Gym Manager

Revenge is a dish best served with protein shakes and dumbbells in Gym Manager, a peculiar tycoon game that puts players at the helm of their very own fitness empire. After being booted out without due respect from your old job, you set out on a quest to create the ultimate gym and destroy your old employer's business. It's an addictive blend of a management sim and revenge fantasy that'll have players breaking a mental sweat as they make their way through the cutthroat world of fitness entrepreneurship.

Pumping Iron and Profits

The core of Gym Manager is a balancing act between the books and keeping your clientele happy and fit. The player starts off with a small space and a few pieces of equipment and expands his or her fitness center by making smart investments and managing it properly. That's where the game really shines: whether you're deciding on the perfect layout for your equipment or managing the cleanliness of your facilities, each decision has great weight.

One of the stand-out features of the game is its system for managing members. This is not just a matter of transactions with the gym-goers-you can haggle over subscription fees and even prescribe diets through entertaining little mini-games. Little personal touches such as these add depth to the management experience, making you feel joined with your virtual fitness community.

A Town Full of Opportunities and Temptations

While running a successful gym is the main focus, Gym Manager throws a curveball by introducing an entire town to explore. It brings an open-world element to it, adding some unexpected complexity-and, quite frankly, some moral ambiguity-to the game. A player can hunt for bargains on second-hand equipment, network at parties, or even do some light criminal activity to get ahead.

The ability to sabotage your rival's gym adds a deliciously devious element to the gameplay. It brings overtures from the Evil Genius franchise, whereby actively trying to hinder your competition was basically part of the deal. However, Gym Manager plants these actions into a more relatable, real-world setting; this makes the rivalry personal and peculiarly satisfying, more similar to games such as Supermarket Simulator.

Review: 7.5/10

Gym Manager does indeed manage to craft an entertaining management sim with a twist. Actually, the core gameplay loop of expanding your gym, keeping your customers happy, and trying to one-up your rival can get pretty addictive and satisfying. This layer of town exploration and extracurricular activities will prevent the game from eventually falling into a repetitive rut, although for some players these side activities could be somewhat distracting from the main focus on managing your gym.

Pros:

• Unique premise combining gym management with revenge plot
• Deep management systems with fun mini-games
• Different open-world exploration adds variety to gameplay
• Charming visual style and immersive sound design.

Cons:

• Slow start for some players
• Optional criminal activities won't be to everybody's taste
• Some side activities may distract too much from core management gameplay
• Difficulty sometimes unbalances in progression