Under the Disco Lights Review (PC)

I relish eighties nightlife, not for of its electric feel and organic taste in music or social interaction, but for its communal atmosphere, its world without tablets or smartphones, and its mantra of being present and not just a digital sensation for future generations. Before social media, and before the whole world felt that it had something to prove for the sake of earning clout and bragging rights, the eighties had something to give—a level playing field where everyone could flock to and congregate on the dance floor. It was before the surge in extravagant cocktails or fashion trends, and it was before the world suddenly felt the urge to step on other people’s toes for their personal gain. It was real, and it was authentic. And if Under the Disco Lights wanted to illuminate anything at all, it was that the eighties were, although still with a few questionable pieces of apparel, the greatest years of all time.

While I had no issue with setting up shop in the likes of Nightclub Simulator, I did have a feeling that there was something missing from the equation. I adored the concept—the cocktail infusions, the social aspects, and the vast club upgrades and structural changes, for example. Yet, I also found that it lacked the organic qualities of an old-school clubbing experience. While I could interact with patrons and unravel their niches, I couldn’t ever see them for anything other than mere cardboard cutouts with distinguishable characteristics or preferences. The core gameplay loop was there, but I wanted more. I wanted to be there, in the moment and as a crucial player in the clubbing scene. I wanted Under the Disco Lights to shine a light on a craving that Nightclub Simulator failed to incubate.

From the onset, Under the Disco Lights came across as a world that I had already been to before. The setting, for example, wasn’t all that different from Nightclub Simulator, in that it had the dance floor, the stocked bar, and the intoxicated patrons. It also had a similar list of jobs that I needed to accomplish: serve guests, manage resources, and gradually upgrade the club to attract more customers and establish an ironclad presence. But, after swilling a few cocktails and catering to a handful of guests, it dawned upon me that it wasn’t just a simple juggling act of serving and stirring. It was about small talk and best-kept secrets, bar stories and personal details. It wasn’t just a question of how to evolve a business; it was about how to tap into the culture and find a place within the nocturnal hierarchy.

At first, Under the Disco Lights didn’t feel like a tough cookie to crack. For the most part, it involved tending to the bar, brewing and mixing cocktails, and making small but significant changes to the building to appeal to a broader spectrum of night owls. That wasn’t a problem in the slightest. If anything, it was familiar ground—a process that I had done thousands of times before. But then, the little details came out to finesse the formula. It wasn’t about mindlessly spewing out beverages for a few bucks apiece; it was about talking to regulars, understanding their backstories, and using their personal preferences to fuel future nodes on a weighty investment tree. It was vaguely similar to a textbook business management sim, but with more to do, and much more to learn. Well, sort of.

Although Under the Disco Light is still based in an era when technical innovation was scarce in the nightclub scene, the game, funnily enough, continues to adopt a lot of upgrades and hooks for you to chisel away at. For example, cash can be used to purchase better beverages, grander set pieces and more efficient storage facilities. I can’t quite say that there are hundreds of things for you to employ, but there is certainly enough to keep you splurging your passive income on throughout your conquest of the clubbing field. And even when you don’t have an upgrade to explore or a second avenue to venture into, you have other tasks to ponder, like befriending visitors or simply dancing to an electric soundtrack of original eighties ballads. A small task I’ll admit, but one that aligns with the theme surprisingly well, nonetheless.

While Under the Disco Lights might not deviate all that far from the usual path of a cliche, I have to give credit where it’s due and say that, for an eighties-themed timepiece that makes a genuine effort to fill its boots with vintage attire and suitable beats, it does make for a pretty convincing love letter to old-school disco and late-night club culture. Don’t get me wrong, it still has a few missing teeth and a lot of familiar visual scars, with shoddy camera movements and raggedy animations. But that’s to be expected from an indie business sim. It doesn’t look perfect, and it doesn’t always play out the well, either. Yet, there’s a lot of fun to be had here, especially if you’re a die-hard fan of eighties music and nocturnal pastimes. The question is, which of the two makes for a better game — Nightclub Simulator or Under the Disco Lights? Decisions, decisions.

Verdict

Under the Disco Lights shines its glitter ball on the electric eighties’ nocturnal side and all of its late-night intoxicating remedies with the intent to transport you back to an ideal era of camaraderie and communal intimacy. It might not do a remarkable job of filling that niche, but it does provide all of the right fodder for a surprisingly entertaining club management sim. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a little wooden, and several of its key features could do with a little extra time in the oven. That said, I can respect it for what it is: an ear worm that knows how to ring in your ears and keep you replaying the same routine over and over again. It might not be worth the hassle. But then, what business simulation game is? At least Under the Disco Lights has good music.