News Tower

97%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,235 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
News Tower Game Cover
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"News Tower" is a simulation game set in 1930s New York, where you play as an influential publisher. Your goal is to define your editorial line, search the globe for newsworthy stories, and manage your team of reporters to beat deadlines. Be cautious of the mafia, mayor, and other factions trying to use your influence to print their version of the truth. The game allows you to follow key moments of the 1930s and decide whether to cover and influence them.

Play Modes

Reviews

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,235 reviews
gameplay131 positive mentions
monetization21 negative mentions
  • Engaging and addictive gameplay loop that keeps players coming back for more.
  • Charming 1930s aesthetic with a great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Active developer support with frequent updates and a clear roadmap for future content.
  • Limited content currently available, with the game ending after a few in-game years.
  • Some UI elements are clunky and could benefit from better organization and filtering options.
  • Random events like lawsuits and mob visits can feel overly punishing and disrupt gameplay flow.
  • gameplay272 mentions

    The gameplay of "News Tower" is characterized by a highly addictive and engaging loop that combines elements of management and strategy, allowing players to build and manage their own newspaper while navigating various challenges. While many players appreciate the depth and unique mechanics, some express concerns about repetitiveness and the need for further content and balancing, especially in the later stages of the game. Overall, the game is praised for its charming aesthetics, intuitive mechanics, and potential for future updates, making it a standout in the tycoon genre.

    • “Beautiful game with surprisingly deep gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to pick up, and it’s all about managing things at your own pace.”
    • “News Tower is a standout in the tycoon and management genre, offering one of the tightest, most streamlined gameplay loops I've experienced.”
    • “The gameplay is very straightforward and remains unchanged throughout the game.”
    • “The game lacks depth and variety, with repetitive gameplay that quickly becomes boring.”
    • “After about 8 hours or so, the gameplay does become repetitive.”
  • music168 mentions

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its high production quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. The jazzy soundtrack is noted for being both immersive and period-appropriate, effectively capturing the essence of the 1930s while keeping players engaged. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and replayability.

    • “The music is smooth, the walking is awkward (hopefully they'll tweak that later), the map system works, but the drag and drop select build feature makes this game stand out among simulation games.”
    • “The soundtrack is incredible, really captures the era perfectly, as do the background animations and they create this perfect and charming aesthetic.”
    • “The music helps, the news stories are great and follow along with the year.”
    • “The music skips often, the save process takes a very long time and the print lever sometimes is very laggy.”
    • “There's a couple songs which sound more 1950s than 1930s but that's a minor gripe.”
    • “For hours after playing, I still hear the hectic music running through my mind and affecting my overall sense of calm.”
  • story158 mentions

    The game's story is described as minimal and often repetitive, primarily serving as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a driving force. Players engage in a cycle of managing a newspaper, completing quests, and dealing with various factions, but many feel that the narrative lacks depth and development beyond initial introductions. While some enjoy the thrill of story-driven gameplay and the excitement of breaking news, others express a desire for more intricate storylines and meaningful choices that impact the game's progression.

    • “The storytelling is done in an excellent and graceful way, with the difficulty and possibilities slowly increasing as well.”
    • “The story and progression are paced well and even at such an early stage in its development there is so much content.”
    • “This is an amazing simulator game with a lot of depth in the story, and the stories themselves.”
    • “Stories become 'old news' a week or two after their completion, which means you can stall the completion of a story to prevent it from becoming old news. However, a lot of stories become old news, and there's no easy way to bin these quickly; good luck dumping multiple old stories: click the story, click all of the bin icons (sometimes there's multiple per story), repeat 15 times. Stories don't expire, they just accrue and you get way more stories than you could ever publish, leading to an overwhelming amount of old news that's tedious to remove.”
    • “While there is a story to the game, it is introduced and never touched again or developed. I personally would like to see a bit more story beyond just the cutscene introduction.”
    • “I do not know if I find any value in having 'different locations' the way it is set up. Maybe if more to the story was added to influence where you go, past who you hire to write, it may give the game some variety.”
  • graphics118 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and aesthetically pleasing design, effectively capturing a vibrant 1930s vibe. Players appreciate the smooth animations, cohesive art style, and how well the visuals complement the gameplay and soundtrack, creating an immersive experience. Despite some minor performance issues, the overall visual presentation is considered polished and engaging, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The graphics are charming and well-designed, providing a visually pleasing experience.”
    • “The graphics are vibrant and detailed, bringing the bustling newsroom to life with characters and settings that are both engaging and realistic.”
    • “The art style, graphics, and music work really well together.”
    • “This game has serious performance issues, and doesn't run properly even on the lowest graphics setting.”
    • “Now, let's talk performance—on my MacBook Pro (2019, i9, 64GB RAM, Radeon Pro 5500M), this game chugs like a snail, even at 800x600 with all the fancy graphics options turned off.”
    • “The graphics are simplistic yet aesthetically pleasing, and the brick building the newspaper resides in does a perfect job of giving the player 1930's vibes... only without jobless people loitering around the building and selling fruits or pencils.”
  • replayability31 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting a surprising depth and variety in gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs, especially given its early access status. However, others express concerns that once the meta is understood, the game may lose its replay value, suggesting a need for more long-term goals and content updates. Overall, while there is potential for replayability, particularly with branching storylines and unlockable content, the current experience may feel limited after initial exploration.

    • “Even though it's in early access, there's already plenty of highly replayable content.”
    • “Replayability: there are different ways to build your media empire, thanks to branching storylines and unlockable content.”
    • “The core gameplay is fresh, surprisingly challenging, and replayable.”
    • “For both the news and tower parts of the game, you'll pretty quickly figure out the meta, and at that point, it stops feeling particularly replayable.”
    • “As it stands, the game is unique with a decent core mechanic, but business sims live or die on their replayability, and this game needs work on those fronts to earn its overwhelmingly positive review score it somehow has.”
    • “My only real concern is that the gameplay between learning new mechanics can be quite grindy, and I'm not convinced there will be much replayability to the game once you know how it all works.”
  • atmosphere26 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive 1930s setting, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and art style that evoke the era's unique vibe. Players appreciate the historical context and thematic depth, noting that the atmosphere significantly contributes to the overall enjoyment, despite some concerns about gameplay depth. Overall, the combination of sound, visuals, and period-appropriate elements creates a compelling and engaging experience.

    • “The music is great and really keeps you immersed in the 30's atmosphere too.”
    • “Moreover, the game's soundtrack and sound effects contribute to an immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.”
    • “One of the standout features of News Tower is its ability to immerse players in the dynamic atmosphere of a bustling newspaper office.”
    • “I love the 1930s atmosphere and the fact that you can design the newspaper yourself, including ads?!”
    • “Awesome 1930s atmosphere.”
  • monetization21 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is centered around the integration of advertisements, which players find both essential for generating revenue and somewhat flawed in execution. While the ability to unlock new features and manage ads adds depth to gameplay, players express a desire for better reminders and UI improvements to enhance the experience. Overall, the monetization system reflects a realistic media mogul experience, balancing the need for profit with the creative aspects of newspaper management.

    • “Well good luck with the latter cause it seems that ads are the only way to make decent money which is.... concerningly realistic.”
    • “It feels a little cynical and un-fun to have putting an advert at the top of the first page but that was basically always the most profitable way to go, because they have such high base monetary print-rewards and the really good news weeks only come every once in a while.”
    • “It's the real media mogul experience; selling papers, selling ads, selling my soul.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and stability, others experience significant issues, particularly on lower-end systems, with frame rate drops and poor performance even at minimal settings. The layout and organizational aspects of gameplay are engaging, but the overall performance needs improvement, especially for users with less powerful hardware. Early access players note a polished experience, yet many still call for further optimization to enhance gameplay fluidity.

    • “Building up the tower and figuring out what objects and workstations to place scratches that SimTower itch for layout optimization, and figuring out whether a story is good enough to send your ace crime reporter is a complex decision to ponder.”
    • “We've got period-appropriate news (some of which just might have been lifted from actual headlines), production chain management optimization for any Anno veteran, and a gorgeous 1930's atmosphere.”
    • “The gameplay is simple and intuitive, but full of minute optimization and organizing.”
    • “This game has serious performance issues, and doesn't run properly even on the lowest graphics setting.”
    • “Now, let's talk performance—on my MacBook Pro (2019, i9, 64GB RAM, Radeon Pro 5500M), this game chugs like a snail, even at 800x600 with all the fancy graphics options turned off.”
    • “On my work PC (8700K + 16GB + 1060), the performance is weird - it's totally playable but sometimes it drops to 45fps for no reason, then goes back up to a smooth 60, then back down to 45 - that is everything on low.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while initial progression is engaging and fun, it quickly becomes tedious as players face an overwhelming number of old stories to manage and lengthy repair times after attacks. The game offers some clever mechanics to alleviate the grind, but many reviewers express concerns about the repetitiveness and potential lack of replayability as they progress. Overall, while some enjoy the grinding, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's a fun management game that can make you lose track of time, but then after a while it becomes grindy, very, very grindy.”
    • “My only real concern is that the gameplay between learning new mechanics can be quite grindy, and I'm not convinced there will be much replayability to the game once you know how it all works.”
    • “I think it has potential to be good, but right now I'm just finding it more tedious than entertaining.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying its witty dialogue, amusing events, and clever historical references. The comedic elements enhance the gameplay experience, making it both entertaining and engaging, while the charming graphic design complements the lighthearted tone. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its management mechanics, resulting in a fun and addictive experience.

    • “Great 1930's era design and lots of historic headlines as well as some humor.”
    • “A game well worth playing with a nice setting, funny events, & good tutorial that helps you along the way without being obnoxious.”
    • “Absolutely love this little gem, super addictive and easy to get the hang of, reading the headlines is hilarious at times.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, players report a generally stable experience with minimal glitches and bugs, especially for an early access title. While some users noted occasional visual glitches, the game is praised for its solid performance and enjoyable gameplay loop, indicating that developers are effectively addressing stability issues.

    • “It's not buggy at all for being in early access. It might need some more balancing and optimization, but the developers are still working on the game, so I don't think that will be a problem.”
    • “The game offers some nice graphics and a superb aesthetic, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
    • “So far, it feels great; I encountered maybe a couple of visual glitches, but otherwise, News Tower nailed it for me.”
    • “There are sometimes glitches, but overall, it's an amazing game!”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players find the game enjoyable and immersive, capturing the chaotic experience of being a business owner, enhanced by its wholesome art style and music. However, there is a desire for deeper emotional engagement through plotlines or personal storytelling elements to enrich the overall experience.

    • “The game has amazing vibes and atmosphere; the art style and the music are just wholesome.”
    • “Enjoyable (but chaotic) management game, truly made me feel like a business owner who was at my wits' end.”
    • “Perhaps you could add some plotlines or the ability to write personal stories to add emotional depth to the game.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the character designs and building aspects of the game, indicating a positive reception towards the visual and aesthetic elements of character development.

    • “I really enjoy the character building and designs.”
    • “The character development is incredibly deep and engaging, making each choice feel impactful.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their backstories and relationships adding layers to the gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

11hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
6-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs

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