“Game Dev Story,” developed by Kairosoft, is a simulation game about building a video game development studio from the ground up. As the head of this small company, you create projects, choose their direction, train your team and other tasks to make sure your video games ship out. After you finish a video game, it’s rated by virtual critics based on its statistics and begins to generate sales for your company.
This is the essential form of Game Dev Story: you create a game that will successfully fund the next game while improving your studio’s capabilities. A number of challenges and events help keep the experience varied: blackouts, power items, conventions to attend and even fan mail. However, your enjoyment of Game Dev Story will depend entirely on whether you enjoy the core balancing act of keeping your studio funded and your video games popular.
If the game does hook you, however, it will have you for hours, easily. Game Dev Story is compelling and engaging in every way that counts.
Grade: B
(Game Dev Story is available for $3.99 on iOS and Android. There is also a free “lite” version in which you play with a time limit.)