Mad Smartphone Tycoon Review

I spend a lot of time around smartphones, as do most people in this modern world. However, I don’t have as much experience with making them or using processes in their creation and advertisement. This part of the smartphone experience is where developer Miradil’s latest game, Mad Smartphone Tycoon, focuses. I’ve been playing it to see if this is the game for the smartphone appreciator or if it should have been left on the development table. 

When you start the game, you get to choose which country you’ll start your operation. Each country offers a bonus when building a certain design (more on that later) and it can feel like you're getting a bit railroaded into how you're going to start; once you have chosen your country, it's time for the game to begin. You will need to decide if you want to start building a new phone immediately or if it’s better to research new parts.

The research is pretty self-explanatory: each option has a set research time until they are unlocked. You’ll need these parts when you actually build the phone to help it fit into a single category. So, for instance, if you decide to build a rugged phone, you need to have a good screen, waterproofing, etc. The game isn’t really clear on what each phone requires, and a part of it is very much testing everything out to see what gets a big score. This is annoying in a game where you have a set amount of funds, and getting money is a slow process. 

It isn’t just the parts that you can adjust; you can also change how the phone looks and its shape, but the problem is that you are penalised for moving away from the game’s suggestion. Basically, there is a small window in the top corner that shows off a phone; the closer you get to that phone's “look”, the higher the score you’re going to get. It honestly takes away from any sense of individuality or experimentation. Regardless, now you have a finished phone! So… now what?

You sell it, which again will include sitting and staring at numbers. This is easily my biggest complaint about the Mad Smartphone Tycoon: it’s really boring. You would expect a game with the word “mad” in the title to offer something a bit zany or wacky, but there’s nothing; the entire experience is just watching numbers go up or down on a screen and waiting, with the only interruption being the 10 minutes it takes to pick the parts for a phone. Honestly, the game needs some kind of plot to help players get invested, maybe an evil rival phone company or just… something. Also, maybe adding some design elements to the adverts and presentations, rather than a stock video that never changes. It’s just boring and kind of lazy. 

If you want a game you can run in the background and you love smartphones, then maybe this is one to watch, but honestly, it needs a lot of work. While there is the chance for DLC and updates to solve many of the issues, the problem is that the game needed to give me more freedom to really build the wackiest, or maddest, phone possible.