and I fear a bug fix will not come in the near future.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The reviews highlight a significant grindy aspect of the game, particularly in the early stages, where players face tedious micromanagement tasks such as producing singles and running concerts. While some players appreciate the story mode's objectives as a distraction, many find the overall gameplay loop repetitive and exhausting, with a lack of depth in the management system leading to frustration. Despite its charming mechanics, the grind can detract from the enjoyment, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “At the same time, I could not miss mentioning a grindy side of this game and a lot of micromanagement, at least in the beginning.”
- “It's a classic example of a 'difficulty wall' instead of a 'difficulty cliff', or it would be if the problem truly was difficulty instead of just patience and ridiculous amounts of grinding.”
- “I wish I could enjoy playing it, but the gameplay loop mostly is just tedious clicking on performance or promotion and occasionally getting to have some fun with sub-events.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
77%
12%
The game's optimization is generally smooth on low-spec systems, but players report occasional lag during late-game scenarios with high activity levels. While navigating menus is mostly seamless, there are notable performance hiccups when loading extensive content, and some chapters experience stuttering. Overall, the game could benefit from further updates to streamline management tasks and improve the gameplay loop, which currently feels tedious due to repetitive clicking.
- “Happily planning to play more... to get more achievements, finish the story mode, and try to max my performance and promotion levels.”
- “To succeed you will need to understand the main loop of doing promotions/performances while your singles are being developed, and getting a photoshoot deal every other time.”
- “Right now, the way to succeed at this game is: hire high-quality idols + daily promotion + concerts = victory, and you can largely ignore the game's other, less efficient systems, except where needed to level up your performance or promotion.”
- “Performances and promotions, for example, are just nebulous once-a-day buttons you have to constantly monitor to click at each daily opportunity, which sends the pace stumbling since you can't just cruise while waiting on processes to finish, and they do nothing but hand over a lump sum of money or fans.”
- “I love this game, I see more pros than cons, but I can't recommend a poorly optimized or hastily made game, let alone trust the developer.”
- “I wish I could enjoy playing it, but the gameplay loop mostly is just tedious clicking on performance or promotion and occasionally getting to have some fun with sub-events.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and unexpected moments, with players enjoying the witty dialogue and satirical takes on the music industry. Many found the random events and character interactions to be genuinely funny, contributing to an overall enjoyable and light-hearted experience. However, some humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes feeling awkward or unskippable, but the game's ability to blend comedy with deeper themes keeps it engaging.
- “Good game, it's easy to understand how to play and the story catches me, and quick small stories are funny.”
- “Dialogue is smart, witty, and occasionally hilarious.”
- “The game gives you a good enough dive into managing idols, some of the random encounters are pretty funny and there are a lot of jokes/plots which really mock the showbiz industry, which is nice.”
replayability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
13%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many users highlighting its addictive gameplay, multiple endings, and diverse mechanics that keep each playthrough fresh and engaging. While some reviews mention moderate to low replay value in certain contexts, the presence of random elements, various routes, and the potential for mods contribute to a generally positive perception of replayability. Players appreciate the depth and variety that encourage repeated play, making it a worthwhile experience.
- “Tons of content and great replayability keep you playing non-stop, losing track of time.”
- “The game has a lot of different mechanics that make replayability not boring and mostly unique every run you play.”
- “There's a lot of replayability here, with different people to recruit, cool live events to host, television, radio, and internet shows to manage, scandals to handle, etc.”
- “It is worth 20 dollars, but its replayability is very low in its current state.”
- “The story is okay but it feels like they didn't really focus much on developing these elements that give the game longevity and replayability.”
- “-little replay value”
emotional
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to create deep attachments to characters, with players often experiencing genuine feelings of sadness and investment in their idols' journeys. While some find the narrative and character development to be heartfelt and impactful, others note that the emotional engagement can lead to feelings of loss and regret, particularly when characters graduate or face challenges. Overall, the game successfully blends lighthearted moments with poignant storytelling, leaving players both touched and occasionally emotionally drained.
- “The personal stories of each idol, their struggles, and triumphs add an emotional layer to the game.”
- “I did not expect to become as emotionally invested in this game as I did.”
- “The story has more depth than I expected and the scenes are so emotional.”
monetization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its reliance on random chance and poorly designed systems, leading to frequent bankruptcies despite efforts in advertising and promotions. Players find that managing business deals, such as photo shoots and advertisements, often feels frustrating and unbalanced, with many avenues for revenue proving ineffective or overly complicated. Overall, while there is potential for a more engaging monetization strategy, the current implementation leaves players feeling overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.
- “Impossible to be profitable, no matter how many performances you do or ads, money just goes down the drain.”
- “I had 4 billion and gambled it all away with advertisement contracts until I was almost negative 100 billion.”
- “Photoshoots are a good source of early game cash until you unlock concerts, but other than that, advertisements, photo shoots, drama shows, etc. are a waste of time.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Character development in the game is described as decent, with some players appreciating the vibrant and diverse character designs that reflect the idol industry. However, others find the character designs repetitive and the story bland, leading to mixed feelings about the overall depth of character growth. While some light-hearted dialogue is enjoyable, there are instances of awkward, unskippable moments that detract from the experience.
- “The character designs are vibrant and diverse, capturing the essence of the idol industry.”
- “If you're bored and want to burn some hours or distract yourself, this is a good game to do it with. It has a good gameplay loop, nice aesthetics (multiple mods that help with how the idols look), a decent storyline (made me cry), and somewhat great character development.”
- “The character development was decent, and some of the light-hearted dialogue was funny.”
- “However, while the management part has been very fun to experience, the game seems to fall short when it comes to character designs. I don’t like the style of them, and they are very repetitive, and the story feels a bit bland.”
- “The character development was decent, and some of the light-hearted dialogue was funny, but some was just... weird and unskippable ('skip' in game is just 'read faster').”