Startup Freak

About

Startup Freak is a single player management game. It was developed by PulPul Games and was released on October 18, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Startup Freak" is a business simulation game where you build and manage your own startup company. You'll make important decisions, manage resources, and strive to make your startup successful in a competitive market. The game features a dynamic economy, various industries to explore, and multiple ways to customize and grow your business. With its strategic gameplay and realistic simulation, "Startup Freak" offers a challenging and rewarding experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 36 reviews

grinding3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique take on software development and tycoon mechanics, providing an enjoyable challenge for players who appreciate simulation games.
It has a charming art style and is generally well-polished for an indie project, making it engaging for several hours of gameplay.
Players find the game fun and educational, as it incorporates real tech startup terminology and concepts, enhancing the overall experience.

The game has not been updated in a long time, leading to concerns about its future development and lack of depth in gameplay.
Many players report a lack of clarity in game mechanics and insufficient tutorials, making it difficult to progress and enjoy the game fully.
The gameplay becomes repetitive after a few hours, with limited replayability and no endless mode, which can lead to a feeling of being ripped off.

gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and engaging, with a solid core loop that challenges players to manage various aspects like consumer needs and product development. However, some players note a lack of depth and content, particularly in the mid- to late-game phases, which can lead to repetitiveness after a few hours. While the mechanics are fun and keep players actively involved, clearer explanations of these mechanics would enhance the overall experience.
- “That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay and the mechanics of it.”
- “Throughout this time, I have heavily enjoyed my playtime. The game has quite some challenge to it, and it has taken me a while to learn, but once you get the hang of the gameplay, it turns into a highly enjoyable challenge. Battling with consumer needs, product development, HR, and the random events leave no dull moment in the gameplay.”
- “The game mechanics always keep you moving as the customer base expects more and more over time, and the competition, albeit invisible, doesn’t sleep.”
- “My only gripe would be a lack of depth: the mid- to late-game goes pretty quickly and could use additional mechanics to extend meaningful play time.”
- “Lacks a good explanation of game mechanics.”
- “I would say there is about 4-6 hours of gameplay; beyond that, it's very repetitive.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game are generally considered basic, with some users noting a charming art style for the majority of the experience. While the visuals are simple and easy to follow, they may not impress those seeking more advanced graphics. Overall, the graphics are deemed suitable for the game's style but lack depth and complexity.
- “The audio and graphics are actually cool for this type of game.”
- “The charming art style for two-thirds of the game is a highlight.”
- “The graphics of the program architecture and feature plane are very basic.”
- “Charming art style for 2/3 of the game, but it falls short in the remaining sections.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with some users noting that scenarios change each time, providing a small amount of variety. While there are three difficulty levels to explore, the current early access state suggests that replayability may improve in future updates.
- “Nice little time waster, and has some replay value in that the scenarios change each time.”
- “There are 3 difficulties; I would recommend starting on the easy one, then normal, and finally the hardest, just to get a small amount of replayability.”
- “There is not much replayability; although since it is early access, this might of course change.”
- “There are 3 difficulties. I would recommend starting on the easy one, then normal, and finally the hardest, just to get a small amount of replayability.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, describing it as overly long, slow, and monotonous, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the experience.
- “One word to sum it up: tedious. It means 'too long, slow, or dull; tiresome or monotonous.'”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I find the grinding to be a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The game's optimization revolves around managing your CEO and employees, each equipped with four key skills—building features, security, testing, and performance improvements—that influence the activities planned for the next turn or "sprint." This system encourages strategic planning to enhance overall performance and efficiency.
- “Your CEO and employees each have four skills that contribute to all activities you plan for the next turn ('sprint'): building features, security, testing, and performance improvements.”
- “The optimization process feels clunky and unrefined, making it difficult to achieve the desired results.”
- “I often find that the skills of my CEO and employees don't translate well into effective optimization strategies.”
- “The lack of intuitive tools for performance improvements makes the optimization aspect frustrating and time-consuming.”