Showrunner

About

Showrunner is a single player strategy game with a business theme. It was developed by Inexplicable Games and was released on January 17, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Showrunner is a single-player strategy game with approximately 2 hours of playtime. In this game, you create your show by selecting a genre and theme, scoring a contract with a TV or streaming company, and crafting scripts by playing scene cards to increase scores in various categories. You also make characters and select actors, picking archetypes and customizing appearances, then developing characters over time with perks.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

optimization1 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

Showrunner has a promising concept with engaging gameplay that appeals to fans of tycoon-style games.
The game offers a fun and creative experience in managing a TV studio, with potential for depth as it develops.
The developers are responsive to feedback and have a roadmap for future updates, indicating a commitment to improving the game.

The game currently suffers from a lack of content and depth, leading to repetitive gameplay and minimal challenge.
Many features are missing or underdeveloped, such as the ability to fire actors or cancel shows, making the experience feel incomplete.
Frequent crashes and bugs hinder gameplay, making it difficult for players to progress without interruptions.

gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
24%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many users noting a lack of clarity in the tutorial and insufficient explanations of core mechanics, leading to confusion. While some appreciate the stable and addictive nature of the gameplay loop, others find it overly simplistic and lacking in depth, with several mechanics feeling underdeveloped or missing entirely. Overall, the game shows potential but requires more complexity and refinement to enhance the player experience.
- “Stable gameplay.”
- “The key gameplay 'episode creation' loop is already well thought out and straightforward to manage, and more complexity comes from expanding and upgrading your studio equipment and staff while researching more scene cards to add depth and variety to your productions.”
- “Just needs the mechanics fleshed out – well worth the cheap price!”
- “It took me a while to understand the mechanics because the tutorial is a bit lacking.”
- “It does a really poor job of explaining its core mechanics, and really just was not enjoyable.”
- “Some of the mechanics are questionable (random drawing of cards), some are over-simplified (putting together episodes, production process), some are missing (firing actors), some are not fully explained (I'm still puzzled by some of the icons in the interface).”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's story aspect is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the engaging narrative of managing a TV studio and creating unique series, others find the lack of a structured storyline disappointing. The integration of randomized elements and character customization adds a layer of creativity, but the overall experience may feel grindy and lacking in polish for those seeking a more traditional narrative.
- “I got really invested in the story of my plucky TV studio and their marginally popular science fiction thriller on a backwater network.”
- “It's pretty fun to think of the sort of narrative and story your studio is creating as you make one series after another.”
- “I look forward to unlocking more of the story deck and the character customization options.”
- “It's a fun little concept, I'm just not a fan of grindy tycoon games with no story.”
- “Somewhat uncut, and there's noticeable bits of polish missing, but I got really invested in the story of my plucky TV studio and their marginally popular science fiction thriller on a backwater network.”
- “☑ no story”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics have been described as somewhat unnatural, with a basic aesthetic that, while functional, could benefit from enhancements. Users express a desire for improved visual elements, particularly in character design and technical aspects, to elevate the overall experience. Despite these critiques, the graphics contribute to an addictive gameplay experience.
- “Graphics look a bit unnatural.”
- “Pretty basic mechanics and graphics, but it works well for an addictive experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Replayability varies significantly among users; some praise the game for its high potential due to the ability to emulate favorite shows, while others criticize it for being linear and lacking depth, resulting in limited replay value after the initial hours of gameplay.
- “Replayability is going to be off the charts in this interesting take on a management sim as we can all think of any number of favorite shows we'd like to emulate or remake.”
- “Doesn't have a lot of replayability at this point; it's more of a time waster.”
- “Lots of potential, but right now it's very linear and easy, with not a lot of replayability past the first couple of hours.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, particularly in tycoon games that lack a compelling narrative. Many feel that the time investment required for grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “It's a fun little concept, I'm just not a fan of grindy tycoon games with no story.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game has been reported to have stability issues, with users noting that it remains somewhat buggy.
- “The game is still kind of buggy.”
- “There are frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay.”
- “I encountered several glitches that made it unplayable at times.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews suggest that the game's optimization feels akin to a "made for TV movie," indicating that while the core experience is enjoyable, it may lack the polish and refinement expected from a fully developed title. Players express a desire for additional content or features that could enhance the overall experience and reward good performance.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with reviewers expressing frustration over its lack of content and gameplay, even considering its early access status.
- “If this was a fully released product, it would be one of Steam's most blatant cash grabs on the site. I'm inclined to give it a degree of early access leniency, but that's not an excuse for a game without the game part of it.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, which makes the game feel incomplete and forces players to spend more to access content that should be available from the start.”