The Manga Works

About

"The Manga Works" is a simulation game where players run their own manga magazine company. You'll scout for talent, develop storylines, and oversee the production process to create popular manga series and increase your magazine's sales. Features include various customization options, different genres and themes to explore, and the ability to compete with other companies in the industry.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews

story4 positive mentions

graphics2 negative mentions

The game is highly addictive and enjoyable, especially for fans of manga creation.
Once you understand the mechanics, the gameplay becomes fun and engaging.
It's a good introduction to management sims, with a balanced combo system for manga themes.

Progression is slow and tedious, leading to repetitive gameplay that can become boring over time.
The translation and UI inconsistencies can be confusing and detract from the overall experience.
The game lacks depth and variety, making it feel barebones compared to other Kairosoft titles.

story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The game's story aspect allows players to influence the narrative to some extent while managing a manga series, reminiscent of Kairosoft's previous titles like Game Dev Story. Players spend much of their time in a room, focusing on drawing and managing story arcs, but face challenges in earning sufficient plot points, which can lead to the cancellation of their series if not handled correctly. Overall, while the game is engaging for tycoon fans, the frustration of acquiring plot points can detract from the experience.
- “Similar feel to game dev, but you can work on series and decide how the story goes (to a point).”
- “You don't actually write the manga's story, but there are different story arcs.”
- “The player spends the majority of the game in their room/apartment looking at things or drawing, which isn't too far off from Game Dev Story.”
- “Depending on the story, if you don't choose the correct order of arcs, you may lose popularity and this may cause your series to be cancelled.”
- “Other than that, the game is fun, can be addictive to tycoon players, but the search for plot points is very, very frustrating.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The gameplay is criticized for being slow, repetitive, and poorly translated, leading to confusion with mechanics and user interface. While players find the game becomes enjoyable once they grasp the mechanics, the initial difficulty and lack of meaningful choices in type selection detract from the experience. Additionally, the presence of gacha-like elements and the exploitability of the gameplay loop further complicate the overall enjoyment.
- “Once you learn how the mechanics work, the game starts to be funny.”
- “Tricky to beat in the beginning, but we become overpowered once we understand how the main mechanics really work.”
- “I also feel like the type selection doesn't really have any implications on the game mechanics and seems mostly like flavor.”
- “Overall gameplay is a bit problematic, like the going out segment is nearly gacha, and how some useful features like simply deleting a manga are non-existent.”
- “This game is very brutal and slow; progressing takes a very long time, making the already repetitive gameplay feel even slower and more tedious than in a game like gdsim.”
- “The UI is abhorrent, and the gameplay loop is easily exploited; you can just spin out low-level, high-quality manga.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's graphics are characterized by a cutesy pixel art style that may not appeal to all players. While the visuals create a charming atmosphere, they also contrast with the underlying themes of struggle faced by manga artists and animators. Overall, the graphics contribute to a lighthearted experience, despite the serious subject matter.
- “However, it does have a dark side and the game's cutesy graphics help you forget how often manga artists and animators truly suffer like a medieval Russian serf just to be told they are not working hard or fast enough.”
- “The game features pixel graphics, which isn't everyone's thing.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game becomes more apparent once players grasp the mechanics, leading to amusing moments, particularly when energy levels drop to zero. However, some reviewers feel that the overall experience is somewhat lacking and can be dull outside of these comedic incidents.
- “Once you learn how the mechanics work, the game starts to be funny.”
- “The game feels very barebones and a bit boring outside of the funny incident that happens if your energy reaches 0.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively slow and tedious, leading to frustration and a loss of motivation to continue playing. This prolonged progression often causes players to question their enjoyment and purpose in the game.
- “However, they made progression so slow and tedious that it's only a matter of time before something 'clicks' in your brain, your patience runs out, and you start questioning why you are playing this.”
- “Some aspects may seem tedious.”
- “Progression feels excessively slow and repetitive, leading to frustration and a lack of motivation to continue.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently highlight the game’s high replayability, emphasizing that it remains enjoyable and engaging across multiple playthroughs.
- “Loads of replayability, really fun.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game has been criticized due to its origins as a mobile game, resulting in controls that feel suboptimal for PC gameplay.
- “Some controls aren't really the most optimized since this is a PC port of a mobile game.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express excitement about creating emotionally uplifting and wholesome family-oriented content, highlighting the positive and heartwarming experiences that such narratives can provide.