Mad Games Tycoon

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,536 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Mad Games Tycoon Game Cover
Great game with pros and cons like any other game,but solid none the less. Great retro style game with fun and challenges i enjoyed it.
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Mad Games Tycoon is a business simulation game where you build and manage your own video game development company. Create and release your own games, while upgrading your office and competing with other companies to become the top game developer. Research new technology, recruit employees, and license game engines to stay ahead of the competition.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,536 reviews
gameplay55 positive mentions
music12 negative mentions
  • Mad Games Tycoon offers a deep and immersive experience for players who enjoy management simulations, allowing them to build and manage their own game development studio.
  • The game features a wide variety of genres, topics, and mechanics, providing players with numerous ways to succeed and customize their gameplay experience.
  • The developers are highly responsive, frequently updating the game with new content and improvements based on community feedback.
  • The tutorial is brief and lacks depth, leaving new players confused about the game's mechanics and how to improve their game development strategies.
  • The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage large teams and navigate through various menus efficiently.
  • The game can become repetitive and lose its challenge in the late game, especially once players have mastered the mechanics and amassed significant wealth.
  • gameplay205 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its depth and complexity, while others criticize its poorly explained mechanics and frustrating trial-and-error elements. Many users appreciate the variety of options and the engaging nature of the simulation, but note that the learning curve can be steep and the user interface cumbersome. Overall, while the gameplay offers potential for fun and addictive experiences, it is marred by design flaws and a lack of clarity in its mechanics.

    • “The gameplay is complex; there's a lot of different ways to approach the game and still have lots of fun.”
    • “The game has some real depth, well thought out gameplay, and overall feels highly polished.”
    • “It looks like it's had a tremendous amount of thought gone into getting the gameplay right, and making interesting options for people to tinker with.”
    • “The gameplay is just terrible.”
    • “I don't think repetitive gameplay can turn out to be fun here.”
    • “The problem is more around the way the gameplay loops are built.”
  • graphics197 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as outdated, unattractive, or even dreadful, often comparing them unfavorably to other titles in the genre. While some players appreciate the simplicity and functionality of the visuals, others find them to be a significant drawback that detracts from the overall experience. Despite the graphical shortcomings, many reviewers emphasize that the gameplay remains engaging and enjoyable, suggesting that the fun factor can outweigh the visual flaws.

    • “The graphics are great.”
    • “Mad Games Tycoon keeps the graphics light and attractive; the music is decent if nondescript and throws an ever-increasing number of market options for the user.”
    • “The graphics look like a flight safety video on a low-cost flight that somebody's thirteen-year-old cousin made in pirated 3ds max in two hours.”
    • “Genuinely has one of the worst art styles I have ever seen.”
    • “The graphics and UI are a bit wonky at times, but the game runs well enough even on a meager machine.”
    • “The graphics are dreadful, the music is really repetitive, the game gives you no hints about how to actually improve your virtual game.”
  • story70 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth, with many reviewers noting that it does not offer a traditional narrative or engaging plot. Instead, it focuses on gameplay mechanics typical of the game development simulation genre, emphasizing economic strategy over storytelling. While some players appreciate the game's complexity and depth compared to predecessors like Game Dev Story and Game Dev Tycoon, they express a desire for a more developed story mode to enhance replayability.

    • “This game is the best of the game simulation titles that I have played and while comparable to Game Dev Tycoon, it is more akin to Game Dev Story on Android devices.”
    • “It has more variety, it allows you to build rooms yourself, it has a wider range of training parameters, and the story is considerably longer than other tycoon games.”
    • “If you liked Game Dev Story/Tycoon and would like something more in depth, then try out Mad Games Tycoon.”
    • “If you want a story, this game is not for you.”
    • “Unlike with Game Dev Tycoon, there's no 'story' to speak of.”
    • “Not a fan of branding a tycoon game by its graphics, soundtrack, or even story (since there's hardly any), since the gameplay is pretty much the important part of any tycoon game.”
  • music66 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitiveness and lack of variety, leading to annoyance over time. While some describe the soundtrack as decent or inoffensive, others find it basic and unremarkable, often opting to mute it in favor of their own music. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the music may initially be enjoyable, it quickly becomes tiresome due to its limited range.

    • “The music is pretty good but also very repetitive, and the graphics are okay once you get used to them.”
    • “Beautiful atmospheric sounds and soundtrack.”
    • “Mad Games Tycoon keeps the graphics light and attractive; the music is decent if nondescript and throws an ever-increasing number of market options for the user.”
    • “The music is more or less inoffensive, but you'll hear it dozens of times if you play enough.”
    • “The graphics are dreadful, the music is really repetitive, the game gives you no hints about how to actually improve your virtual game.”
    • “It's cringeworthy and almost drives me insane every time, to the point that I muted all audio and just played music in the background.”
  • replayability48 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its high replay value due to various strategies and tactics, as well as frequent updates that enhance gameplay. However, some users feel that it lacks depth compared to other titles in the genre, leading to limited replayability after a certain point. Overall, while many find it fun and addictive with significant replay potential, others express concerns about its long-term engagement and depth.

    • “Mad Games Tycoon is a deep, thoughtfully-made, extremely fun and replayable game.”
    • “This game really surprised me on the addictiveness :) it is very nicely done, with great replayability.”
    • “It's fun, addictive, high replay value, has a large number of topics and techs to research.”
    • “Not a lot of replay value; seems to lack the depth of other sim titles.”
    • “Currently, I have the largest building available and about 3600m, and it seems a bit pointless continuing. I would also argue that replayability is limited. I have played this game multiple times, seeing if I missed anything, and I'm afraid to say I didn't—at least nothing showed up the second time around that was not there the first.”
    • “Overall, I feel the game was fun for about 20 hours, but if I knew that it would be only one playthrough for me, I definitely wouldn't pay more than $10 for it, because I like my tycoon and management games to be much more replayable than this one.”
  • humor30 mentions

    The humor in "Mad Games Tycoon" is a mixed bag, with players enjoying the ability to create absurd game titles and clever genre combinations, often drawing laughs from the game's quirky animations and parody elements. While some find the humor subtle and nostalgic, particularly for fans of 80s and 90s gaming, others criticize the game's overall execution and interface as lacking polish. Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the comedic potential in game development scenarios and the occasional amusing bugs, making it a lighthearted experience for those willing to overlook its shortcomings.

    • “Coming up with clever combos of different genres and funny little names for them is great fun.”
    • “The game has tons of subtle hints of humor you may not catch unless you're familiar with the 80's and 90's gaming scene.”
    • “It even sprinkles some humor over the game to keep things interesting.”
  • grinding25 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in the late game where micromanagement and menu navigation become overwhelming. While some appreciate the depth and complexity added by these mechanics, others feel that the automation options help alleviate the monotony. Overall, the grinding can feel like a time-consuming distraction rather than an engaging gameplay element.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Time bars get filled, numbers go up, repeat; with brief interruptions for tedious bookkeeping.”
    • “Training your staff is a very slow and tedious process that does not help much given how slow it is because of the limited number of training sessions.”
    • “In the late game, spending most of the time just going through menus to basically make a copy of an old game can feel tedious.”
  • stability21 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting it as largely bug-free and stable, while others experience frequent glitches and broken gameplay. Many acknowledge that the game is still in development, leading to minor bugs, but overall, it shows promise with ongoing updates aimed at improving stability. Players recommend it for its potential, despite its current flaws.

    • “For an early access game, it is extremely stable. No crashes; I played for 11 hours straight without a crash. For me, it is bug-free. The gameplay is smooth, and the controls are simple and basic, which is always good in this style of game.”
    • “Very buggy.”
    • “Yes, this game is more complex and in-depth but it is not fun and is hampered by constant glitches, broken gameplay, and bad design.”
    • “The menu for selecting which games to get reports from is buggy; there is no button to start the queue, the only way I could get it to start required checking off reports until the menu closed itself and the devs started writing them.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly in the late game when managing larger studios and more employees. While some users have noted improvements with recent patches, others still experience slowdowns and bugs, especially on lower-end hardware. Overall, the game is seen as needing further optimization to enhance performance and stability.

    • “The performance is great, at least at the moment.”
    • “I love the engine optimization, and that you can sell your engine and actually make money off it.”
    • “I have had zero crashes so far and the performance of the game is almost perfect.”
    • “I suspect it must be fairly poorly optimized, and I imagine it's probably nuked a few laptops out there.”
    • “Until I see an update where it fixes performance issues, I'm going to have to not recommend this game.”
    • “This game needs to be optimized to hell; everything else about it is amazing.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the beautiful sounds and soundtrack that enhance immersion, others feel it lacks depth and soul, citing missing sound effects and game feedback. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both engaging and somewhat incomplete, with potential for improvement through updates and expansions.

    • “Beautiful atmospheric sounds and soundtrack.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is nice on its own and it has a lot of topics and genres and features for your development journey.”
    • “The ability to develop patches, updates, language packs, sequels, as well as undertaking contracts tugs on my perfectionist personality when it comes to games, so making sure they’re ‘up-to-date’ creates the atmosphere of me almost being there.”
    • “Atmosphere: abysmal”
    • “There's just something about it - it seems to be missing something: soul, atmosphere, appropriate sound effects, and game feedback.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke genuine feelings, including tears, through its engaging simulation of the gaming industry. The experience is described as both fun and impactful, fostering a positive relationship with the virtual goods involved.

    • “What a brilliant concept to offer gamers a simulation of the gaming industry, making sure that every player has a positive emotional connection to the virtual goods they deal with - games are fun!”
    • “I cried in real life.”
    • “I cried again, in real life.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization strategy in the game leans heavily on MMO-style in-game purchases, allowing players to create add-ons that can be perceived as cash grabs, which may alienate some users. Additionally, the promotion and advertisement options are considered underwhelming and not worth the investment.

    • “The game offers a balanced approach to monetization, allowing players to enjoy the experience without feeling pressured to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate that the in-game purchases are optional and don't hinder gameplay for those who choose not to spend.”
    • “The monetization model is fair, providing value for players who want to enhance their experience without being forced to pay.”
    • “The promotion and advertisement options don't feel worth it.”
    • “Have some fun making MMO add-ons like 'the new hat' or 'the final cash grab' and make billions raking your loyal fan base over the hot coals.”
    • “In the game, you can develop MMO or in-game purchase type games.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised, with players appreciating the depth of customization options and the ability to specialize in different areas of game development. The emphasis on managing finances adds a strategic layer to the experience, contributing to an overall positive reception.

    • “Character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to shape their characters' skills and personalities based on their choices throughout the game.”
    • “The way characters evolve over time, influenced by player decisions, creates a truly immersive experience that keeps you invested in their journeys.”
    • “I love how the game allows for office customization and character specialization, making each playthrough feel unique and personal.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

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Play time

16hMedian play time
26hAverage play time
7-45hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs

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