Failed Game Developer Review (PC)

So, you gave up everything to become the Belle of the gaming world, did you? Well, tough luck, kid, because the industry doesn’t want you. Well, to tell a lie, it does want you, but it also wants someone who is willing to rise from the ashes of their gravest mistake, even if it means dumpster diving at the crack of dawn for just a slither of hope. It could be that you have the idea of a lifetime, or that you have the creative wizardry to redefine the medium. However, unless you prove yourself as a human being, then you will never break into the circuit and wax poetic with the big leagues. And if Failed Game Developer is anything at all, then it’s a window into the bitter reality that redemption, sadly, isn’t an easy feat to accomplish. Dumpster diving, on the other hand, is a universal experience that can be enjoyed by anyone. Strange, that.

You gave it your best shot, but it just didn’t work out the way you envisioned it. So, how can you rebuild in the wake of a catastrophic failure? Why, by learning how to walk again, of course. And as luck would have it, that’s exactly what Failed Game Developer wants to teach you: how to fill the void in the aftermath of a problematic launch. It’s teaching method is a little unorthodox I’ll admit, but it does remind you that, so long as you’re alive and kicking, you can imitate a Phoenix and rise from the proverbial ashes, so to speak. It’s learning how to spread your wings, that’s the tough part.

Failed Game Developer is all about navigating a world in the aftermath of a rather miserable experience. Or at least, it’s about picking up the pieces and learning how to thread the needle after falling victim to failure. A simulation game at heart, it ushers you in the right direction with a series of stepping stones and small but significant milestones to overcome. From the back alley dumpster diving to the property acquisitions, the late night tavern visits to the wardrobe experiments, Failed Game Developer invites you to tow the line and find redemption in a world that had no problem with chewing you up and spitting you back out again. It isn’t deep; it’s just life, as well as a reminder that big dreams can often come with a rather lofty price tag.

The game itself takes place in a small town—a place where you can forage for hidden treasures, find odd jobs to earn a quick paycheck, unlock vehicles, and even build your own home from scratch. To that end, you have a lot to work with. And honestly, on paper it sounds like the ideal life and job simulation game. Yet, I’d also be lying if I said that it is, even with all of the commodities and facets of a well-oiled indie sim, a perfect combination of both. For the record, Failed Game Developer isn’t the cleanest of games. Heck, if anything it reminds me of your typical rags-to-riches experience à la Storage Hunter Simulator—a game that certainly has the content to stay afloat, yet also the lack of technical polish to make even the greatest assets sparkle. And it’s the same deal here, sadly.

Gameplay-wise, Failed Game Developer consists of scooting around a condensed town, rummaging through dumpsters, and making small purchases to slowly but steadily rebuild your life. And no, it isn’t about creating video games — like, at all. If anything, it’s more of a love letter to Bum Simulator, complete with the ridiculous civilians and nonsensical chores that have little to no real appeal whatsoever. Take the opening hour, for example. After spending a solid ten or twenty minutes rifling through dumpers, the game has you tackling forklift jobs, volleying back and forth between garbage stockpiles, and investing small sums of money into little upgrades that further propel your social status. It isn’t boring; it’s just a tad predictable and snail-like. But then, that’s a typical redemption arc for you, I suppose.

While there is a good variety of content to dig your claws into here, Failed Game Developer does contain a ton of janky components and wooden pieces among other audiovisual issues. It isn’t pretty by any means, nor is it in possession of buttery smooth gameplay mechanics that can hold a candle to most modern big-budget video games. But maybe that‘s the point; it’s a slap in the face to the modern standard. Or, you know, maybe it isn’t. Maybe it is just a broken game that knows how to laugh at itself and openly embrace the gimmicks. Either way, you should take it all with a grain of salt. Don’t expect a seamless experience here, basically. It’s slop, but good slop that will most definitely make you chuckle.

If you can look beyond its shoddiness and lackluster world, then you might just find an oddly engaging game here with a lot of entertaining content to shovel through. Again, it’s a little janky, and it isn’t in receipt of anything particularly special. The dialogue is poor, the driving physics are comical, and the general hook is predictable and a little dull. But, if you can turn a blind eye to its imperfections and embrace the few good things that it brings to the table, then you should be able to acknowledge the fact that it isn’t a total dumpster fire, but a mirror into a world where trash and massacres remediate all problems. Go figure.

Verdict

Failed Game Developer highlights the importance of finding redeeming qualities within yourself whilst battling against the worst possible case scenario. It doesn’t always do a remarkable job of portraying a classic redemption arc, what with most of its “story” being tied to dumpster diving and scavenging, but there’s a moral imperative here, nonetheless. And as for its gameplay, well, let’s just say that it could be a lot messier than it already is. It isn’t enthralling by any means, but where it lacks in gripping features and powerful twists and turns it makes up for with its trove of jobs, characters, and customizable facets. Is it the best game on the chopping block? No. But, to be honest, it is one that ought to give you a good chuckle — just maybe not for the right reasons.