Gaming by creating games; deep!

Every so often a steam discount/sale comes along and I see a game for a price I cannot refuse. Surprisingly enough this happens more than I wish it would, and so I end up with a boatload of games that I have absolutely no time or energy to spend on them. Game Dev Tycoon was one of these games. An absolute bargain at the time (£7), I had seen lots about this game on the internet and so I decided to buy it. However it was lying around in my library for about a week before I even had the chance to start it up. Game Dev Tycoon is a indie game created by Greenheart Games last year, and revolves around you creating a successful games studio. Starting out in your parents garage in the 80s it is your mission to make a successful company that can withstand pretty much anything. Pretty much everything is up to your imagination, you can name your company, the games you want to develop, etc. The gameplay itself is very simple and intuitive. I did not need any sort of tutorial to figure out what was going on from the start. The game creating process is very clear and enjoyable. You basically just click on your sitting guy, get some options and then choose from those options. You can choose anything from the name to the layout of the quests for your game. This lead me to create some really hilarious games (e.g. A time travelling adventure called “Save Jesus”, for some reason it bombed...I still haven’t figured out why!). Furthermore this complete modifiability allows for a lot of replay value, for if you want to go through each different combination (let alone come up with names) it will take you a very long time! The “story”, if I may call it such, is quite immersive and the releases of actual real consoles over the years really does make it feel like you are a game developer who is struggling to make a mark. The progression of research is also brilliant, as it makes you work for something as well as allowing for a goal. I mean the moment you are able to release your own console after your humble beginnings is one of the most satisfying things I did! I do have to say though that the reviewers criticism seems a bit random, in the sense that I had two games with all the same options however one bombed, and one succeeded. There was only minimal variation between the two and yet they apparently totally differ in success. However once I checked out the wiki (there is an entire wiki!), it made a bit more sense to me. There are some neat algorithms behind the reviewing process. However since this game is quite repetitive, in the sense that you are pretty much doing the same thing over and over again, I can see a limited amount of hours that you can pour into it. Furthermore with no updates or DLC planned, the original is what you are stuck with. Therefore I don’t see myself pushing 20 hours, if even that. However considering the price I paid for the game, it was completely worth it. The graphics of this game are quirky and cartoony, meaning that while you will not see anything that will blow your mind, it will run pretty much on any computer without any problems or lag. On a positive note, this game runs on PC and Mac and is available on steam, so it easily accessible and downloadable. It seems that Felix Games editors fall to the curse of the indie game addiction, and I can already see the first symptoms. This is already my second indie game review, and to my dismay I am hoping it is not my last. Indie games like this blow originality and new ideas into this stagnating field, where only certain formulas seem to be released annually. Anyway, if you are a fan of the indie game community check it out. Otherwise, have a look anyway and you may be pleasantly surprised! I mean, when are you ever going to get the chance to create a game, name it whatever you want (and I mean WHATEVER you want) see it become ultra successful?