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[mattiewheels]

*Selected as GAME OF THE YEAR 2011 in the American iTunes App Store!*

iPhone/iPod touch owners know about the endless Farmville knockoffs that've swarmed the App Store, so here's a welcome change to the formula. Tiny Tower has a lot of the same mechanics of those busywork social games, but it doesn't punish you for not forking over real-life dollars, and doesn't kill your spirit for not checking in for days or weeks.

The mechanics are ultra-simple: Build floors that sprout a random business according to which type you specify: FOOD, SERVICE, RECREATION, RETAIL, and CREATIVE. Stock the store with timed restocks, or spend Tower Bux to get the job done instantly. You send visitors up and down the elevator shafts for tips, sometimes even Big Bux. Grinding the elevators brings you new opportunities to improve in the form if VIPs. These guys offer to buy out entire floors, deliver your supply faster, or even build floors for you double-time.

Tower Bux are the game's "microtransaction" element, but the beauty of it is that, unlike most social grinders that almost dare you not to play without giving them money, you can easily have a great time without ever forking over any real world bux.

The stars of the game are it's Bitizens. You'll be getting to know them very well, because they're all unique. They've got charm, but they've also got a Dream-Job in mind.

Each little guy or gal has a specific Job that, once you start cranking out floors and stumble upon their prized profession, they can boost your Tiny Empire like crazy.

Every floor you build brings a new kind of business. These micro-merchants can really start to cook once you find the right Bitizens for the job.

Bitbook! There's a wall for all your Bitizens to vent about crappy neighbors or their awesome job.

And did I mention that this game is FREE? (0 Tower Bux)

 

[see5harp]

Been playing this at work for the past couple days. Really wish they added a way to customize your people though.

 

[Wrestlemania]

Possibly the most shallow, waste of time game I have ever played. I'm still playing though. I'm an idiot.

 

[mattiewheels]

Been playing this at work for the past couple days. Really wish they added a way to customize your people though.

There's kind of a way, you can click the "Dress Up" button to change their look. But I think you're talking deeper than that.

 

[eznark]

Possibly the most shallow, waste of time game I have ever played. I'm still playing though. I'm an idiot.

.

 

[Wario64]

lol this is really a thread

 

[thetrin]

Also, this game was made by Something Awful goons (specifically, the gents behind Pocket Frogs).

 

[see5harp]

There's kind of a way, you can click the "Dress Up" button to change their look. But I think you're talking deeper than that.

Well yea I want something a little deeper. Like I want my Nightclub employees to be wear haltertops and fishnet stockings. Right now they all like librarians with earrings.

 

[Harry Potter]

Anyone know if there is an elevator upgrade after the 125 tower bux one? I'm debating whether or not to buy it...

 

[dallow_bg]

I'm playing this a lot too.

 

[pulga]

Have one hand on my keyboard and my other is restocking shops as we speak. Stupid waste of time but fuck me thrice if it's not addictive.

Currently standing at 18 floors!

 

[mattiewheels]

lol this is really a thread

I know, smh

Shit, just got notified to play again.

 

[bryehn]

Finally, I'm as addicted as everyone else, but was tired of this game clogging up the iOS OT.

 

[Wario64]

I'm playing this a lot too.

I've played this game more than my consoles ever since it got released.

 

[mattiewheels]

I see this as kind of an AA meeting for iOS'ers.

 

[GhostWriter24]

Very charming art style, but idk about the gameplay...seems alot like the Zynga FB games that require a lot of clicking + distribution + social interaction, all of which I couldn't care less about.

 

[Alexios]

When you say elevator action people think this. If it's nothing like it, don't put it in the title

 

[Wario64]

Very charming art style, but idk about the gameplay...seems alot like the Zynga FB games that require a lot of clicking + distribution + social interaction, all of which I couldn't care less about.

No social interaction required in this game.

 

[thetrin]

When you say elevator action people think this. If it's nothing like it, don't put it in the title

Think of it as Elevator Action, except you don't shoot anyone, your enemies don't bring down the order and build a new society, and you mostly just build night clubs and pottery studios.

Very charming art style, but idk about the gameplay...seems alot like the Zynga FB games that require a lot of clicking + distribution + social interaction, all of which I couldn't care less about.

It requires none of those things, and it would have taken you 15 seconds to figure this out had you just downloaded this absolutely free to play game yourself.

 

[E-phonk]

I'm addicted. Downloaded this yesterday.

First iOS game since gamedevstory that has me hooked.

 

[mattiewheels]

One really impressive thing about TT to me is that they made it work so perfectly to the iOS interface's strengths. It's all perfectly intuitive, like scrubbing through the gaf webapp (the other thing I do repetitively).

 

[dskillzhtown]

I'm down. I am really liking this.

I can go to sleep and wake up to a bunch of coins!!!

 

[BobJustBob]

My best business is my Volleyball Club (recreation). The third-tier item when stocked by Mr. Dream Job has a whopping 9000 items of stock, meaning after the five-hour stocking period I wait as 27,000 coins come rolling in.

 

[Lan_97]

What makes this game stand out from other freemiums:
- Great art style and humor
- You are not punished for not playing the game
- The paid portion of the game (tower bux) is given out pretty liberally
- Forcing friends to play is not needed at all to progress

 

[Kafel]

New roomie Henry Watts has a lot of feather boas. Not going to ask.


8 bitizens like this

 

[Meier]

J. Jacqueline
I'm in a glass case of emotion!
6 Bitizens like this

Jason Tucker
Work today at the Pottery Studio. Noooo!
0 Bitizens like this (ouch)

 

[Meier]

What's everyone's opinion on non-9s that you can place in their Dream Job? Worth holding on to? I honestly haven't really noticed if multiple DJs stack and allow for quadrupling and sextupling of inventory.

 

[Wrestlemania]

What's everyone's opinion on non-9s that you can place in their Dream Job? Worth holding on to? I honestly haven't really noticed if multiple DJs stack and allow for quadrupling and sextupling of inventory.

Answer: it will make no difference to the game other than your dollar counter possibly going up slightly faster, so it doesn't matter.

 

[Adam J.]

I usually hate stuff like this, but I checked it out based on it's cute art style and GAF hype, and dammit, I'm hooked. I have 16 floors which seems pretty low for 4 days of playing. Also, how the he'll did I get stuck with a hippie/hipster tower? Vegan restaurant, performing arts theater, plant nursery, fortune teller... I want cool stuff like an arcade and pizza parlor.

 

[Chopper]

Yes! A thread! I'm about to build my 31st floor. Definitely need more residential floors though. I'm ProperChopper, if you wanna see my tower!

 

[Meier]

Paid a Tower Buck to hire a GAFfer. All 0s with Cyber Cafe as their dream job.

 

[Kers]

Sam Fisher
We have been working really hard at the pub.
9 Bitizens like this

Julio Obrien

5 Bitizens like this

 

[MiniBossBattle]

Really cute art style.

 

[see5harp]

Paid a Tower Buck to hire a GAFfer. All 0s with Cyber Cafe as their dream job.

LOL. I love the checking out stats and looking at dream job. Nothing like the people with 2 as an average and "Mexican Restaurant" as their dream job.

 

[FL4TW4V3]

I actually don't like this game much, but I keep coming back to it managing my tower all the time. Go figure.

 

[mattiewheels]

When you say elevator action people think this. If it's nothing like it, don't put it in the title

I know, sorry. I thought of using "Crack in an Elevator", but it didn't roll as well.

 

[Mrbob]

The bitbook comments are the best part of this game. Some of them are truly hilarious!

 

[Gaspode_T]

I usually hate stuff like this, but I checked it out based on it's cute art style and GAF hype, and dammit, I'm hooked. I have 16 floors which seems pretty low for 4 days of playing. Also, how the he'll did I get stuck with a hippie/hipster tower? Vegan restaurant, performing arts theater, plant nursery, fortune teller... I want cool stuff like an arcade and pizza parlor.

Tiny Hipster Tower is the true name of the game

 

[Diablohead]

My tiny tower is still 1 day old, paid for 100 tower bucks to support the game as it's rather great and fun, I like it a lot.

 

[Sarcasm]

Damnit thought this was for PC. Was excited for something like SimTower. IS this like it? I don't own an Apple Product.

 

[Gaspode_T]

Damnit thought this was for PC. Was excited for something like SimTower. IS this like it? I don't own an Apple Product.

It's not like SimTower at all. It's a freemium social game where you have to wait for things to build and then receive money for doing some basic tasks (moving people up an elevator to their desired floor). Then you can do stuff with the money like make the wait disappear so you can move on or receive funds to build new floors with.

 

[atre324]

Can someone tell me if I'm right on this:

1) The combined "aptitude" your 3 bitizens working on a floor have for that particular genre determines how much of a discount you get on re-stocking that floor? So if you've got a barber shop with 3 bitizens, with service levels 6, 9, and 9, you'd get a 24% discount on restocking, right?

2) Is this how dream jobs work: 1 bitizen = doubles the 1-coin product quantity when restocking, 2 bitizens in the same dream job = doubles the 1 and 2-coin product quantity, 3 bitizens in the same dream job = doubles the 1/2/3-coin products quantity. Is that right, or am I missing something?


Also, does the increased quantity from dream jobs increase the restocking time, or is it the same no matter what?

 

[Phreaker]

Possibly the most shallow, waste of time game I have ever played. I'm still playing though. I'm an idiot.

Got it today to see what all the fuss was about after it took over the iOS gaming thread. Almost got enough money for the 8th floor. I didn't even realize you could have a hippy tower. My first places were a sushi bar, nightclub, bookstore and a pharmacy. I'm kinda hooked.

I would like it if the elevator ride was a bit more of a mini-game. Like you land perfect on the floor you get an extra tip or 2x was they would normally give you (twice the floor #?)

Oh I also notice it has server-saves so I can pick up between my iPad and iPhone, nice!

 

[enzo_gt]

As a former We Rule addict.. I want to get into this. But I'm scared man. Scared of addiction/having impulses to check in often.

 

[jonnybryce]

I'm really trying to get hooked by this game. It's cute, has a simple mechanic, can be played in short bursts...

I'm failing at this task.

 

[Fusebox]

This game forces you to make some really morally ambiguous choices.

Should I really find and distract one of my Bitizens just so another Bitizen can beat their high score? Is that my role in this world?

 

[Rollo Tomasi]

They need to add a bonus for fully stocking your entire tower!

 

[mattiewheels]

Best way to look at the game is as a cool zen garden that works while you do other things. You can get a lot done grinding elevators for money & VIPs, but the best way is just set stuff up and check it out later.

 

[see5harp]

Oh I also notice it has server-saves so I can pick up between my iPad and iPhone, nice!

Are you serious? Do you want me to lose my job?

 

[atre324]

I definitely feel like compared to the other Time Management/Appointment games on Iphone/Ipad, this one is a lot less demanding and intrusive.

I really hate games that have crops/etc that can spoil if you don't pick them in time (although I'm still playing smurf's village, lol), so I appreciate that Tiny Tower lets you log in at your leisure and check if you want.

That's probably the same reason I like Trade Nations, except once you've clicked your buildings and collected your exp/gold there's nothing to do. The elevator and "where's waldo" aspects really make the game, since you have the option of just zoning out and earning money faster while you watch TV (or poop).

The one thing I wish they'd add is more varied animations for the different floors. Have the aquarium people go swimming once in a while, or have the minigolf people play some games, etc.