Idol Manager is a business simulation game developed by Glitch Pitch and published by Playism. It was initially released on Microsoft Windows on 27 July 2021, with the ported versions of Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 available on 25 August 2022.
| Idol Manager | |
|---|---|
 cover art by Pixiv artist Ninamo | |
| Developer(s) | Glitch Pitch |
| Publisher(s) | Playism |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Max Rogozin |
| Artist(s) | Aiwa |
| Writer(s) | Justin Kuiper |
| Composer(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Business simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editIdol Manager provides a free-play mode and a story mode.[1] The story mode features three difficulties and multiple endings.[2] In the video game, players take on the role of a business manager, who is responsible for the daily trainings and commercial activities of Japanese idol groups. The game also features random events, allowing players to navigate through PR disasters and defuse tensions between group members.[3]
Development and release
editIdol Manager was revealed at E3 2020.[4] It was developed by Glitch Pitch, an indie game studio located in Russia, and published by the Japanese independent video game publisher Playism.[5] The in-game images and cover art are created by Pixiv artists.[6] The game was launched on 27 July 2021 for Microsoft Windows via Steam.[7] The Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions were released on 25 August 2022.[8]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 73/100[9] |
Idol Manager received "mixed or average" reviews for the Microsoft Windows version according to review aggregator Metacritic.[9]
Tilly Lawton of Pocket Tactics rated the game an 8 out of 10, praising the game is fascinating and in good combination with its visual novel aspects, but wrote the game is "not for everyone" and pointed out the UI system of the game is somewhat inconvenient.[10]
Allen Kesinger of COGconnected gave 89 out of 100, also praising the game's Gal-game art style, but criticized the game's buggy UI as well.[11]
References
edit- ^ Middleton, Brent (24 August 2022). "Idol Manager Review". goombastomp.com. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Rise as an Idol Manager Today on Switch, PlayStation 4/5 - Just Don't Go Broke or Go to Prison". Anime News Network. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Joshua, Orpheus (11 May 2022). "'Idol Manager' Switch Port Announced; August 2022 Release". noisypixel.net. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "New Game+ Expo". ngpx.games. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Yokoyama, Keiichi (16 August 2021). "Idol Manager, an idol management agency simulation, now available on Steam". automaton-media.com. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Factsheet". idolmanager.net. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Lopez, Azario (5 June 2021). "Idol Manager Gets PC Release Date Set for July; Showing the Complexities of the Idol World". noisypixel.net. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (19 May 2022). "Idol Manager adds PS5, PS4 versions". gematsu.com. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Idol Manager PC". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Lawton, Tilly (25 August 2022). "Idol Manager Switch review – stressy baka". Pocket Tactics. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ Kesinger, Allen (25 September 2022). "Idol Manager review – spice up your life". cogconnected.com. Retrieved 19 March 2023.