Addictive Sim, Great Potential
Impressive early release for an independently developed sim game. Stands to hang high in the genre as long as the developer continues to update the game with the same care used to conceive it. Jarrod Brown has put a lot of thought into the design and mechanics here, including a playable manager with a default AI mode and customizable stats that you can boost as you level, plenty of NPCs that fill the roles of both your staff and clientele and also come with their own complex stats, and a research tree to access new features as the game churns on. A variety of building materials and purchasable items gives you great flexibility over the type of rec center you want to have. Hire and fire staff with their own unique traits to ensure your customers are in good hands for every hour you choose to be open. All of this depth is a double-edged sword; while it holds the potential to become richly fleshed out with detail, it leaves much space waiting to be filled. Luckily, the developer seems open to ideas from the community and I have every reason to believe he will carefully take this early release to the heights it deserves to reach. Despite the fact that there is plenty of room for improvement, I’m hanging my hat on a 5-star rating in confidence of Jarrod Brown’s work ethic. With time and love, this game could hold a place in sim history upon it’s final release. Must try! But be warned: playing this for an hour feels like 15 minutes. So be prepared to toil into the wee hours of the night building, from scratch, the rec center of your dreams.