IndieGo #30: Cruise Ship Manager and Aquarist

Gaming allows us to perform some spectacular feats. From hitting the game-winning run in MLB The Show’s World Series, managing to tame the deadly curves of Nürburgring in Gran Turismo 7, to gunning down nazis in recreations of some of World War II’s most intense battles, there’s no shortage of spectacle. But sometimes it’s gratifying to take a break from these kinds of memorable moments to appreciate the slightly more mundane.

Sure, stepping into the cleats, racing booties, or combat boots of a seasoned professional can be exciting. However, developing an appreciation for less-lauded careers is often just as fulfilling. With IndieGo #30, we squeeze tourists for their money in Cruise Ship Manager before creating some elaborate marine exhibits in Aquarist, two recent efforts from Poland-based publisher Freemind Games. At this year’s Digital Dragons conference, I got to speak to some of the developers of these simulations. Each attempted to reveal the complexity of a given job, potentially cultivating a sense of newfound appreciation from audiences. While these aren’t impeccable experiences, both games are diverting and reasonably priced. Sometimes, that’s good enough.

Cruise Ship Manager, Image Power, $9.99, reviewed on PC

Luxury cruises are deviously clever. After paying a lofty sum for a ticket, you’re confined to a miniature city at sea. While some voyages offer premium-priced all-inclusive options, many passengers are fleeced for everything from watered-down cocktails, to better food, and sluggish wi-fi. When there’s gambling aboard, international waters allow the house to intensify their already overwhelming advantage. Like a form of modern-day piracy, fortunes are seized on the high seas.

Sadly, Cruise Ship Manager doesn’t let you be a truly heinous executive, which can be a cathartic form of role-play. Instead, it adopts a fairly mannerly approach as you begin your managerial gig on one of three skill levels. The game’s tutorial will walk you through the different stages that need completion before you sell tickets and set sail.

First, you’ll design your vessel, positioning cabins for travelers and crew, commercial spaces like diners, as well as elevators and stairs that are needed to provide access. Next, you’ll select from various destinations with distances dictating how much food and fuel you’ll need. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t provide any supply estimations, so you’ll have to develop your own familiarity across multiple playthroughs.

The crew is surprisingly adaptable in Cruise Ship Manager. After hiring a squad, you’ll probably place them in positions based on their pre-set strengths. But between worker burnout and never quite having enough space to room a full staff, constantly order your crew to different stations. Yes, it’s odd when the cook takes over captain duties. Hopefully, Image Power is making a point about intellectual malleability. Even if they aren’t, it keeps life at sea sufficiently hectic, as your VIP with an all-inclusive package soils his room habitually and you need to spare someone for clean-up duties.

At present, Manager could also use some tidying up. There’s no way to stack staff commands, and the constant delegation can become tedious once you purchase larger vessels. Then, there’s the more contentious issue: you don’t get the opportunity to behave like a greedy asshole. Tycoon games are best when you get to be the rich dude for a few hours and perhaps demonstrate the kind of empathy our real-life overlords lack.

At present, the game is lacking polish and the potential to be a scumbag. Yet there’s enjoyment to be had when your ship is gliding along smoothly and a fire breaks out below deck. As such, those without patience will want to wait for a deep discount before sailing the simulated seas.

Score: 65

Aquarist, FreeMind, $14.99, review on Xbox Series X

Some of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles have gorgeous aquariums. At these eateries, massive tanks are filled with a variety of different species of plants and fish, all illuminated by lustrous overhead lighting. The result is a showcase of dazzling colors and endless movement as each tank’s inhabitants dart about.

Agreeably, Aquarist walks you through the process of creating your own aquatic biomes. The skeletal storyline starts with your dad giving you an empty tank and a bit of money. Like most simulations, your meager funds won’t allow for many luxuries at first. But stick with the game and you’ll get to set up tanks that grow in size and complexity, housing more than eighty varieties of fish and almost as many decorative options. Go ahead, make your dead-eyed family proud by building an empire of freshwater and saltwater creatures.

After spreading around some gravel, you’ll purchase and place plants as well as any other novelties. These aren’t just for decoration, Aquarist explains. But they provide the kind of refuge that fish need to live contently. But that’s just one factor to be concerned about in a fish’s habitat. Every tank needs a filter to pump enough oxygen in as well as a heater and thermometer to control the water temperature. Once the fish are transferred into their new home, they require a bit of food. And once all these essentials are met, your fish produce offspring that can be sold. Pleasingly, the proceeds can be used to expand your business.

Although all your supplies can be easily purchased from an in-game store and Aquarist outshines Amazon by bringing your purchases indoors, it’s clear that the first-person perspective play is better suited for a mouse and keyboard. Item selection is poorly highlighted, so you’re likely to inadvertently sell equipment rather than adjust a setting on a device. For the most part, grabbing and placing items in the tank can be a bit unwieldy, especially if you like to keep workplaces tidy.

But once Aquarist commissions some tank clean-ups, low-key enjoyment bubbles to the surface. Much like PowerWash Simulator, the game is at its best when replicating seemingly monotonous tasks like using a sponge to clean algae from the interior of an aquarium. Here, every wipe gradually turns a swampy tank of olive-colored water into a pristine aquatic habitat. Largely, this feeling of advancement is sustained as Aquarist lets you loose with increasingly larger tanks, additional fish, and more decorative items.

Once you’ve mastered the fine art of aquarium design, the game evolves into a tycoon sim. Here, the relaxing pacing gives way to a bit more urgency, as you ensure that everything in your garage is ready for sale by the time the crowds trickle in. Fortunately, the easy jazz soundtrack can calm any worked-up nerves. Like Cruise Ship Manager, you’ll notice a fair amount of bugs and oddities, but given the affordable price point, some of the jank is forgivable.

Score: 70