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Business News/ Tech-news / News/  Too lazy to start-up? Five games you can play instead
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Too lazy to start-up? Five games you can play instead

Business simulation mobile games can give users a taste of the challenges and quirks of building businesses

A new version of the game, where players can compete with each other and have real fake talent wars, is set to be launched some time this year. Photo: MintPremium
A new version of the game, where players can compete with each other and have real fake talent wars, is set to be launched some time this year. Photo: Mint

Bengaluru: Let’s face it. As much as we’d like to buy into the inspirational posts telling everyone that starting-up is life-changing, and how “we can do it!", posts that one can’t escape if they are on the Internet in 2016, not all of us have what it takes. But a lot of us are intrigued about what it’s like to build a company from scratch. Until you take the plunge, here are some casual business simulation mobile games you can play, that give you a taste of the challenges and quirks of building businesses. Let us know if we missed any game that you think should be on this list.

1) Hipster CEO [iOS]

“Build a killer start-up. Or whatever," is the tag line of the game, a witty take on both start-up and hipster life, which was launched for iOS in 2013. You can choose the sector which you want to start in, hire employees, stave off acquisition offers and play through to become really successful, or well, go bust. The game isn’t heavy on graphics and uses simple text menus. A new version of the game, which is going to be available for Android as well, and where players can compete with each other and have real fake talent wars, is set to be launched some time this year.

2) Game Dev Story [iOS & Android]

In this game, the aim is to build a successful gaming studio. Developed by Kairosoft, this relies on retro-graphics, and was launched for Android and iOS in 2010, and for Windows Phone in 2015. You play the role of president and CEO and have to choose from an increasing list of game genres and types that you want to build, and assign your staff to each aspect of game building—from the game proposal, design and creativity to sound. The free version, Game dev story lite, has limited features and the full version is available for 131 on the Play store and for 60 on the Apple app store. If you want to explore more games in the same vein, Kairosoft has a number of others which follow similar game mechanics where you grow businesses as diverse as schools and restaurants to residential complexes.

3) Business Inc [iOS & Android]

The story arc in this game is similar to Game dev story, but in this, you can either be a project manager and manage resources to build and manage a games studio, or choose the start-up track with pre-defined events. This doesn’t focus too much on graphics, and is based on a lot of real life project management principles. Balance your employees’ motivation, boost their skills by training, ditch projects as soon as you realise you won’t make money by the time you complete them, all while keeping an eye on your competition’s timeframes. The gameplay isn’t as straightforward as Kairosoft’s, and the game developer, Octigo, a training simulation software maker, plugs its own products in the game. If you’re not put off by that, and the sometimes sluggish graphics, this one is worth a try. Available for free on both Android and iOS.

4) The Westport Independent [iOS & Android]

In a slightly different take from the games above, in the Westport Independent, you assume the role of an editor-in-chief of the last independent newspaper in a post-war country. You moderate the content of your paper, thereby affecting people’s opinion of the incumbent Loyalist party and the rebels. This is also a censorship political simulation game, but you learn to handle the news business and how to toe the line between reporting the truth and balancing political pressure. Available on iOS and Android for 300.

5) Bitcoin Billionaire [iOS & Android]

Well, this isn’t a business simulation game, but more of something you’d play when you stand in line at a grocery store or when you’re bored in the bus. It’s an idle-clicker game, and literally all you have to do to earn even septenvigintillion (10^84) bitcoins or dollars, is tap the screen. There are a number of variants on this including AdVenture Capitalist, Tap Tycoon and Billionaire, that available for free on the Google Play and Apple app stores.

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Published: 28 May 2016, 12:44 AM IST
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