'Game Dev Story' — 4 out of 5 stars
When a new game comes out, players enjoy the fruits of labor of developers and designers that created the game, but no one ever thinks of the actual labor that they have to do to create the game. Fortunately, “Game Dev Story” gives players a small glimpse on the development process in a simple and fun way. The player is in control of a small gaming company and he or she must create games throughout multiple years with the goal of winning Game of the Year.
When a new game is created, the player must pick a staff member to handle the story, sound and graphics of a game. Despite the fact that each staff member has a specialty in one of those areas, they can only be relied on for so long. Sooner or later, they will not produce the same quality with every game, so outsourcing staff members is a good idea. In addition, it is hard to consistently make good games because no matter the skill level of each staff member, there will always be setbacks, just like a real game company.
Despite all this, the game is pretty fun. A good way to make money between projects is to take up contracts for other companies. Also, each staff member gains development points, which can be used to level up members. Although the game only goes for 20 years, it is more than enough to experience how a real game company works. Magazines give scores to each project, motivating the player to try harder on the next game.
Although the game isn’t an exact replication of a real game company, it is a fun and interesting experience that will keep players wanting to play for a long time.