Intro
There are some amazing cozy games on the market right now that have beautifully intricate and well laid out storylines that will keep you busy for hours. Games where you can romance hot people while tending a farm with magical backdrops, fantasy settings with beautiful atmospheres, and those where you can meet amazing NPC while working through major life events. These amazing games bring imagination and depth to this branch of the gaming community and add to the creative side of the cozy gaming genre.
However, if you’re anything like me sometimes there are instances where an emotionally charged game with a lot of tasks that requires a lot of thought is too taxing. My pea brain can only handle so many things at once and the capacity of my brain can fill up fast. I have run into too many times where I will want to play games but it’s just too much to play anything that takes a significant amount of effort. This is where games like House Flipper come in handy.
Pretty much everything you can expect about the game can be discerned from the title. You run a house flipping business out of your shack of a home and renovate people’s houses for large sums of money. While the game is older it’s still a fun game to play that does not require a ton of your brain power while still having fun. But does this mean that you should play it? This article will tell you all that you need to know to see if you should play House Flipper.
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Story
Ok, so this is usually the part where I lay out the story of the game for you so that can really get an idea of what you’re looking to play. However, one of the major pros to this game, especially if you have a full brain, is that there really is no major story.
You play from the perspective of a nameless house flipper who starts out running their house flipping business in a (literal) run down shack of a home. Not a very high vote of confidence in your skills. But you immediately start getting housing gigs from people as you move to level up your skills and earn more jobs. The premise of the game is insanely simple and is a lot like the video game version of housing Task Rabbit.
The whole mode of the game is just completing these tasks and leveling up to even more complex jobs and income. Later, you can add more creativity to your jobs but for the most part you are just completing things that need to be done. While this aspect of the game may become monotonous to those looking for a livelier game this is a major pro for those in the mood for something simpler. There is no emotional bent to the game or complex quest system that needs following. You are simply a house flipper and you’re flipping houses. Such bliss.
Game
While the premise of the game is quite simple the abilities and gameplay are by no means lacking. Though the game is still simple task completion and slight creativity there are many different forms of labor that you will need to complete to finish a job. Dispose of trash, paint (or my favorite: knock down) walls, install new appliances, decorate, as well as many more activities to finish the job.
Sit back and relax as you create a new space for your clients to suit their tastes and needs. The refreshing simplicity of the game adds a more chill aspect to the experience as you renovate other people’s homes. No overtly complex quests, no emotional story, it’s just you and your sledgehammer (and I guess a few other tools also). The only major aspect that you might have to keep in mind is the budget but if you keep in step with the task list you should be fine.
Despite House Flipper’s majorly calming use of simplicity it does have some drawbacks. Bear in mind that I am talking about the Nintendo Switch version of the game. I cannot currently speak for any other console version as of right now. But the Nintendo Switch version can be hard to navigate. There is a VERY Basic tutorial at the beginning but as you add on more abilities and try to complete more jobs the game does not always do a great job of walking you through how to do things.
For example, one issue I ran into came from trying to paint the walls. You buy a can of paint, and you place it on the floor to refill your paint roller. If you finish your paint job, but are still left with some paint, the game does not tell you what to do with the can. You can only dispose of the can when it is empty of paint.
Thus, led to my journey to the internet to try to troubleshoot this issue and this is not an isolated incident. Don’t get me wrong, the game is still fun and if you’re able to do some research or are good at figuring out game controls then this will not be much of an issue for you. However, if this is an aspect that you do not wish to deal with then you may want to rethink purchasing the game.
Pros
- Very task heavy
- Mindless work for over worked brains
- Home décor and creativity
- Satisfying
Cons
- Short
- Lack of Story
- Very task heavy
Conclusion
While there are many wonderfully intricate games that are amazing to play within the cozy gaming genre, sometimes it’s good to play something that takes a bit less hassle. House Flipper is a wonderful game that allows players to live out their house renovating dreams. While the game is great for those looking to give their brain a rest players should be aware that this is a simple game.
If you are looking for a game that is story driven with lots of quests and deep characters House Flipper is not it. But if you want a fun and wholesome and simple game that will help you to relax while playing it, than consider playing House Flipper, so that you too can dream of home ownership.
Ready to start renovating? You can purchase House Flipper for the Nintendo Switch here.
