PC Building Simulator
- January 29, 2019
- The Irregular Corporation
- 12h median play time
Live out all your Geek Squad fantasies with PC Building Simulator.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"PC Building Simulator" is a game that allows players to build and maintain their own computer systems. The game features authentic hardware and tools, offering a realistic simulation of the PC building experience. Players can complete tasks and challenges to improve their skills and expand their virtual business.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Tablet
Xbox
Reviews
- graphics1,545 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics in "PC Building Simulator" receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the clean and realistic visuals that enhance the identification and interaction with components, while others criticize the graphics as outdated or lacking polish. Many users note that while the graphics are functional and serve the game's educational purpose, they could benefit from improvements, particularly in terms of detail and optimization for lower-end systems. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing but not groundbreaking, with room for enhancement in future updates.
“The graphics are great, and the attention to detail is impressive.”
“First things first, the graphics in PC Building Simulator are nothing short of breathtaking.”
“I found myself just staring at the intricacies of the motherboards and the gleam of the graphics cards – it's like a nerd's paradise come to life!”
“The graphics are unstylized and unpolished.”
“Graphically, 'PC Building Simulator' is unimpressive, with bland and uninspired visuals that do little to immerse players in the experience.”
“The graphics and UI are like something from the mid-90s.”
- story1,334 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story mode is often described as repetitive and lacking depth, with many missions feeling similar and sometimes frustrating due to bugs or unrealistic requirements. While some players appreciate the humor and character backstories in client emails, others find the overall narrative weak and unengaging. Despite these criticisms, the story mode provides a fun, if grindy, experience for those interested in PC building, with a mix of light-hearted quests and a simple overarching plot involving running a computer repair shop inherited from an uncle.
“The story is well-structured, and it provides a game time that is decently long.”
“The story mode is fun, overclocking to get your benchmark can be very challenging.”
“The story mode actually has somewhat of a story with an end goal and each task feels unique in some way or another so you won't get bored playing it.”
“Starting with the story mode, so many of these missions are awfully bland and repetitive.”
“The story mode is so awfully repetitive and also very unrealistic considering how people for some reason have absolute shitbox systems in high-end fulltowers.”
“The missions are much the same after the first hour, remove virus, replace/upgrade cpu/gpu/motherboard, diagnose problem or get a 3dmark score of 3,000.”
- gameplay1,234 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "PC Building Simulator" is characterized by a repetitive loop of assembling, repairing, and upgrading PCs, which can become monotonous after a few hours. While the game offers a detailed simulation experience with real-world components and mechanics, many players find the lack of variety and depth in tasks leads to a grindy experience. However, it remains a valuable educational tool for beginners interested in PC building, and its engaging mechanics can be enjoyable for fans of simulation games, particularly those who appreciate the genre's casual nature.
“Pc building simulator is an extraordinary game with lots of mechanics and the game can help if you have problems while building a pc in real life.”
“The gameplay is fun and educational; also it's pretty realistic and has tons of features!”
“Overall a pretty enjoyable franchise simulator, the business mechanics need work especially with the amount of jobs that come in (gets way too overwhelming after a certain point), and eventually it does get a bit boring/repetitive, but the actual pc building part of the game is really well done, especially being able to use real parts and putting them together in a realistic manner.”
“The gameplay loop consists mainly of clicking through menus and completing repetitive tasks like swapping out components and running diagnostic tests.”
“Without meaningful goals to work towards, the gameplay quickly becomes stagnant and repetitive.”
“The gameplay is extremely repetitive.”
- music781 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the ability to customize their listening experience through an in-game music player that allows for personal playlists and internet radio. However, the default soundtrack is often criticized for being repetitive and limited, with only a few tracks that can become annoying over time. Overall, while the music can enhance the relaxing gameplay, many players recommend turning it off in favor of their own music to improve the experience.
“The music is really nice and relaxing, and I like how it shows you a step-by-step on how to build a PC and uses parts from real life.”
“It's an excellent way to chill out if you're stressed and just want something relaxing to do whilst listening to your favorite music, as the in-game music player allows you to rock your own tracks.”
“The soundtrack is amazing and makes bending and running water cooling tubes fun.”
“The short soundtrack is just generic EDM.”
“The building process is solid, but the game has only like 4 songs that get annoying really fast since they're in a continuous loop.”
“It gets annoying after 15 minutes, so you have to turn it down completely and play your own music or play without any music at all.”
- grinding461 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 74 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, with many players noting that it can take significant time (10-15 hours) to unlock more engaging mechanics. While some find the grind rewarding and reflective of real-life PC building, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and frustration, appealing primarily to those who appreciate the detailed, albeit grindy, nature of the simulation.
“Pretty realistic - but not too tedious, absolutely love it!”
“Honestly a really fun game, the progression isn't too fast but also not too grindy. The PC building aspect is extremely fun and the game is very diverse and fleshed out. The tutorials are all informative and help quite a bit, and due to the large and friendly player base, any questions you might have can easily be answered on Reddit or Discord. I can only recommend the buy!”
“The career mode is enjoyable and not too tedious since you can now work on more than 3 systems at once.”
“Be warned, however, it's a very grindy game and it will take 10-15 hours of playtime before you unlock some of the more interesting mechanics (overclocking, custom water cooling, pc reselling, etc), so don't treat this as a game you need to grind out of obligation - pick it up every now and then, leave it for a bit, and come back whenever you're in the mood.”
“Who knew a gameplay loop of browsing a shop online for parts and just hammering away at something over and over in the most grindy, tedious and mind-numbing way possible isn't fun!”
“The career mode is tedious af, which is good in terms of the repetition and learning, but starts to wear out after you get the basic picture.”
- optimization390 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, leading to choppy gameplay and frame drops. While some users find it runs smoothly on high-end hardware, others express frustration over poor optimization that affects gameplay experience, suggesting that the game needs further updates to improve performance across a wider range of systems. Overall, while the game offers a fun and educational experience for PC building enthusiasts, its optimization remains a notable concern.
“On top of that, you have the option to experiment with different cooling solutions, such as air cooling and liquid cooling systems, which is a great way to understand how cooling affects performance.”
“You can play around with overclocking and fine-tuning each PC to meet the performance requirements of the job.”
“The components featured in this game are not only accurate with their looks, but also deliver proper performance in applications such as benchmarks.”
“The game definitely needs to be more optimized, as it runs very slow on low-end computers even with the lowest settings.”
“Game's good, but its optimization is terrible.”
“This game is not optimized well.”
- stability348 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of crashes, freezes, and various bugs that disrupt gameplay, particularly in career mode. Many players have experienced issues such as corrupted saves, soft-locks, and glitches that hinder job completion, leading to frustration. While some users find the game enjoyable and educational, the overall consensus is that it requires significant improvements in stability to enhance the gaming experience.
“Excellent price for what you get, runs great and looks beautiful, support these devs!”
“Everything else is great, tons of hardware and color options, the game looks fantastic and runs great.”
“Runs great, fun and useful for anyone wanting to learn more about computers.”
“I would have loved this game but it's beyond buggy.”
“Crashes all the time, game freezes, and the career mode will just break or the save gets corrupted randomly.”
“A buggy mess, constantly crashed every 20 minutes and auto connect upgrades randomly stop working.”
- humor260 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the witty customer emails, humorous quests, and relatable scenarios that parody real-life PC repair experiences. Many find the game entertaining and funny, particularly for those familiar with the industry, although some note that the humor can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's comedic elements enhance the gameplay, making it a fun and engaging experience for players.
“The little touch of humor really polishes the experience off and makes it worth reading each email you get.”
“Having some personal experience in the field of PC repair, I can confidently claim that PC Building Simulator accurately reproduces not just the high points of the job, but also hilariously parodies all the worst parts.”
“The story is immersive, believable, and funny at the same time - client orders range from totally ordinary to so incredibly caddish you find yourself chuckling at the mere premise.”
“The same customers return for repairs and part replacements constantly, and even new customers tend to recycle the same exact questions and reasons for upgrades or repairs, which leads to unfunny and annoying remarks in their emails.”
“The same customers return for repairs and part replacements constantly, and even new customers tend to recycle the same exact questions and reasons for upgrades or repairs, which leads to unfunny and annoying remarks in their emails.”
- replayability108 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as having excellent replayability, with many users noting its infinite potential due to custom builds, user-generated content, and a vibrant modding community. However, some players feel that the novelty can wear off over time, particularly in career mode, where repetitive objectives may limit long-term engagement. Overall, while the base game offers substantial replay value, the experience can vary depending on individual preferences and play styles.
“The ability to create custom builds, share them with others, and access user-generated content enhances the game's replayability and extends its longevity.”
“I love the soundtrack, and the replayability of this game is just about infinite as you can build any computer you desire whilst playing the game.”
“Unlimited replayability pretty much, you can build anything you want.”
“The DLCs, while quite fun, can also be quite underwhelming or repetitive, limiting the replayability and making it less enjoyable.”
“It's fun, but quickly loses its novelty and doesn't seem to have any replayability.”
“Gameplay of this game is after some hours in one circle, you do that same thing over and over. This game is endless, but if you want to start from the very beginning, you will find out that there's nothing new, and you are doing the same thing over and over.”
- monetization46 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling that they are paying for an experience that is overly saturated with advertisements, particularly for PC components. Users express frustration over in-game ads in a purchased title, labeling it a cash grab, and suggest that the game should be free given the extent of its advertising. While some appreciate the brand selection and the educational aspect of real-world components, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment with the focus on monetization over gameplay improvement.
“This is a fun, all-free in-game purchase game that lets you make a custom PC that fits your style. Go fancy or stay cheap.”
“Brand selection is really impressive - not sure how the devs go about acquiring new parts, but I'm sure there's some level of licensing involved, despite the fact that there are no ads in-game promoting any one brand.”
“I feel like I bought an advertisement for computer parts.”
“I used to love this game, but now the devs are more focused on adding more product placement items for advertisement money rather than improving the actual game.”
“This game isn't even educational; it's just a big advertisement.”
- emotional38 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply engaging, often feeling a strong connection to the characters and their stories, which can lead to moments of joy and sadness. The game not only boosts confidence in real-life PC building but also evokes a sense of nostalgia and fulfillment, making players reflect on their own experiences and aspirations. Overall, it combines educational elements with a wholesome, relaxing atmosphere that resonates emotionally with its audience.
“This game made me feel my dream job and know what it is like.”
“I love that I can build computers, but the only problem is that the computer is better than my actual computer, and I come to the realization that reality is often disappointing, so I cried myself to sleep that day.”
“You get repeat requests from certain customers who are constantly having issues with their computer and needing upgrades; you get to know their personalities and even get emotionally invested in them and their success (at least I did); it's really enjoyable to follow.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is predominantly described as chill and relaxing, with a zen-like quality that enhances the experience of building a business from scratch. Players appreciate the realistic mechanics and the ability to link personal music, contributing to a laid-back environment. However, some users feel that the atmosphere could be improved with more customization options and express disappointment over the lack of variety in ambient sound.
“I love the overall atmosphere of this game but these mechanics limit my experience.”
“But the zen-like atmosphere of the game is relaxing.”
“And you can link your office computer to your music files or iTunes, which adds to the relaxing atmosphere.”
“Other than in-game German streaming radio, there is literally no atmosphere in this game.”
“I love the overall atmosphere of this game, but these mechanics limit my experience.”
“I am loving the chill atmosphere of this game along with the reasonably accurate mechanics, but I really don't need in-game ads in a game I bought.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development is largely minimal, with relationships between characters and clients lacking depth, resulting in interactions that feel superficial and unengaging.
“The character development is minimal, and the relationship with your clients can be described as a mile wide and an inch deep.”
Critic Reviews
PC Building Simulator (Switch) Review
All of the glory of moving a mouse cursor, without any of the excitement!
55%Have you tried restarting the computer?
Live out all your Geek Squad fantasies with PC Building Simulator.
80%PC Building Simulator Review - A Partially Complete Experience
PC Building Simulator tries to capture the PC technician experience and mostly succeeds, but it's lacking some critical parts of the real-world experience.
65%
