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About

News Tower is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Sparrow Night and was released on November 18, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"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.

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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,470 reviews
gameplay262 positive mentions
monetization42 negative mentions

  • Engaging gameplay loop that keeps players hooked with a mix of strategy and time management.
  • Charming 1930s aesthetic with a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Active developer support and frequent updates promise a bright future for the game.
  • Currently limited content with the game ending abruptly after a few hours of play.
  • Some UI elements are clunky and could benefit from better organization and filtering options.
  • Random events like lawsuits and mob encounters can feel overly punishing and disrupt gameplay flow.
  • gameplay
    544 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "News Tower" is widely praised for its addictive and engaging loop, combining elements of management and strategy in a charming 1930s newspaper setting. Players appreciate the simplicity and depth of the mechanics, which allow for creative decision-making and gradual complexity as they progress. However, some reviewers note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time and that certain mechanics need refinement to enhance overall replayability and challenge.

    • “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 loop is remarkable in its ability to produce in you the 'one more turn' mindset.”
    • “The core gameplay loop of receiving news, sending out reporters, arranging articles, and sending them to print for the week is incredibly satisfying and addictive.”
    • “This is a mandatory part of gameplay every player will experience that has been neglected and opted instead for wasting the player's time; fix this.”
    • “The game lacks depth and variety, with repetitive gameplay that quickly becomes boring.”
    • “After about 8 hours or so, the gameplay does become repetitive.”
  • music
    336 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its high production quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience. The jazzy soundtrack perfectly captures the 1930s setting, creating a relaxing yet engaging atmosphere that players find addictive and enjoyable. Some users noted a desire for more variety in the tracks, but overall, the music is considered one of the standout features of the game.

    • “The music is perfect for setting the tone and atmosphere - it's jazzy, sleazy, and pops with the kind of noir and grime you'd feel typical of the depressing 30's when the game is set.”
    • “The soundtrack is incredible, really captures the era perfectly, as do the background animations and they create this perfect and charming aesthetic.”
    • “The music is amazing, I wish the developers would add more as it can get a bit repetitive - 9/10.”
    • “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.”
    • “Graphics are cute, music is decent, and god help you if you forget to pause.”
  • story
    316 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as engaging yet somewhat limited, with players managing a newspaper while navigating various quests and challenges, including interactions with the mafia and other factions. While the initial narrative and historical context are appreciated, many reviewers express a desire for deeper story development and more varied missions, as the current content can feel repetitive and lacks significant progression. Overall, the game offers a fun and immersive experience, particularly in its management mechanics, but players hope for future expansions to enhance the storytelling aspect.

    • “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.”
    • “It is thoroughly entertaining in ways I wasn't expecting - from the mafia constantly at my throat, the mayor and his demands, and all the breaking news events - it's a great story.”
    • “Stories become 'old news' a week or two after their completion, which first of all means you can stall the completion of a story to prevent it from becoming old news.”
    • “But secondly, 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 so you get utterly overloaded with old news that's tedious to remove.”
    • “While there is a 'story' to the game, it is introduced and never touched again or developed.”
  • graphics
    236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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. While some minor performance issues and graphical glitches have been noted, the overall 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.”
  • replayability
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag. While many players appreciate the depth, branching storylines, and engaging mechanics that offer a solid amount of replayable content, some express concerns that once the meta is understood, the game may lose its appeal. As it is still in early access, there is optimism for future updates to enhance replayability, but currently, it varies from high to limited depending on individual play styles and expectations.

    • “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.”
    • “It has an interesting concept, surprisingly deep and engaging mechanics, engrossing gameplay, and (so far) a considerable amount of replayability.”
    • “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.”
    • “This is honestly a great game, though I will say I do not think there will be any replay value after you've completed the game.”
  • atmosphere
    52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive 1930s setting, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and art style that captures the era's essence. Players appreciate the historical context and the dynamic environment of a bustling newspaper office, although some express a desire for more gameplay depth. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The music is perfect for setting the tone and atmosphere - it's jazzy, sleazy, and pops with the kind of noir and grime you'd feel typical of the depressing 30's when the game is set.”
    • “One of the standout features of News Tower is its ability to immerse players in the dynamic atmosphere of a bustling newspaper office.”
    • “Moreover, the game's soundtrack and sound effects contribute to an immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.”
  • monetization
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game revolves around the integration of advertisements, which players find essential for generating revenue but also somewhat flawed due to a lack of reminders for ad production. While the game allows for creative control over newspaper layout and content, the reliance on ads can feel cynical, as players often prioritize them for profitability over news quality. Overall, the monetization system is seen as a realistic reflection of the media industry, with potential for improvement in user interface and quality of life features.

    • “Well good luck with the latter because 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. I may border on being run by the mob, but I don't want to run a total rag flooded with ads. Why are people buying my paper when it's only 50% news?”
    • “It's the real media mogul experience; selling papers, selling ads, selling my soul.”
  • optimization
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 and Macs, where performance can be sluggish even at minimal settings. Additionally, there are calls for better layout management and item overlap to enhance gameplay efficiency. Overall, while the game shows promise in its early access state, it requires further optimization to address the performance inconsistencies noted by users.

    • “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 smooth 60, then back down to 45 - that is everything on low.”
  • grinding
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while initial progression is engaging and enjoyable, it quickly becomes tedious as players face an overwhelming number of old stories to manage and lengthy repair times after disruptions. The game features clever mechanics that can make grinding feel rewarding at first, but many reviewers express concerns about the potential for monotony and lack of replayability as they progress. Overall, while some enjoy the grind, others feel it detracts from the overall fun.

    • “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 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.”
  • humor
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying its funny events, witty dialogues, and amusing historical references. The comedic elements, including humorous character interactions and quirky headlines, enhance the overall experience, making it both entertaining and engaging. Additionally, the game's lighthearted tone and charming design contribute to its appeal as a relaxing and enjoyable management game.

    • “A game well worth playing with a nice setting, funny events, & good tutorial that helps you along the way without being obnoxious.”
    • “Also, someone should check the grammar in the dialogues - it is simply hilarious to have errors, considering the subject matter of the game, haha.”
    • “Absolutely love this little gem, super addictive and easy to get the hang of, reading the headlines is hilarious at times.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting minimal to no bugs or crashes, especially for an early access title. While some users noted occasional visual glitches, these did not significantly detract from the overall experience, and many expressed confidence in the developers' ongoing efforts to improve the game.

    • “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, it nailed it for me.”
    • “There are sometimes glitches, but overall, an amazing game!”
  • emotional
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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, many reviewers suggest that incorporating plotlines or personal storytelling features could deepen the emotional engagement and overall experience.

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

    Reviewers appreciate the character designs, highlighting their creativity and appeal, but there is no specific mention of character development in terms of growth or narrative depth.

    • “I really enjoy the building and character designs.”
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11h Median play time
18h Average play time
6-26h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

News Tower is a strategy game.

News Tower is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 18 hours playing News Tower.

News Tower was released on November 18, 2025.

News Tower was developed by Sparrow Night.

News Tower has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its monetization.

News Tower is a single player game.

Similar games include Tavern Master, Mad Games Tycoon 2, Against the Storm, Overcrowd: A Commute 'Em Up, Fabledom and others.