Thank you to Squidpunch Studios, Vincent LTD and Keymailer for providing us with a PC review copy of Arcade Tycoon! Arcade Tycoon is available now on PC, Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch!
Arcade Tycoon is a game that reminds me of the tycoon games of old like Roller Coaster Tycoon, and even Theme Hospital. From how it is designed to how the game ultimately feels, it already feels like a classic from the get-go. Players are introduced to the game via Rex the Pug, who is quite the personality he will guide you through the game mechanics from hiring staff, building the arcade, finances and much more. There is quite a lot to learn at first but it becomes fairly straightforward as you go once you’ve learnt it, it’s an easy game to pick up from five-minute stints to a few hours.
Arcade Tycoon aims to be as approachable as possible for people of all ages and does a good job of explaining everything in an easy enough way. Once you’ve learnt all there is to know you’ll be put into your first arcade without much guidance. I liked this approach to freely design my arcade as I see fit, though the second level is quite small and I found it hard to place a lot of the items in the game. However, the level is still really good when you’re learning the ropes. In the second level, I was slowly working out how to make money and found that taking on the challenges was really helping give me boosts, my staff kept going on strike so I kept accepting one of the challenges that give you rewards for that, so every time I kept the staff on strike I got paid big so I could add more arcade machines. I felt like I was funnily playing the system and it worked out so well for me. As you progress you’ll unlock bigger arcades, more options, and more products and you’ll also be faced with new challenges, the progression is really rewarding and moving up to the next sections is really interesting because of the different scenarios. If the campaign isn’t your thing and you want a more relaxing experience, there is a sandbox mode available.
Playing Arcade Tycoon on the Steam Deck was a joy, it was nice just relaxing on the sofa gaming rather than having to sit at the PC and it does a good job of converting the controls to fit the Steam Deck, I imagine it is the same with the recently released Nintendo Switch version. The game ran really well with no issues for me, I’d say the mouse and keyboard are always easier in a tycoon game but Arcade Tycoon does such a good job at converting it to the handheld console’s control schemes.
Arcade Tycoon looks retro, I thought it when I first launched the game and it really fits the aesthetics of the game. It really felt like the older Tycoon games as mentioned above due to their overall look and design, every item looks pixelated in that unique way that players know and love. From the way the items you purchase look and perform, it really brings the arcade to life. Throughout Arcade Tycoon you are gifted with quite the fun soundtrack that feels like a mix between 8 and 16-bit music which was really fun to listen to while designing the arcades, Not only that though, you’ll hear all sorts of nostalgic sounds from the arcade era from coins being put into machines, the arcade cabinets sounds and more. A lot of detail has gone into the design of Arcade Tycoon to really set it out as its own unique experience with a ton to do.
Verdict
Overall I had a really good time with Arcade Tycoon and can recommend it to Tycoon fans of new and old. Now the game has been introduced fully to Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch and has been converted quite well to fit the control schemes, though it can take a little getting used to. While I had a few issues with space in the first and second levels, the game ran really smoothly, looked great and I didn’t run into any bugs whatsoever.
8.5/10
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