This Grand Life
- January 2, 2017
- PokingWaterGames
- 33h median play time
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Get on itch.io StoreI'm working on a sequel!This Grand Life is a personal finance simulator where you create a character, manage their money and help them achieve their life goals. Cruise your way through life with a silver spoon, or struggle endlessly to find employment as a convicted felon. You cannot control your past, but you can change your future. What choices will you make? You make decisions on where to…
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging life simulation with various career paths and realistic economic elements like taxes and inflation.
- Addictive gameplay that allows players to manage their character's needs while pursuing financial success.
- Offers a unique blend of time management and strategy, appealing to fans of simulation and tycoon games.
- Repetitive gameplay with limited depth, leading to a grindy experience that may not hold long-term interest.
- Basic UI and graphics that detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished.
- Lack of meaningful social interactions and character development, resulting in a somewhat hollow gameplay experience.
- graphics48 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally criticized for being basic and lacking depth, with a simple 2D map and unremarkable UI. While some users appreciate the artwork, many find it overshadowed by the blandness of the overall presentation, leading to a perception of low effort in visual design. Despite these shortcomings, a few players feel that the gameplay can still be engaging, even if the graphics do not impress.
“The graphics style may not be to your taste, but the gameplay can draw you in.”
“Ol' il pallino has the vice of providing objective information in reviews, so rather than just write 'everything not related to the graphics and sound' for positives, the first great feature is that this grand life has tangible differences between each of the cities, each with their own unique problem, but with many different advantages.”
“The graphics are a simple 2D map of the city that the player has chosen for their home, but the only thing that really stands out about the graphics are the creepy-looking characters.”
“The graphics leave something to be desired, and at first glance it looks like the game would not be very fun.”
“The graphics are very basic.”
“Everything from the UI, stat management, and graphics feels anarchic and rough around the edges.”
- gameplay42 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of time management mechanics that can be engaging yet frustrating, particularly for those not accustomed to the genre. While some players appreciate the depth and potential of the mechanics, others criticize the repetitive nature and lack of significant variation in gameplay, leading to a grindy experience. Overall, the game offers a unique concept that can be addictive, but it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplistic and sometimes shallow execution.
“Played this game when it was released and the unique gameplay kept me engaged for hours.”
“A wonderful life-sim that offers no rush gameplay with a decent amount of depth for the price.”
“Moreover, I do like the fact that many of the character traits are not just passive stats and actually affect the gameplay significantly, such as alcoholic and gambler traits.”
“While this game certainly has more content, I found that it doesn't actually change the gameplay loop much, with the result that all the extra 'bits' really just slow things down and increase grind without actually adding anything significant to the game.”
“Even the core gameplay is lacking and a chore to play.”
“I just don't find the game mechanic of balancing a bunch of progress bars compelling in any way.”
- grinding32 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is characterized by its heavy reliance on grinding, which can be enjoyable for players who appreciate that style of gameplay, but many find it tedious and lacking substance. While some players see potential for improvement and appreciate the simple premise, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a monotonous experience that may not hold the interest of all players. The repetitive nature of the gameplay often leads to frustration, particularly for those seeking more engaging content.
“If you played and really loved the very old game, 'Jones: in the Fast Lane', this game is a very grindy and less fun version of that game.”
“The game gets tedious and ends up just being hours-long click-grinds.”
“Unfortunately, this is just tedious bar balancing with no substance.”
- story16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story in the game has been widely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many reviewers noting that it feels underdeveloped and uninspired, akin to other mediocre indie titles. Players are advised to seek out more compelling narratives in free games, as this title offers little in terms of plot or storytelling. Overall, the consensus is that the game's narrative fails to meet expectations, especially for those looking for a rich story experience.
“Let it be known that this grand life is to management games what the space pilgrim saga is to story-rich games: indie platinum!”
“I've been crying about how I wanted another life quest type game lol.”
“The story is as bad as most indie titles, don't expect any miracles.”
“There’s no story or plot, and gameplay is pretty direct.”
“Again, go play those free adult twine games with more effort put into the story than an average indie title on Steam.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is seen as somewhat limited, though it can be enhanced through mods and additional content like occupations and social functions. While some players find it offers decent replay value, others suggest there are more engaging options available at the same price point.
“Like this game, the mods and addition of occupations and social functions really added more replayability to this game.”
“Very underrated, fantastic depth and replayability.”
“Replayability is kind of limited.”
“If you like this type of game then it is probably worth $12 to you, but there are other games at the same price point with much more replayability and broader appeal.”
“Has quite a bit of replayability.”
- music10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as basic and unremarkable, failing to enhance the gaming experience or set the intended mood. Many players suggest turning off the in-game music entirely, with some even opting to play their own music instead. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a missed opportunity that adds little value to the gameplay.
“Second time I played, I downloaded some mods and four hours later I was a music star stealing from banks, selling weed, and on my way to graduating with a degree in finances only so I can become the mob boss of the bank and open up a narcotic trafficking business.”
“Sounds are all basic bells and whistles that add nothing to the game, nor does the music help with setting the mood despite what the store page claims. Ol' il pallino advises players to turn off the music and sound and play 'How to Be a Millionaire' by ABC.”
“Maybe it was my end, but the music was non-existent if it even existed in the first place.”
“The music is sort of soothing on a better note.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting severe stuttering and performance issues even on capable hardware, such as an i5 processor with 16GB of RAM. Many users have experienced performance leaks that worsen over time, leading to frustration and considerations for refunds until improvements are made. Overall, the poor optimization detracts from the enjoyment of an otherwise complex and fun game.
“I'm definitely going to refund until this game is better optimized.”
“It's complex and quite a fun game, but the optimization is really bad. Running an i5 processor with 16GB of RAM, the game stutters a lot, which hinders enjoyment.”
“There's some sort of performance leak though, the UI will start hitching and slowing down after the game's been open for over an hour, which really hurts a game like this that sort of wants people to sit down and play it out for long stretches.”
“I can't believe how bad the optimization for this game is.”
“It's complex and quite a fun game, but the optimization is really bad. I'm running an i5 processor with 16GB of RAM, but the game stutters a lot, which hinders enjoyment. I'm not even 1 hour into the game yet; I might consider a refund and buy it at a later time when optimization is better.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd scenarios, such as the recurring theft of exercise equipment, which leads players to envision a comical thief hoarding their belongings. This blend of relatable frustrations and imaginative storytelling contributes to a lighthearted and entertaining experience.
“My experience was mostly trying to gain capital while having my exercise machine stolen every week for at least 3 months straight, so I like to imagine that somewhere there is just one thief who hoards exercise equipment in his basement laughing at the people who just keep buying new ones for him to steal.”
“Very funny life/money/study/work manager.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, offering a pure mobile click resource management experience without the typical monetization pitfalls.
“This is basically a mobile click resource management game without the microtransactions.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly without issues, and offers a variety of mechanics that enhance its value for the price.
“The game runs great and features a fair amount of mechanics, making it well worth the $10.”
