Author: Random Game Reviews

Minecraft: Reclamation Modpack

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The Game

This modpack is a major overhaul of the Minecraft you’re used to seeing. You spawn in a desolate world, there are no more trees, no grass, no ores. The only things remaining are dead trees, ruins which hold some copper blocks and wasteland bees. From this bare minimum you will have to rebuild and rewild the world – no small task. There are also less hostile mobs coming out at night than before – husks, skeletons, cave spiders, creepers and endermen, you’ll have to bring animals back too.

You start out getting bits of copper from the ruins and you are then introduced to the Theurgy mod which eventually allows you to get your first dirt blocks – luckily you can get seeds by breaking the dried grass still left in this world and begin your journey. The early game is quite focused on crops – you will have to selectively breed and combine crops to progress from the base 4 types to re-discovering all other types of crop and seed. The first major milestone is cuprosia – a plant that allows you to grow copper. From there, more mods start coming in and opening up avenues to create and reintroduce more materials, plants and nature.

Worth it?

The modpack is quite magic heavy – there are some very interesting mods and the work put in to make them all work together and work sequentially in the quest line is truly impressive. There is one mod that does let down the pack a little bit and a lot of the consensus online seems to back this – embers rekindled. At it’s heart it’s got some good things, but the trial and error element of using the Exchange Tablet can be very frustrating for players. While at its heart it is essentially a version of a mastermind game where you have to match elements to positions, it can be very frustrating and losing hard earned materials in this was can also be demoralising.

It is a slow pack, things take time and sometimes a lot of steps. It takes some considerable time to get to automation and making your life easier and more efficient. You have to enjoy the journey and take your time, if you enjoy that, enjoy building and the magic mods, you will definitely have fun. The custom quest line offers a strong reason to keep going and trying new things, getting familiar with particular mods requires more reading and experimenting with specifics. You can easily spend 30+ hours on the quest line alone. The work done by people to put together this amazing modpack is truly commendable.

Tips

  • In the early game focus on the crops, getting all 10s cuprosia will help massively with getting copper and using the watering can makes a huge difference to how quickly you can grow crops
  • Use a mastermind solver to for the exchange tablet to help solve it.
  • Once you get saplings a 4×4 Spruce tree is a great way to farm dirt by digging up the podzol it creates
  • Once you can make the botanist gear (with infused iron), create that and the aura cache so you can repair your gear and sword
  • In order to increase your Enchanted altar’s capacity plant a large variety of plants around it (not all plants contribute so do check), there’s also a cap on how much each plant will contribute – make it varied, various trees, mushrooms (also big ones), crops all contribute – in order to get a mob head – use the botanist’s sword when fighting mobs as it increases the chance of heads dropping.
  • Don’t ignore the agricraft seeds – this will be one of the most reliable ways to automate gold, iron, lead and other metal production in the mid game – combined with some automated Create farms you will have plenty of metals coming from these
  • Feeding the Herbivorous Absorber with flowers will actively generate aura in an area (it takes a lot)
  • Use a potency lens with the mana spreader in order to increase its mana output – longer term set up a semi automated solution with endoflames and the mana spreader pointing at a splitter and a few pools.
  • Once you start unlocking Create parts it’s worth making a mechanical saw, which massively speeds up cutting down trees (especially big spruce trees)
  • Read the books for each of the modpacks – there’s a lot of useful info in each of them for specific items and structures
  • Setting up a variety of automated farms with the various agricraft seeds will see you into the late game and take away some of the resource grind

Useful Links

Cifi: Cells Idle Factory Incremental

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The Game

Cifi: Cells Idle Factory Incremental is an early access games developed by Octocube games. The game is currently only available on Android. The title of the game is fairly self explanatory – we have a sci-fi themed idle game based around generating “cells” and more generators that generate more cells. You start off with MK1 generators which generate cells, you then proceed to buy MK2 generators which generate MK1 generators, which as we already know make cells – this cycle underpins the entire game.

The games has several other currencies that you progressively build up in a variety of ways, it also has a good deal of upgrades you can make to various things in order to increase your cell production. The aspect of the game that really sold it to me was the loop mod research tree. “Loop Mods” are the game’s prestige element, so when you’ve reached a point where you think you are better off resetting you perform a loop and invest your accrued mod points into powerful upgrades. As with all idle games, it’s essentially just a lot of upgrades that make numbers go up – but it’s also so much more and when a completionist gamer such as myself sees a tree like that – I am hooked.

As you progress and acquire more cells you can invest them into a variety of ships, each ship is responsible for a different menu and shop. Each shop has new upgrades or currencies to be collected to help improve your earnings. If all of that wasn’t enough the game also has a couple of arcade mini-games, namely Cubeboy Snek and Bling Blong which may bare resemblance to games you already know.

Worth it?

The ad-free version will set you back around £4.99, this will allow you use the 2x cells booster permanently and collect token and diamond gem chests without watching videos. There are also several other packs and options, but this one is definitely the best value and a great way to support the devs. The tokens are especially worth it as it makes the token shop a lot more accessible without having to watch videos.

The game is also still in development with constant new additions, new ships and new ways to grind even cells. The game goes incredibly deep and has gigantic potential to keep you busy for ages. Each play session may not be necessarily be very long, but the long term unlocks and features will keep you coming back for ages. It would be nice to see a little bit more connection between the arcade game and the main game, for example getting some tokens from it. It would also be nice to have a confirmation pop up before purchasing Zagreus as it can be quite easy to click on purchasing it, rather than saving it for later in the run.

Overall the game has an amazing amount of depth, the loop tech tree on its own will keep you hooked until you get all the upgrades, partner that with the increasingly expensive spaceships, each unlocking a new currency or way to grind makes this an absolute must play for any idle game fanatics out there.

Tips

  • Find the balance between short and long runs – in the beginning, before unlocking shard mining you may find yourself doing more short runs in order to accumulate more mod upgrades.
  • Each time you loop make sure you invest in mod point production – either through shortening ticks, increasing the MP production or reducing the tick requirement exponent.
  • Try to avoid getting the Zagreus on longer runs as other upgrades or things you may purchase may increase MP – the loop/MP accumulation process only begins when you purchase it. (Sometimes this is easier said than done as it’s quite easy to miss-click and purchase it)
  • Evolving your ships gives them a permanent boost that persists through loops.
  • In the early game use your level up points to increase the MP you get per loop.
  • You can also get MP upgrades in the diamond and coin shop – prioritise these.

Useful Links

AI Experiment: Choose Your Own Adventure Sci-Fi

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Preface: Another experiment with ChatGPT, this time prompted to include D&D elements. Note you’ll need 2 d6 dice to play, you can use this.

Starship Paradox: A Sci-Fi Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

Setting: The year is 3125. Humanity has spread out among the stars, colonizing planets and creating a vast intergalactic network. You are Captain Alex Mercer of the starship Paradox, currently docked at the Nexus Station, a massive spaceport located at the crossroads of several major trade routes.

Objective: Your mission is to transport a mysterious artifact known as the “Quantum Prism” to the research facility on the planet Veridion. However, the journey is fraught with danger as various factions desire the Prism for their own ends.

Starting Equipment:

  1. Quantum Prism
  2. Laser pistol
  3. Holo-communicator
  4. 20 Galactic Credits
  5. A pair of six-sided dice (for decision-making)

You’re in the main control room of the Paradox, preparing for departure. Your communications officer, Lira, informs you of a message. It’s a bounty hunter named Korax, warning you to hand over the Prism or face consequences.

Choice A: Negotiate with Korax. (Go to Passage 3)

Choice B: Prepare the ship for a potential attack and depart immediately. (Roll the dice. If the total is 5 or above, go to Passage 5. If less, go to Passage 6.)

Passage 3:

Korax offers 50 Galactic Credits in exchange for the Prism.

Choice A: Accept the offer and give him the Prism. (Go to Passage 7)

Choice B: Refuse the offer and end the communication. Prepare for potential combat. (Go to Passage 6)

Passage 5:

Your quick actions allow you to depart the station without any confrontation. The journey to Veridion is smooth. However, you receive a distress signal from a nearby ship.

Choice A: Investigate the distress signal. (Go to Passage 9)

Choice B: Ignore the signal and continue to Veridion. (Go to Passage 11)

Passage 6:

Korax’s ship approaches! A battle ensues. Roll the dice.

  • If total is 4 or below: Your ship sustains damage, forcing you to dock at a nearby moon for repairs. (Go to Passage 8)
  • If total is 5 or above: You fend off Korax’s attacks and make a successful escape. (Go to Passage 5)
Passage 7:

You’ve traded the Prism for credits. As you ponder your next steps, Lira discovers that the Prism was a fake! The real one is hidden in the cargo bay.

Choice A: Pursue Korax and retrieve the credits. (Go to Passage 12) Choice B: Continue to Veridion with the real Prism. (Go to Passage 5)

Passage 8:

While repairing the ship, you encounter a tribe of moon-dwelling aliens. They offer to aid your repairs in exchange for the Prism.

Choice A: Trade the Prism for their help. (Go to Passage 10)

Choice B: Politely decline and continue with the repairs. (Roll the dice. If 5 or above, repairs are successful and go to Passage 5. If less, go to Passage 13)

Passage 9:

The distress signal comes from a merchant ship attacked by space pirates. They offer a reward for assistance.

Choice A: Help the merchant ship and fight off the pirates. (Roll dice. If 5 or above, succeed and go to Passage 14. If less, go to Passage 15)

Choice B: Avoid the conflict and continue to Veridion. (Go to Passage 11)

Passage 10:

The moon-aliens fix your ship, but now possess the Prism. You resume your journey, but without the precious cargo.

End of Adventure. Outcome: Failed Mission.

Passage 11:

You arrive at Veridion and deliver the Prism, successfully completing your mission. However, the adventure in the vast cosmos continues…

End of Adventure. Outcome: Successful Mission.

Passage 12:

You track down Korax and confront him. Roll the dice for a showdown.

  • If 4 or below: Korax escapes, and you lose the credits. (Go to Passage 7)
  • If 5 or above: You reclaim the credits and continue your journey. (Go to Passage 5)
Passage 13:

The repairs fail, leaving you stranded on the moon. The moon-aliens approach again, this time in larger numbers and seeming hostile…

End of Adventure. Outcome: Stranded.

Passage 14:

You rescue the merchant ship and earn gratitude, additional credits, and a powerful ally in the merchant guild.

Go to Passage 11.

Passage 15:

The pirates overpower you, looting your ship and leaving you adrift in space…

End of Adventure. Outcome: Marooned.

Pokémon Emerald Rogue ROM Hack

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The Game

Pokémon Emerald Rogue (developed by Pokabbie) is a ROM Hack that turns your favourite franchise into a roguelike. Similar to other familiar games in the genre you navigate routes making careful choices. On the procedurally generated routes you can encounter wild Pokémon with which to build your team, trainers and items. There are also several other types of location that you may encounter – strong trainers, who will give you one of their Pokémon if you beat them, Legendary or strong Pokémon encounters and market/shop locations (there are 3 types of shop – market, battle items and a full rest stop which even has a heal).

At the end of each route and level you will encounter a mighty trainer – before you beat the game once these will be specific to Hoenn, but after you beat the champion once you will unlock gym leaders and Elite 4 from more regions. Additionally after beating the champion you also unlock the national dex giving you access to Pokémon up to Gen 8! If you a Pokémon faints on a run it is gone forever and if you lose all your Pokémon the run ends. When the run ends you are returned to your HUB, which where you can purchase permanent bag items (TMs, potions, balls, berries, etc) – as you complete more quests and runs the HUB will upgrade and offer you more options, for example the safari zone where you can catch a new starter to take on your next adventure.

There are several kind of adventure – the standard roguelike experience described, the gauntlet where you build a team then take on all trainers in one go at level 100, rainbow mode where gym leaders can have any type of Pokémon. Each of these can be played as both single or double battles, giving you a great deal of replay value. Every time you complete a run you earn cash to spend in your HUB which will allow you to do better in your next run, there are also numerous quests that will permanently improve the HUB or give you access to new items, berries or rare candies.

Worth it?

As with all ROM Hacks this game is 100% free. The amazing community and passionate fans of Pokémon deserve so much more than they expect. Personally I play this on my phone using a GBA emulator (My Boy!), the premium version of which will cost you around £5, but will let you play any ROM you want, so definitely worth the investment (there is also a free lite version). If you are playing on PC then there are even more free options for you to explore.

The game itself is brilliantly challenging and while you can cheat a bit with save states on the emulator it is worth experiencing it for it’s true brutal self. For those who enjoy nuzlocks and even those who don’t it is a very rewarding experience. Having Pokémon and moves all the way up to Gen 8 gives this game a huge amount of depth. A great offline mobile or PC game that will tickle your Pokémon nostalgia while also satisfying your itch for roguelikes, deep strategy and a good challenge.

Tips

  • There are 3 types of route – CALM, AVERAGE and TOUGH – the tougher the route the more trainers and items there will be.
  • The second word describing routes refers to the type of Pokémon you can find on it.
  • One of the houses in the HUB will allow you to customise the config for your runs – allowing you to enable different Pokedexes or gym leaders/elite four.
  • Make sure you fight the challenger before each gym leader – they will quickly bring you to the level cap.
  • Try to avoid fights on routes as they could potentially kill one of your Pokémon.
  • You can use rare candies to over level before gym leaders.
  • By pressing “A” on the page with a Pokémon’s Stats will show you it’s IVs and EVs.
  • Anything you buy in the HUB you can carry into your next run, which is very useful with items like Leftovers

Useful Links

Rogue Adventure: Roguelike RPG

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The Game

Rogue Adventure: Roguelike RPG is an Android game developed by SharkLab Mobile. While the graphics may come across as quite basic or unassuming, don’t be fooled by this incredibly deep roguelike. The game follows much of the standard roguelike elements and a huge variety of playable classes and cards to unlock. Each run sees you take on 5 levels followed by a secret boss level. Occasionally you will also find hidden boss levels within normal ones.

Currently there are 3 ways to play the game – Classic, Hell or Void. Classic is a standard run through of the game, after you complete it with a class you can then start attempting Inferno levels – these make enemies stronger and give you more starting gold. Hell mode gives you less rewards, doesn’t recover health after a boss, enemy damage increases every 5 turns, trap rooms and more. Void is basically a quicker and simplified map with a random deck. Inferno levels are available for all modes after you complete a run.

The game has an incredible 13 classes to choose from, each unlocked by completing runs with other classes and each with it’s unique traits, abilities and cards. Each class also has 3 class bonuses that can be unlocked by completing other types of run (most often you are required to beat each mode at Inferno 2 to unlock an ability). The classes range from traditional ones like Warrior and Wizard to slightly more obscure ones like Pirate, Rune master and Warden.

Worth it?

While the game does offer ads for additional cash or EXP, the ads are entirely optional and non-intrusive. Purchasing the ad removal is a touch on the expensive side – £8.49, but this does allow you to get a free gold chest in every market room and is also a great way to support the developers.

Overall the game is great for any rogue-like fans out there, it’s a great mobile game both as a free to play and a paid game. The amount of characters and unlockables will also keep you coming back for more giving the game decent replay value. The game is also fully functional offline and quite efficient in terms of battery usage. It would be nice to see the game come to iOS as well.

Tips

  • Overcharging and additional mana are key to really buffing your stats in a fight.
  • Quest cards can be quite useful when upgraded to the max.
  • You can purchase skills from the shops, try do so every time you visit one.
  • Keep your deck lean and focus on cards that synergise well with your other cards and class
  • Avoid fights where possible.
  • Learn enemy attach patterns, try to armor up if you know they will attack and watch out for special moves or abilities.

Useful Links

Dysmantle

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The Game

Dysmantle, developed by 10tons ltd. is a post apocalyptic RPG in which you can break nearly every item you encounter. As it says in the name of the game it’s all about dismantling everything you see. As you break objects down you will get resources used to crafter better equipment that can allow you to break down bigger objects. Thus you gradually work your way up from breaking living room tables and fences all the way to destroying cars and walls.

The story follows a main character who emerges from his bunker to discover that his island has been evacuated and the only inhabitants are the zombie-like ex-humans. Zombies will respawn every time the player replenishes their health at a camp site and the only way to permanently kill them is to enable a special signal on the nearby signal tower. As the story progresses you begin work on a spaceship that will get you off the island. The island itself is a huge open world map with different climates and dangers in each area.

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Worth it?

The game is free on PS Plus Extra tier or will set you back around £20 brand new, £10 for a cheap CD Key. Overall it will keep you busy for upwards of 40 hours and if you’re a completionist can keep you busy for more than 60 hours. The constant breaking of items really doesn’t get old for some time and the desire to upgrade and improve tools and items also keeps you playing. There are a couple moments when you think the story is approaching it’s end only to find out that there’s more to be done, personally I found that dragged out the end a bit but I can also see how they give you more time to enjoy the game and gear up for the end game.

Overall a very satisfying game with an incredibly simple but satisfying gameplay loop and an amazingly detailed open world map with plenty of secrets and little side quests to discover. Definitely worth checking out and very addictive.

Tips

  • Always focus on upgrading your main dismantling tool and getting new ones when they are available (e.g upgrade your crowbar fully, then get the baseball bat and upgrade fully, etc)
  • Different tools are used for different types of object – tires for example require a sharp tool like the machete for example
  • Collect as much of everything as you can – all materials are useful, even leaves as you find out later in the game, collect as much as you can of all resources you encounter
  • Use the farms and make food, food provides permanent stat increases and buffs, food supplies are also handy with certain quests and collections in the late game. Don’t use food to restore health unless you’re really desperate
  • Do the puzzle tombs in order to get the orbs and install deadly transmitters, that way you can rush the signal tower in each region then know that each zombie you kill won’t come back
  • Get the lumber mill and smelter as soon as you can from the central region (729º, 491º and 576º, 458º). When you discover them you will get the blueprints for them and you can build them wherever you want
  • In order to open the timed chests you need to run directly to them from a campfire – the timer resets when you leave a campfire

Useful Links

Hundred Days – Winemaking Simulator

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The Game

Hundred Days – Winemaking Simulator is a beautifully simple and cosy simulation game about making wine (as is quite obvious from the title). Developed by Broken Arms Games, the story follows a woman who leaves the busy city life in order to make a mark on the world of winemaking – something she doesn’t know much about, but through the assistance of the experienced winemakers of the vineyard, quickly becomes second nature.

The game’s simple yet beautiful aesthetic compliments the simple mechanics – each action or operation on your vineyard is represented as a “tetris” style block which you must place in a grid before ending the the turn and advancing time.

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Worth it?

The game will set you back around £25, but you can find it on sale or CD keys for around half of that. The game is also available for free with the PS Plus Premium tier. The campaign and story only last 100 turns/days, which does feel like quite a short time, but you have the option of playing endless after that. This is where you can really explore all the game has to offer in terms of research, upgrading your various buildings and production line, purchasing new plots of land to work and the various wines you can make.

Overall it’s definitely a nice cosy game that will keep you busy for a few hours at a time. Longer term it is a bit repetitive and once you’ve unlocked the majority of the research tree it loses it’s replay value a bit. This makes it a little hard to justify the full cost of the game, but the aesthetics, music and overall vibe of the game make it a great game to unwind, relax and enjoy a nice glass of wine with – even if only for a few evenings.

Tips

  • Upgrading your shop and warehouse to allow you to sell to more customers and do special orders
  • Unlock more of the grid before purchasing additional plots of land to work
  • You can stagger when your wines will be ripe by pruning them differently
  • Trial and error – a lot of the game is about trial and error to find the perfect process for each type of win – some require aging, others don’t
  • You don’t always need to hit the ideal levels for each wine to get a good score
  • Make sure you finish seasonal work within the season to avoid impacting the quality of your wines and any upcoming work

Useful Links

Forager

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The Game

Forager is a survival crafting game developed by HopFrog in which you start out on a single island with nothing but a pickaxe and a desire to “forage” everything around you. You start out simple – focusing on trees, rocks and berries. Gradually you expand your operations to include idle fish traps that will catch fish for you and eventually a smelter and the first crafting elements. The game allows you to expand by buying new islands adjacent to yours. As you expand you will find new materials and ways to upgrade your gear or build new machines to help you. As you establish yourself you can automate certain tasks and set your smelters or factories to constantly produce the materials that you need.

Every time you hit something you expend your energy, you can regain it by eating. Similarly, you start out with 3 hearts/health, if you get hit by an enemy that can drop to 2, certain foods will help replenish hearts. As you unlock islands you come across various puzzles and dungeons which will reward you with resources and ways to increase your health, damage or energy. Every time you level up you are also given a chance to spend your skill points on new skills. There are 4 main areas to spend your skills in, which are also the 4 main building types – industrial, farming, economic and magic.

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Worth it?

The game is free on PS Plus Premium and also available via Xbox Gamepass, on Steam you can get it for around £15, but it’s frequently on sale for around £5. Overall that price seems fair – it’s a great little game, brilliantly simply with quite a bit of depth and very easy to get sucked into and lose hours. Once you get multiple machines and automation running the game is almost musical in its constant sound effects, it also has some great puzzles that are just the right amount of challenging. My single biggest issue with the game is that it seems that some of the trophies are broken on PlayStation (and possibly elsewhere) and it’s been a known issue for a while. It would be a great game to 100% but not getting that achievement really stung and killed the joy of it for me. It’s also worth mentioning that Forager multiplayer was in development but was canned due to some controversy around how the creator treated his team.

Overall Forager is a great game that will make time fly and keep you hooked for at least 10-20 hours while you complete the majority of it. The simple graphics and musical sound effects make it a great experience.

Tips

  • You can get void items by building a void portal from the sigil maker, unlocked via the magic skill tree
  • Build multiples of your industrial buildings and split stacks across them in order to get materials faster
  • Buy sigils from the markets in the late game as a way to quickly grind bosses
  • Don’t bother with the pet skill until later – it just gives you a pet, nothing more
  • Most quest lines require a rare item that can be found by digging in dig spots (small holes in the ground), which randomly spawn on uncovered ground
  • Geology is a very useful early skill to target in order to improve your coal production
  • Vaults and Banks can also be useful early game in order to store items and generate passive income
  • Combine quarries with mining lasers to automate the workflow
  • Magic is useful early game as it will add fairies to the world which can instantly replenish your hearts and energy
  • Dump your inventory at the museum

Useful Links

Megaquarium

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The Game

Megaquarium is an aquarium management and simulation game from Twice Circled. The game lets you take control of an aquarium and you must manage various aspects to grow it into a thriving attraction. This includes designing the layout of the aquarium, selecting and caring for a variety of aquatic animals, hiring and managing staff, and keeping the visitors happy.

The game features various aquatic species, each with its own specific needs in terms of water quality, food, and tank conditions. Ensure that the needs of the fish are met, which involves managing water quality, temperature, and other factors. There are also constraints of the available space and budget, making strategic decisions regarding expansion and investment.

As you progress through the game, you earn money from ticket sales and can use this to purchase new tanks, fish, and decorations. There are new technologies and equipment to be unlocked that allow for more complex and efficient aquarium setups. The game includes a campaign mode with 10 increasingly challenging scenarios as well as a sandbox mode where you can build the aquarium with fewer constraints.

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Worth it?

On Steam the game will set you back around £10 on sale (although it can be quite expensive if not), while on PS4 you can get it for as little as £4.49. The game is quite addictive and allows for a good deal of customisation of your aquarium setups. One thing it lacks (at least on the PS4 version) is a consistent autosave feature, which given there are some occasional crashes (on PS4) makes it very frustrating when you suddenly lose a huge amount of progress.

The simple low poly art style and vibrant colours do make it quite fun to look at and you can zoom in to view your aquarium as if you were one of the guests. Overall the game has the ability to keep you playing for hours despite it’s surface level simplicity. The decoration and customisation options will let you make the aquarium of your dreams (that you probably never had). If something can be done for PS4 crashes and autosaving at a regular interval it would be a must play.

Tips

  • Use zoning to efficiently distribute staff.
  • Staff’s traits will make them better at certain jobs – for example memory is good for cleaning and repair works, while empathy and precision is good for feeding and the gift shop.
  • Upgraded pumps can power multiple tanks, allowing you to have a big control room that supplies 2 or 3 tanks.
  • Place seating and bins throughout the aquarium.
  • Check the guest thoughts to monitor your prestige – if somethings is wrong in one of the tanks you will lose prestige whenever guests see it.
  • When choosing podium talks go for prestige ones as that’s the hardest to earn.
  • Keep fish and tank decorations varied to avoid guests getting bored.

Useful Links