Game Dev Tycoon guide - how to get your video game studio up and running
Game Dev Tycoon is a masterfully constructed sim in which you lead a video game studio to fame and fortune (hopefully). Not only is it a fun game in its own right, it's also a fascinating look into the game design process. Game Dev Tycoon has finally landed on iOS and it's a perfect fit for mobile devices.
Making games is never easy, though, so you might need some help to get started. Luckily we have a few handy beginners tips to guide you. Let's get to it.
Place those sliders wisely
When creating a game, you have the option to choose which aspects of the game you'd like to invest your effort, be it dialogue, AI, graphics, or any other facet of a video game, using a series of sliders. Make sure that these sliders are appropriate for the game you're trying to make. If you're building a simulation game, for example, you probably won't want to invest too much effort on dialogue, whereas in an RPG, you'd want to crank that slider as high as you can. Allocating the appropriate resources to the specific game you're creating will help your review scores. Use your extant video game knowledge to help you out here.
Improve little by little
No one goes from teenie indie to huge AAA studio overnight, and neither will you. Rather than researching and building the latest and greatest game engine in one fell swoop, make sure that you're improving in small ways gradually over the course of the game. Work on training your employees, building a part of an engine here and there. Your first few games might not be sweeping successes, but the knowledge you gain from each will carry over into the next title, and the next title, snowballing as your studio gains experience and know-how.
Maintain some variety
Change things up from game to game. If you make an RPG, don't make another RPG right after that game releases. You also shouldn't make a sequel right after the first game is released. Switch things up now and then to keep those review scores high.
Have you successfully climbed the game dev ladder? Share your own expert advice in the comments below.