Game Dev Tycoon first appeared on Google Play and Android smartphones in 2018, but it is still a fantastic and entertaining game today. To help you become a well-known game developer, we have a ton of game Dev Tycoon insider secrets and top-secret strategies.
We have the advice that will advance you from a game design novice to a general of great genres, whether your goals are to become the next BioWare or Nintendo.
You may start rolling straight tens by just reading the advice we’ve provided below.
Take on Contracts
Money can go by fast in Game Dev Tycoon if you aren’t careful. You have to take into account the amount of content you put into your game as well as what platform you want to put it on and these things can bring your budget down (especially those pesky monthly costs).
However, contracts are here to make life a little easier. When you complete one, you can get paid over $20,000 early on. The only issue is, that taking on contracts doesn’t guarantee instant cash. If you can’t complete them, then you’ll be hit with a penalty that’s typically worth around $8,000.
Contracts are really out of your control, too. All you can do is just watch and hope that the job is completed. Starting off with smaller contracts that pay less ($13,000 let’s say) is a good way to essentially guarantee that you succeed. It won’t seem like much but, every dollar counts.
Don’t Panic if You Fall Into The Negative
Therefore, don’t get me wrong: if you can avoid falling into the negative on your account, you should do so. Yet, in the worst-case scenario, if you remain out of money’s way, you can endure being in the negative.
Just keep looking for methods to generate money, whether it’s via game sales or contracts, and attempt to get back above water. When your account is in the red, you want to make sure it doesn’t go below -$50,000.
If this occurs, your firm will go bankrupt. You may opt to seek a loan from a bank, but you’ll have to be sure to pay back more than you got, so keep that in mind. The best bet is to just ensure that you are releasing games and doing contracts.
More Expensive Platform Doesn’t Always Mean Better
Trust me, I feel you here. Seeing the new shiny home console felt like a good opportunity to open the door up for your games. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always help and can be really costly. In the end, it’s all about how the game scores.
The good thing is that, if your game Drift Hunters does succeed on console, you’re going to reel in more dough to stack up in your bank account. However, if it fails, then that can put a hole in things in your account. So really, it may be best to get a grasp of what game combinations work before taking the plunge with a console.
More Strong Research
In Game Dev Tycoon, research is probably one of the most important things you can do. A game thing it allows you to do is open up the door to more game types and genres. When starting out, you of course are limited to four types of games, given to you at random with each playthrough.
By researching, you can expand your range and show off your versatility. Doing this will also make it easier to connect the dots between a game style and genre that seem to be a perfect fit for one another too.
There are plenty of genres to unlock so this can open plenty of doors. It will allow you get creative which in turn may allow you to see better results when making your perfect video games.
Keeping it Simple
As you develop in Game Design Tycoon, new game platforms (including mobile; hey, hey, that’s us!) will be released on a regular basis. Each of them is based on a real-world platform, such as the iPhone, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii. Older systems such as the Dreamcast and NES are also included.
Since time moves quickly in the game, these systems will be released quickly. Don’t be tempted to join in on the latest craze if you don’t feel comfortable, since the cost of acquiring a development license for these might be steep.
Since PC is constantly available, it helps you to save more money. While the market share for PC may vary, you can still expect a steady cash stream if your game does well enough. This is not to say that you should not create games for more costly platforms. Just make sure you’re okay with the amount of money you have before proceeding. The developer license, on the other hand, is a one-time fee. You will have to pay to build the game on platforms, but it will be far less expensive than the licensing, which might cost more than $500,000.
Revving Up
This is a great way to move on with the advancing times in Game Dev Tycoon. Building your own engine can be expensive at times but can be quite worth it. The reason being is because; as you research and unlock new features, you bring some or if not all of these things into one engine.
This will allow you to develop games with a variety of options such as a save game feature, online multiplayer, a deeper story, and open-world among other things. Reviewers will sometimes take note of your technical improvements such as better graphics.
Even with older tech, you can still score well if you muster up a good combination but it’s still very important to try to add fresh new things. It makes things more fun as well.
Wow, You’re So Trendy
Trends appear at random during your career in Game Dev Tycoon. They usually appear when you relocate to the large office building. There are peculiarities that players get fascinated in, such as a random combination of game subjects and genres (for example, Farming and Action) or merely a certain genre or parental rating being popular.
You don’t have to follow them all the time, but I recommend giving them a try. Following these does not ensure success, but if your game performs well when the trend is current, you will collect a considerably higher quantity of money.
After a period, a news item will appear stating that the trend is no longer popular and that the market has adjusted. After that, it’s back to your regularly scheduled Game Dev Tycoon programming…for the time being.
One Time’s The Charm
So you created your game and are now resting comfortably and quietly on a cloud as your game gains enormous success. You earned a lot of money, gained a lot of admirers, and the reviewers are gushing about you. If you decide to replicate that game’s approach by using the same theme and genre…the game fails spectacularly. What could possibly have gone wrong? Why have the gaming gods abandoned you?
Going with the same combination twice in a row will automatically punish you and result in below-average results. Certainly, you’ll make money, but it won’t be as much as you’d want. As a result, avoid using the same combination twice in a row. You may return to that formula, but first try it in a few different games. We have a list of the top Game Dev Tycoon combinations, so check it out if you’re not sure which ones are the most lucrative.
All of The Lights
Marketing your game is one approach to get your name in front of more people in Game Dev Tycoon. You may spend money on advertising your idea in publications and other forms of media, as well as on a huge marketing campaign.
What’s intriguing is that you can only do this while your game is being developed. As the game suggests, it’s ideal to promote in the midst of the process rather than at the beginning or conclusion. The sweet spot is in the center.
If your game does well, you’ll get a lot of new fans as a result of the buzz generated by the marketing campaign. And, of course, more attention equals more purchases, so if your review ratings are high, you may make a lot of money.
