News Tower is a tycoon game where you run a newspaper and try to build up a media empire. It can be a fun game once you get a handle on everything the game asks you to do. Like other games in the tycoon genre, your goal is to make money and stay in business.
Setting and Gameplay
There is a pretty good story set up for the player. The game is set in 1930s New York, right before the stock market crashed and caused the Great Depression. This story seems to only exist in the introduction, but the setting carries over to the regular game.
When you start, you don’t have a lot of news to report. As the game goes on, you’ll quickly run out of space in the initial layout. This is when the fun begins, and you need to expand your printing press.
You’ll quickly outgrow your building, and you’ll need to add another floor. Don’t worry, though. It is easy to move around all the equipment, walls, and decorations.
Occasionally, you’ll have to deal with the needs of your employees. A room can be too noisy, hot, or they can just feel uncomfortable. This is the part of the game that felt like other modern tycoon games, where you have to balance the needs of your workforce with trying to make money.
There are a few missions that pop up as you play the game. These come about when you try to branch out to other parts of New York City. It is a cool mechanic, and it will be interesting to see how these impact the game.
I like the gameplay so far. This is one of my favorite genres of games, and I find it very relaxing. Once I figure out a strategy for this game that works for me, I’ll probably like this game even more.
Graphics
The game looks pretty good. It is easy to tell what is going on, and when you have a problem that needs to be solved. There are also some audio cues to let you know when breaking news happens.
The screen can get very busy. It looks more chaotic than it really is. The game just gives you a visual of the actions you set in motion.
The icons can be a little small, and it might be hard for people to tell what things are before clicking on them. If you play the introduction, then the game describes what everything is and what they do.
Overall, the game looks good. It does a good job of showing you the chaos of a newsroom back in the day. Having worked in a media environment myself, I can say that it isn’t like this all the time. It does look cool, though!
Wrap Up
Like other games in this genre, it takes some time to figure out what works best for you. The game has been out for a little over a year, and it has been updated a few times. The “International Update” came out in February 2025.
There is a great base for a tycoon game here. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but you could say this about several games in this genre. Once you get a handle on things, it is a wonderful experience.
It will be fun to watch this game get updated. It is in early access, but it looks like a complete game at the moment. I’ll come back to this one to see what it’s like when it gets a full release.
If you ever wanted to know what it was like running an independent media publication, then this does a good job of simulating its trials and tribulations. It can be a little hard at times.
If you liked this post, please check out my other first impressions of Demonschool and Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
One thought on “News Tower is a Great Early Access Tycoon Game”