Luck Be a Landlord is a roguelike deck-building video game developed and published by TrampolineTales. Players attempt to pay their rent by using a customizable slot machine.
| Luck Be a Landlord | |
|---|---|
 Luck Be a Landlord's cover art on Steam | |
| Developer(s) | TrampolineTales |
| Publisher(s) | TrampolineTales |
| Designer(s) | Dan DiIorio |
| Composer(s) | Vincent Colavita[1] |
| Engine | Godot[2] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Roguelike deck-building |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
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Players attempt to pay their landlord using a slot machine. The mechanics are similar to roguelike deck-building games.[3] Players must accumulate increasing amounts of money to pay their rent within a limited number of spins. After each spin, players can add another symbol. Symbols can interact with each other for extra money, such as cats drinking milk and bees pollinating flowers.[4] Some symbols can also destroy unwanted ones.[3] Players win by successfully paying 12 rounds of rent, thereby defeating their landlord.
Development
editDan DiIorio developed Luck Be a Landlord after being inspired by Slay the Spire and freeware for Windows 98. He described himself as a "recently radicalized leftist" and, after moving into a new apartment, had been pondering why rent was necessary. The concept came from wanting to make a slot machine game that did not depend on predatory microtransations. It entered early access in January 2021. At the time, DiIorio had difficulty buying medication and had to delay development. This changed when Luck Be a Landlord suddenly became popular among streamers.[5] It was released for Linux, macOS, and Windows on January 6, 2023.[6] Ports to iOS and Android followed on July 21, 2023.[7]
Reception
editRock Paper Shotgun said it is a "compulsive celebration of silliness, and a successful parody" of capitalism.[4] Commenting on the mix of genres, Eurogamer called it "a surprisingly compelling mix"[8] and TouchArcade said it is a perfect blend of deck-building and gambling despite initially seemingly like it might be a momentary distraction.[9] Pocket Gamer said it is "simple on the surface but full of depth" and "insanely addicting".[10]
The game was banned in thirteen countries on Google Play for violating its policies on simulated gambling. DiIorio disputes the claim's inconsistency by comparing Luck Be a Landlord with similar microtransaction-based video games that are nonetheless available in those countries.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Luck be a Landlord - Official Video Game Soundtrack, by Vincent Colavita". Vincent Colavita. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ DiIorio, Dan (July 1, 2023). "7 Facts about Luck be a Landlord on Mobile". blog.trampolinetales.com. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Alice (March 12, 2021). "A roguelike slot machine game makes perfect sense, in a weird way". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Cox, Matt (July 14, 2023). "The joy of becoming infinitely wealthy in Luck Be A Landlord". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick (March 4, 2021). "Game Developer Delays Patch Because He Can't Get His Prescription Medicine". Vice. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Cox, Matt (January 6, 2023). "Roguelike slot machine game Luck Be A Landlord spins out of early access". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Nelson, Jared (July 5, 2023). "Popular Slot Machine-Based Roguelike Luck be a Landlord Coming to Mobile July 21st, Pre-Orders Available Now". TouchArcade. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "What we've been playing". Eurogamer. January 29, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Madnani, Mikhail (July 25, 2023). "Luck Be a Landlord Mobile Review – Slay the Slots". Touch Arcade. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Derrick, Connor (August 1, 2023). "Luck be A Landlord Review - "Paying rent has never been this fun!"". PocketGamer. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Rees, Lewis (August 22, 2023). "Google's inconsistent app-store gambling regulations come under fire". PocketGamer.biz. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.