Moviehouse
- April 5, 2023
- Odyssey Studios
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Moviehouse" is a strategic single-player game where you build your filmmaking empire, starting from a small crew in the 80s and growing into a successful studio. Create movies, hire larger crews, and outsmart competitors to become the most successful studio in Hollywood. The game takes about 4 hours to beat and allows you to create and win prizes at box office events.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a fun and creative concept that appeals to fans of movie production simulations.
- Some players find the game enjoyable and addictive, especially for casual play while multitasking.
- The game is priced affordably, making it accessible for those interested in the genre.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, performance issues, and a confusing user interface that detracts from the experience.
- Many players feel the game is unbalanced, making it difficult to progress without going bankrupt.
- The mechanics are poorly explained, leading to frustration and a lack of clarity on how to successfully manage a movie studio.
- gameplay24 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Movie House is criticized for being a tedious grind with poorly explained mechanics and a lack of innovation, often compared unfavorably to Game Dev Tycoon. Players report a frustrating experience due to unbalanced mechanics, a lack of meaningful progression, and numerous bugs that hinder smooth gameplay. Overall, the game feels soulless and fails to engage players, leaving many dissatisfied with its execution.
“It's a tycoon with a clean and addictive design/mechanic!”
“Unfortunately, unlike Game Dev Tycoon, Movie House struggles with unbalanced mechanics, a complete lack of difficulty curve, and areas of the game that are completely superfluous and have absolutely no impact on the production of your films.”
“The gameplay is supposed to be point and click but allow me to tell you the majority of gameplay here.”
“The gameplay shows a lack of passion from the developers.”
“There is no complexity, no shift in focus, no gameplay additions, nothing.”
“The UI is unwieldy, the mechanics are not well explained, and it just feels like a soulless grind, to be honest.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including lag, glitches, and an overall unplayable experience even on maximum settings. Many users express frustration over the lack of clear direction and the need for substantial improvements to the UI and tooltips. Overall, the consensus is that the game requires urgent optimization to enhance playability.
“Needs some optimization.”
“Would love to update my review once the game is playable and less performance lag.”
“There are also occasional performance issues and bugs that can cause the game to freeze up entirely.”
“Super super buggy and laggy game even with max performance settings on with not clear direction as to what you're supposed to do.”
“Update on 6/3/24: game is still unplayable with max performance settings.”
“Honestly I feel very neutral, but the optimization is rubbish, it's very bare bones, leveling doesn't seem to affect anything much, and I cannot for the life of me get more than a 6 out of 10 on any movie.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and performance lags, even on high settings. While some players report that certain issues can be resolved through troubleshooting, the overall experience is marred by a lack of clear direction and frustrating gameplay mechanics. Many users feel it falls short of its inspirations, resulting in a frustrating and unstable gaming experience.
“Super super buggy and laggy game even with max performance settings on, with no clear direction as to what you're supposed to do.”
“There also seems to be glitches clearing debt, and making income now seems impossible. It seems designed to spend a lot of time getting little value in return.”
“They tried to be like Game Dev Tycoon, but it is a poor, buggy imitation.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for being frustrating and limiting, with players feeling stuck and unable to progress or upgrade. However, some fresh features, like the plot cards system, are noted as initially off-putting but ultimately appreciated. Overall, the narrative experience could benefit from improved accessibility and engagement.
“I wanted a fun game to play about making movies, but I got a game where all I do is lose money and can't advance in the storyline or make upgrades.”
“Then, your writer gets to writing... a little while later you get a prompt to help choose the plot setting.”
“There are some fresh features that were initially a little off-putting (like the plot cards system) that I quickly grew to appreciate.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as mediocre, with some players experiencing performance issues that hinder gameplay, even on high-end systems. Additionally, the lack of translation for technical terms may pose a barrier for non-English speaking players, impacting their understanding of the game's mechanics. Overall, while the graphics are deemed acceptable, the performance concerns overshadow the visual experience.
“The graphics in this game are stunning, with incredible attention to detail that truly immerses you in the environment.”
“I can run Hogwarts Legacy on ultra graphics without a stutter, but this game brings my computer to a crawl.”
“The visual effects are breathtaking, making every scene feel alive and vibrant.”
“I play Hogwarts Legacy at ultra graphics without a stutter, but this game brings my computer to a crawl?”
“The game runs poorly and graphics are okay, I guess.”
“In the bug section of this forum, the devs have a troubleshooting FAQ and the one about preferred graphics card resolved my problem.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that "Movie House" involves significant grinding, requiring many hours to unlock better film production and competitive strategies. The tedious setup for distribution and frequent prompts regarding reviews and audience reception can detract from the experience, though the unique focus on the film and television industry is seen as a refreshing change from typical tycoon game themes.
“The gameplay of Movie House requires quite a few hours of grinding out movies before you can start producing better films and buying out your competitors.”
“Setting up distribution is tedious, and there are many prompts regarding reviews and audience reception with everything you do.”
“A lot of these lighter tycoon games are centered around game dev studios, YouTuber life, adorable pet care, farming, etc. To have the setting based around the film and television industry is noteworthy, but the grinding aspect detracts from the experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its clever juxtaposition of horror elements, where players are encouraged to match horror films with props and settings, creating a comedic experience that plays on genre tropes. This blend of humor and horror not only entertains but also adds a layer of strategy for bonus points.
“Presumably all of this is for bonus points - match up a horror film with some horror props on a horror set in a horror location and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's relaxing nature and express a desire for mod support to enhance replayability, indicating that additional content could further enrich their experience.
“I love the game; it's so chill! I would love mod support for extra replayability if that's possible.”
“The variety of choices and paths keeps me coming back for more; every playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and character builds, I find myself replaying the game just to explore all the possibilities.”
“I love the game; it's so chill. I would love mod support for extra replayability if that's possible.”
“Once you finish the main story, there's really not much incentive to play again.”
“The game lacks variety in missions, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
