Intro
Funny enough, one of the most thriving genres in the cozy gaming sphere, or even the gaming sphere in general, are simulation games. It would seem that playing the Sims and Papa’s Pizzeria as children was not enough as these types of games have matured with us as we have grown older.
Why there is such a draw to these games could be for a myriad of reasons such as a fun mindless play style, low stakes stories, or the feeling of playing pretend while getting to try living someone else’s life for a while. Sure, RPGs can give you this on a wonderfully grand scale that bring hours upon hours of enjoyment. But sometimes, you just have the desire to run a small business in a cozier adventure.
The indie developers over at Spellgarden Games understand this desire and as a result they created a lovely game called Sticky Business. In this wholesome simulation game, you begin your journey of owning your own sticker business. Create unique sticker designs and sell them on your online store as you gain popularity throughout the internet. As your shop earns more and more notoriety you start to learn more about the personal worlds of the people who buy your stickers.
Discover the highs and lows of the lives of your patrons as you see how a small sticker shop can bring a dosage of hope and peace to those who need it the most. Looking to see if this charming and lovingly crafted game is right for you? This article gives you all the information you need to decide whether you should play Sticky Business.
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Story
The story of Sticky Business is a sweet one, and not what you would expect from a relatively simple business simulation game about making stickers. As stated in the intro you are a new sticker shop owner who is just starting as a budding business owner. Your store is totally online and as you create stickers from a selection of creative tools and resources you fill out orders as they come in.
The gameplay is relatively simple, you create stickers, you print them to add to your stock, and you pack orders as they come in each day. Doesn’t sound like a lot of story involved within the simplistic application of the game, does it? That’s because the story that you get comes from the letters and online comments that come in from your orders.
Many of the patrons of your shop are scattered all over the world and are of different ages, races, and are going through different chapters of their lives. As you pack orders for repeat customers you become well acquainted with these patrons and how their lives are affected by what you sell. Some are having trouble coming to terms with the new phase of their life.
Others struggle to communicate in a way that is effective in building a relationship with those that they love. There are even those struggling to continue living with mental health as they face challenges that many without mental illnesses do not face.
These are just some of the many situations that you will encounter from the comfort of your in-home packing station as you create and package stickers that relate to your customers in a way that is meaningful.
Gameplay
Sticky Business utilizes a fun and simplistic game style that holds more of a focus on relaxation and good vibes. How you build up your store is through the creation of stickers whether that be through your own personal taste or through the requests that come from your customers.
You can buy and choose from an array of different shapes, colors, pictures, words, and more to create your sticky artwork. The main mechanic that this game operates off of is dragging and dropping whether that be during sticker creation, sticker printing, or through fulfilling orders.
It’s a fun and cute way to spend your time as your put different shapes and pictures together to create something unique. While this method of sticker making does not allow for a full range of creativity it does focus on the fun that can be had by trying to make something from the resources that you are given. This aspect of the game is what adds a bit of a challenge as you can’t necessarily make anything that you want, but you can still be creative by using what’s available to you.
The focus of this game is wholesome vibes and not rigid business management and while the game is fun there is not much to the overall gameplay. If you are someone who is looking for a more inundated sense of play then Sticky Business may not be the game for you and it could get repetitive to some gamers. However, if you are looking for a gaming style that is mindless and relaxing then Sticky Business might align with your tastes.
Pros
- Wholesome vibes
- Soothing gameplay
- Business sim but make it aesthetic
- Will warm your heart from the inside out
Cons
- Can become repetitive
- Not as wide a range of creativity with the sticker creation.
Conclusion
Sticky Business is not a game of high stakes selling and promotion but rather that of a relaxing cozy experience. Playing this game feels like that of drinking a hot cup of tea after a long day at work. It’s a cozy and warm experience that leaves you feeling better than before you played.
Those looking for a game that implement more variety in their gameplay may want to reconsider playing this game. However, if low stakes cozy vibes and creative sticker making sound like fun to you then maybe you should play Sticky Business.
Ready to start your sticker making adventure? You can purchase Sticky Business here.
Or for the Nintendo Switch here
