Code Monkey a simple man! (Game Dev Story)

Genre = Game developer sim?
Seller = Kairosoft Co., Ltd
Platform = iPhone

When I first heard about Game Dev Story I have to admit I was a bit confused about what I would be playing. Was I to be a rogue bracket on mission to bring down a function? Was I a coder on the edge who's inevitable mental breakdown would result in an office based shooter? I write code as part of my job and truthfully it's not that interesting, definitely not something that could be the subject of a game. Thankfully Game Dev Story is less about the code and more about managing those damn dirty code monkeys.

You start the game with a small company consisting of a receptionist and 2 minions. Your job is presumably to make the next 'World of Warcraft' or 'Modern Warfare'. To do this you first pick a genre, and a type for your game. If the combinations go together like for example RPG, Fantasy then you can assume it will sell well. If they clash like shooter and golf then you're not going to make a profit. Once this has been done your loyal monkeys will begin coding. Each developer has skills in coding, art, sound and writing. Picking the right staff member for a job results in more “quality” points in your current game's stats. These being; fun, graphics, creativity and sound. At the end your game gets released and depending on what console and the popularity of the company you'll start to make money.

In truth it sounds rather simplistic but it's actually a fairly difficult balancing act, staff members get tired and bored of certain genres so you have to continually mix things up... or fire them. New consoles come out all the time so you aren't releasing title after title for PC, instead they mock the last 20 years of gaming meaning you have to keep up with the latest trends and tailor your games to the types of audiences. Cute RPG and puzzle games sell quite well on the DS. Managing your staff is also more complicated than just giving them a role, you get to train them and level them to improve their stats. You also get to hire and fire new staff depending on what skills you need.

There's not a great deal to say about the graphics of the game, it looks very 8bit and cute, so while it's not ground breaking or amazing it's functional and adds to the charm of the game. The sound again is fairly standard stuff, the music changes as you move between offices and events occur but you may still get sick of the standard theme song which gets repeated quite frequently.

If I must criticise the game at all it's the lack of focus, it would be nice to have a bit more direction, am I trying to just survive the 20 years? Should I be creating the greatest game of all time? Is it all about the money and booth babes? Still this is a minor issue, the games so light and easy to pick up such focus would probably weigh it down. There doesn't need to be a story line when the game's purpose is to help kill time, which it does magnificently.

I honestly didn't think this game would be worth a review with its 8bit style graphics and sound, and simplistic experience but it's such good fun I simply had to. The formula works so well that it will keep you hooked for hours and you'll find yourself constantly saying, “Just one more game” as you desperately try to out do your last effort.