Game Dev Story

As a gamer I have wondered what it would be like to create my own games, run the company, be a gaming Sir Alan Sugar and have millions of adoring fans worldwide. One can always dream.  But thanks to Kairosoft, that dream has become a pixel reality. For the amazing, limited price of 59p ($0.99 for the States), Game Dev Story is not to be overlooked and becomes addictive very quickly. I rarely use my iPhone for gaming because that’s what my consoles are for. If I get really, really bored at work or when travelling, I will use it for the odd session of Robot Unicorn Attack, Angry Birds or Plants vs Zombies. I will only play for roughly five minutes at a time due to the battery being used up or my boss making an appearance. But Game Dev Story has quickly changed that.

Game Dev Story starts off with you employing new talent for your new found games company, which you can also name. You have to chose coders, writers, sound engineers, designers from a variety of places and set them to work on your first masterpiece. And its no easy task. At first you cant afford to buy the top crème de la crème of the gaming market, so you have to invest in some of the cheaper talents available. This is not a bad thing because over time their talents and skills will increase if you chose to level them up in their field. The better your writer, then the better your story and characters. And that helps towards the finished product. However, the better the employee, the more cash the employer has to hand over at the end of the month. So you need to make sure you have enough capital coming in so you don’t go too far into the minuses.

Make a bad game and the critics will jump all over it and give you bad marks. But through choices of advertising, your devoted fans will push your game onto the top best sellers list. Game styles (genres) are unlocked when an employee levels up or is trained enough. So choosing the right genre for the right console is something to be remembered. For instance, the Game Kid console is aimed at younger video game players, so making an educational or cute style game always works for that system. And when a game has been released to the public, your company can make extra money by doing contracts for other companies. Completing these in the time limit given earns you cash and research disks, which level up your employees. So don’t forget to undertake some of them.

So what makes Game Dev Story different? Well for starters, there is no tutorial. This can put people off because we all need to understand the basics of anything we are going to undertake for the first time. It’s like being thrown into a kitchen to create a Chinese banquet for twenty and not having a clue where the woks are kept. There is no one there to hold your hand and explain things. However we do have a secretary who pops up with information regarding console releases, magazine releases and little snippets of info from time to time. And the System button does include a mini 29 page manual, so not all is lost. The game is spanned for 20+ years which doesn’t take long to achieve once you become addicted to it.

The game is made up by 16-bit style animation and it suits the game, everything is clear and readable. But more could be done, especially with iPhone games like CHAOS RINGS that have stunningly detailed graphics. Perhaps Kairosoft wanted to make Game Dev Story appear more charming than having too much realistic detail? The sound is limited to the same cheery little jingle, which does get repeated over and over, so turning the phone on to silent does help when the sound effects get too annoying for you. You can save whenever you need to, so the phone battery dying doesn’t become an issue with this game. Some gamers may get bored of Game Dev Story quickly, but so far I’am enjoying working my way through the gaming ranks.