Develop a game about developing games in a game about developing games (made by game developers).

Confused?

Game Dev Tycoon is a game dev simulator by Greenheart Games in which you build and grow your own company to make and sell games. It’s a back to basics game which feels like it would be at home on a mobile device instead of a PC. But, with constant progress, unlocks and new game combinations, it is remarkably addictive. It also recognises it’s own irony by awarding you a Steam achievement for creating a game development game within the game development game:

Your road to game dev success starts with you working alone in your garage in the 80’s, with a pong poster on the wall and a waste paper bin full of scrapped ideas. As you start making games, mixing genres and creating your own game engines, you begin to combine different genres, platforms and target audiences to make yourself hit games, along with fans and money to take you further.

You can choose to buy your own swanky office, hire underlings and eventually develop your own consoles and hardware. Plus, as the game-time progresses through the years, you get to see the rise and fall of gaming companies from the ‘Govodore 64′ to the ‘Nivento Yuu’ all the way into the future – by the way, I’m looking forward to descendant of the ‘Mbox One’, the ‘Mbox Next‘ (a name I thought was crazily unimaginative but may be realistic following Nintendo’s naming of the “New 3DS“… Take a whole team to come up with that?

The most painful thing is that it follows past trends and certain combos of game genres. Whilst I thought up a great idea for an innovative space RPG, my mature military themed console game which I called ‘Call of Doody’ was my greatest success, even after releasing 5 almost identical sequels…

At only £6.99 on Steam with an available free demo for earning your first million, Game Dev Tycoon is definitely worth a go just for the slightly edited history lesson on the rise of the video game industry.