Over the Counter

About

Over the Counter is a single player management game. It was developed by Brody Rampono and was released on February 12, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Over the Counter" is a pharmaceutical business simulation game where players produce drugs, analyze disease trends, and launch marketing campaigns to increase demand. Players must also manage ethical dilemmas, skirt the law, and hire lawyers to defend unethical acts. The goal is to survive and thrive in the business for 20 years, but the question remains: will you succumb to corporate greed?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 270 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game is a fun and engaging strategy experience that offers a lot of replay value.
It's free to play, making it accessible to a wide audience without any financial commitment.
The gameplay mechanics are simple yet challenging, providing a humorous take on the pharmaceutical industry.

The game heavily relies on RNG, making it frustratingly difficult and often leading to unwinnable scenarios.
Players frequently encounter overwhelming lawsuits and escalating costs that can quickly lead to bankruptcy.
The graphics and overall technical delivery are subpar, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The gameplay of "Over the Counter" is characterized by its simple and intuitive mechanics, making it easy to understand and initially enjoyable. However, players note that it can become repetitive over time, and the pacing feels off, with normal speed feeling too fast. While the game offers a wealth of content and strategic elements, issues like unrealistic financial mechanics and frustrating challenges can detract from the overall experience.
- “Its mechanics, although simple, are easy to understand and quite fun to play.”
- “Game mechanics are well thought out, and the difficulty level is decent.”
- “Gameplay is delightfully compartmentalized, but all the moving parts fit together so intuitively that you can nail the basics in minutes.”
- “Over the Counter is a badly made tycoon game at face value; although that's a bit generous, this game is more menus and clicking than actual gameplay.”
- “My main gripe with the game is that the normal gameplay speed feels like fast speed, and the fast speed feels like impossibly fast speed.”
- “Repetitive gameplay after a while.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the pixel art style as "godawful" and suggesting it detracts from the overall experience, while others appreciate the unique aesthetic and presentation. Technical issues related to graphics loading were noted, but some players found solutions that improved their experience. Overall, while the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they are considered charming by some and do not hinder the enjoyment of the game.
- “The graphics are really neat; I don't typically see many games in this style and gameplay.”
- “Not overbearing, very nice presentation, graphics, and effects.”
- “They could easily add a bit more complexity to this, enhance the graphics, and sell it for real money, so the fact that such a fun little game is available for free is great!”
- “This features really godawful pixel crap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to create 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
- “Games like Terraria and Stardew Valley succeeded despite the bad graphics, not because of them.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious and excessive, with some players feeling it detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the challenge for leaderboard rankings, others suggest that it should not be a requirement for progression. Recommendations include introducing options like loans or adjustable difficulty levels to cater to different player preferences.
- “Grinding isn't necessary to progress.”
- “Grinding is only for leaderboards or ranks.”
- “My main issue is how tedious it can be.”
- “If you like tedious grinding and getting achievements, it’s for you!”
- “Too much grinding.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its surprising and clever elements, such as absurd scenarios involving desperate characters and exaggerated concepts like product side effects. While some players find the humor effective and entertaining, others suggest that more detailed guides could enhance the experience, as relying solely on humor may not always provide practical assistance. Overall, the game balances challenging gameplay with moments of levity.
- “Surprisingly funny”
- “Hard but funny.”
- “It's had its funny bits too...like the cartel desperately begging me for supplies of libido cream.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game's story is praised for its depth and complexity, featuring elements like robberies, court cases, pandemics, and worker strikes. However, some users express a desire for even more narrative content, suggesting that additional story elements could enhance the experience.
- “I like how deep the story is; it has robberies, court cases, pandemics, worker strikes, complex marketing, and so much more!”
- “Would be cool if you could implement a story into this game.”
- “If there was more story.”
- “X no story.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game is praised for its strong optimization and smooth performance; however, players have noted that it becomes unwinnable after 2008 due to escalating debt, despite their efforts to optimize gameplay.
- “The game is very well optimized and runs great.”
- “I really like this game, but it's simply unwinnable after 2008. I literally optimized my gameplay and got 3 stars by 2008, but still lost in 2009 because the debt doubled every year.”
- “The optimization mechanics are frustratingly unbalanced, making it nearly impossible to progress without excessive grinding.”
- “Despite my best efforts to optimize my strategy, the game feels rigged against players, especially in the later levels.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong replayability due to its detailed characters, depth, and challenge, making it an impressive experience, especially for a free title. Players consistently highlight its significant replay value.
- “The game is amazingly well made, with plenty of details for every character, so the replayability is pretty good.”
- “It has plenty of depth and challenge, and great replayability, especially for a free game.”
- “It offers lots of replay value.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly optimized, resulting in smooth performance and excellent stability during gameplay.
- “The game is very well optimized and runs great.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a unique emotional response by blending humor and wholesome elements with a satirical take on the "stonks" meme, all while incorporating themes related to drugs. This combination creates a lighthearted yet thought-provoking experience for players.