Arcade Tycoon Review

Arcade Tycoon is a 2D simulation management game in which you manage an arcade. In this game with retro graphics, you'll have to solve all the problems associated with arcades to expand your clientele and earn the most money.

Like most management games, Arcade Tycoon features a campaign mode with a tutorial to teach you the mechanics of the game, as well as a sandbox mode.

During your first steps in the game, you'll learn the rudiments of gameplay. You'll buy arcades and install them, upgrade them, hire and fire employees.

Like all management games, you'll have a number of clues and statistics to help you make decisions about the rest of the game. The employees you hire will have their own talents, which will determine their starting salary. Later, you can promote them to different positions. In the campaign mode, you'll have to deftly navigate between manual actions to save money and hiring an employee.

Once you've got the basics down, the game is highly enjoyable, and the retro 2D graphics and soundtrack make for a relaxing gaming experience. The music is particularly well done. The pixelation of the animations and the scenery are well thought-out and give the game a great atmosphere.

As you set up your arcade, you'll have the opportunity to complete tasks that will earn you money and stars. The stars you earn will enable you to obtain items and upgrade the machines in your arcade. The tasks are repetitive and uninteresting. While earning stars is useful, certain tasks, such as firing an employee, can slow you down and get you into trouble.

To break the game's linear progression curve, events are regularly thrown in to throw you for a loop. You'll have to deal with alien invasions, robberies, anniversaries and more. These events are bound to challenge you by breaking the game's routine.

After a while, Arcade Tycoon becomes less addictive and lacks elements that would make you stay with the game for a long time. We'd also have liked a little more customization for our arcade. The game is in French, but suffers from a partial translation that makes it difficult to read.

Arcade Tycoon is already available on Steam and will be released on Nintendo Switch on January 25, 2024.

Arcade Tycoon