Tattoo Studio Simulator Review (Android & iOS)

I’ve absolutely no issue with stenciling a silhouette of Mickey Mouse on the burly backside of an old school biker for a quick buck or two. I also have no quarrel with the ten-second designs that most, if not all ink-less patrons want drilling into their bodies for the sake of gaining clout and a shot at being a star-studded social influencer. But I do, however, draw the line at repetition; I have only so much patience with certain things—art, especially. And that’s where I find myself struggling to keep the momentum going in Digital Melody’s Tattoo Studio Simulator: in that perpetual cycle of hollow ideas that lack any form of passion or creativity.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the concept—the creation of a street studio and its interior design and whatnot—but the actual tattooing process is mind-bogglingly simple and in no way reflective of the real art form. I’ll give it a C+ for effort, but that’s about as far as I’m willing to take it. It has its plus points, just as much as it has its structural downfalls, I’ll admit. But then again, given the fact that tattoo-centric simulation games aren’t exactly a dime a dozen in this day and age, perhaps I can let bygones be bygones and critique this on more of a level playing field than a downward spiral. Well, I’ll give it my all, anyway.

To put you in the picture, Digital Melody has just launched Tattoo Studio Simulator on Android and iOS. If you’re curious to learn more about it, then pull up a chair and sit with us for a short while. Word of warning: this one is permanent.

An Excess Amount of Ink

As luck would have it, you don’t need to be an artist to be able to tattoo narrow-minded clients. Of course, if this were a real-world situation, then admittedly, you would have to possess a firm understanding of how to at least create your own custom designs alongside the traditional stencils that various artists resort to in a last-ditch effort to close in on a quick transaction. But here, in Tattoo Studio Simulator, a lot of these things shoot straight out of the window. If you can cut along a dotted line, then you will no doubt have what it takes to make ends meet in this little studio of Digital Melody’s. And that’s great — for people who have little to no interest in the creative side of the profession.

Tattoo Studio Simulator is, first and foremost, a game about entrepreneurship; it dons the tattoo gun and latex gloves, for sure, but it also shadows these things with a relatively predictable, albeit somewhat homely blueprint. It’s a business game at heart, and so, while it does allow you the opportunity to tattoo your own clients, it doesn’t treat this section of the experience with the same tender love and care as the breadth of the game — and that’s essentially fleshing out your studio with the latest gadgets and doodads that might coerce a complete stranger into thinking, ‘yeah, this person must be a professional — they have a fresh needle.’ To put it bluntly, it doesn’t matter if you can draw, because at the end of the day, a heart’s a heart. Ain’t no need for perfect circles here, folks.

Gods of Ink

Tattoo Studio Simulator is a beginner-friendly drawing game, if anything, in which your only real goal is to trace the outlines of a generic object—clover leaves, musical notes, stars, and kites, for example—and carefully fill in the blanks with a splash of colorful ink. As you progress through this rags-to-riches story, more options gradually emerge from beneath the inkblot, which essentially allow you the opportunity to acquire more chairs for your studio, additional inks for your designs, and several extra tattoo blueprints. And if you think this sounds a little too familiar, well, that’s because it is, to an extent, Supermarket Simulator with an artistic twist.

There isn’t really a story to marvel at here, other than the usual bits and bobs that frequent a traditional shop or business simulation game. In a nutshell, the game revolves around an up-and-coming studio—a staple in the tattooing industry, if you will—which supposedly houses several of the freshest, non-egocentric designs in the neighborhood. It’s your job, surprise surprise, to broaden its reach and, with a little extra cash in your pocket, elevate its humble roots to vast heights by implementing better tools, art equipment, and tattoos that might just swivel a few heads down on the local high street. And that’s it. So, if you’re after a narrative-driven simulator with rich and complex portraiture fanning its flames — tough luck, basically.

Verdict

I say all of the above with respect, to be fair, as a lot of Tattoo Studio Simulator does have some great bits and pieces to share with its chosen audience. Granted, it isn’t a pocket-sized haven for fledgling artists, much less an open canvas for those with a fine eye for portraiture or abstract subjects. But it is, on the other hand, a pretty entertaining tool for those with a mild interest in drawing and a handful of hours to spare on a lazy afternoon. I can’t bring myself to say that it will wow you, as it will surely send you to sleep before it lifts the hairs on the back of your neck. I suppose, though, it being a game targeted at younger players, I can’t warrant a complaint. It’s essentially an ad that was designed with the intent of making eight-year-olds feel radical and edgy.

To acknowledge the elephant in the room, Tattoo Studio Simulator isn’t the lifelike emulation of the street art world that you might have imagined. If it’s anything at all, it’s a basic dot-to-dot with a few extra customizable features and a splash of ink, to boot. If that’s the sort of gig you wouldn’t mind dropping your tools for, then there’s a good chance that you will get a kick out of gunning kites on an ex-gang member’s left cheek. For everything else, you might want to stick to the slightly more advanced drawing apps, as this one is basically Windows ‘98 Paint with a few additional splashes of environmental detail and some incredibly janky mechanics. Oh, and did I mention that it has ads? Tut tut.