Tiny Tower, an 8bit Retro Tycoon Builder Game, Totally Addictive!
by Paul Wilks
Dec 1, 2011 11:01 AM –
Install
Tiny Tower is a retro tycoon game which puts you in control of a tower block. Build new levels, start businesses, keep your tenants happy and build as high as you can get! The graphics are incredibly basic but the game literally oozes charm and compulsive playability. I’m completely addicted to this gem of a game, so read on and let me give you some details.
Price: Free, In-Game Purchases
Tested on: HTC Desire HD
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Easy to play & Additive!
- Graphics, while very retro, are incredibly cool!
- Bitbook… a kind of Facebook for your Bitizens!
Cons
- In-game purchases are very steep.
Features:
Tiny Tower puts you in charge of a small tower block. In the block you have some tenants (known as Bitizens) to look after; house and employ. You gradually build level after level to the block, and each time you can choose what the level is turned into, so, if you want to add more Bitizens you can add a residential floor, if you want to install a new business you can do so, specifying what kind of business you want: Food, Services, Recreation, Retail or Creative.
Each Bitizen has different passions, all have a perfect job, but they also have different levels of interest in certain sectors. Subsequently, each Bitizen comes with statistics which indicate how suitable they might be to a particular job. For example, someone with a really low Service score isn’t going to like working in a Laundrette, whereas someone with a high Recreation level will be really happy to work in a Bowling Alley. You have to carefully manage these likes/dislikes to keep your Bitizens as happy as possible.
Thankfully you get some indication as to how they feel. On the main menu, there is a section called Bitbook- a kind of Facebook for your Bitizens! In it, Bitizens will tell jokes, say whether they like their new job, if they want a change of clothes and so on… keeping you informed. You can change their jobs if you need to (and can) buy them new outfits and paint their apartments. Some will even complain about the Tower elevator, which is fine too because you can save up and buy a faster one for moving people about.
Your businesses earn money by regular customers which visit the Tower. Some of these you have to transport in the elevator, others just conveniently appear. You need to keep your businesses stocked and making sure things are ticking over as this is a major part of the game. You also have a handy Statistics screen which tells you about business demand in the Tower, in addition to how many sales you are making in a minute.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning the visitors the Tower gets. VIP’s will turn up and help you in a number of ways; a Construction VIP will take hours off the construction of a new level, Real Estate VIP’s will find you a new tenant if you have space for one and other VIP’s will either buy out one of your stock items in full, or send hoards of shoppers your way for a set period of time. Other visitors include those looking for one of your Bitizens, find the level they are on and you’ll be rewarded with a ‘Bux’ (one of the in-game currencies).
On the economy you have both Bux and Coins. Coins buy you new paint, new outfits, new levels and new stock, while Bux let you buy faster elevators or speed things along; such as quickly re-stocking or finding a new tenant. One issue I did have with the game is that, while you can use real money to effectively buy more Bux, I felt the cost was very high for what you get- especially the amount you need to build the later levels.
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Tiny Tower – In-game view (1)
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Tiny Tower – In-game view (2)
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Tiny Tower – In-game view (3)
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Tiny Tower – Bitebook
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Tiny Tower – Bitizens list
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Tiny Tower – New tenant
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Tiny Tower – New floor added!
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Tiny Tower – Find tenants to earn bux
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Tiny Tower – Dark floors mean out of stock
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Tiny Tower – Achievements
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Tiny Tower – Menu
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Tiny Tower – More bux
Fun Factor:
Tiny Tower is loads of fun and very immersive. Although to start with it’s a little slow as you build levels and Bitizens (rendering the game something you check back in on every so often) it can quickly become something you can play for long periods of time as you build finances and Bux.
Addictive:
Tiny Tower is extremely addictive. I’ve lost sleep playing this and can’t go long at all without checking in and updating things: replacing stock, checking Bitbook, repainting apartments and finding Bitizens. It’s very rewarding when you get to purchase a new level and increase the money coming into the block.
Graphics:
Android-wise the graphics are not even third-rate. They are very basic, in 2D and each Bitizen clearly only has just a few pixels, it’s super-retro. But do not let this put you off in any way. Quite similar to games like Rainy Day 2, Tiny Tower is brilliantly playable and the visuals, although simplistic are incredibly charming in their own right.
Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:
The soundtrack is series of light jazz numbers which do not annoy too much, although you can turn them off if you wish. There are also a series of bleeps and sounds made when you visit each level. It’s quite pleasing but, like the graphics, it’s very basic.