Lemonade Tycoon

Turning your little lemonade stand into one of the world’s leading centers of commerce is the main objective in the addictive Lemonade Tycoon. Following the basics set by many other ‘tycoon’ games before, Lemonade Tycoon manages to create a charming and engaging gameplay loop that’s sure to keep players hooked for hours on end.

Born from a simple concept, this is a game that will make your childhood’s entrepreneurial dreams come true. Deceptively simple and positively captivating, there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to Lemonade’s Tycoon gameplay. Let’s take a look at what makes this simulator so different from the many other management games.

When Life Gives you Lemons

We’ve all had dreams about making a massive profit from simple businesses like lemonade stands. While most management games will have you take care of a zoo or an entire theme park, Lemonade Tycoon is content with focusing on the little details.

Unlike RollerCoaster Tycoon, the goal of Lemonade Tycoon is not to create a massive lemonade empire, but rather make the most out of a small lemonade stand. Of course, turning such a small business into a truly profitable venue takes hard work and a deep understanding of the lemonade market, both things that players will have to keep in mind if they want to make it big in the world of citric beverages.

The Perfect Formula

The key to starting a successful Lemonade Tycoon business lies in how good your lemonade actually is. Players will have to decide how much to spend on the basic ingredients to make lemonade, this includes ice, water, sugar, and, of course, lemons. Depending on the quality of your raw materials, people will flock to your stand or avoid it like the plague.

There’s a catch, though: better ingredients equals less profit, so players will have to carefully think about the basics of cost/benefit if they want to rake in some cash. As a teaching tool, Lemonade Tycoon might just be one of the most entertaining tools to teach kids about the importance of economics and resource management.

That said, most of the Lemonade Tycoon’s gameplay is seen as text and numbers, with only a small window to show your stand and your clients. While this might be good enough for older players, younger ones might find the lack of entertaining visuals to be a tad dull.

Location and the Press

Finding the right location for your stand can help you boost your sales – as long as you’re able to pay rent in the most popular locales. Finding the right balance between location, prices, and customer service is usually the key to success in Lemonade Tycoon.

However, players must keep a close eye on the press and what’s the public opinion on their stand. Some press headlines can boost your popularity, especially when it coincides with factors such as weather. Lemonade sells best on hot, sunny days, and that’s something you’ll have to keep in mind to make a profitable business. That said, weather patterns in Lemonade Tycoon don’t follow a predetermined pattern, making it feel unfair at times.

Pros:

• Great economic simulation
• Addictive gameplay loop
• Challenging game modes

Cons:

• Some random elements can make the game feel unfair
• Boring visuals
• Uninspired UI design

I have played many strange games over the years, but Lemonade Tycoon really stands out. There is no shortage of tycoon style games ranging from ones where you run a theme park to a railway to a zoo and many more. However, you have to love it how one dude thought that the day to day running of a lemonade stand was the way to go. It sounds like it would be very boring, but this game is super and I mean super addictive!

Starting Off Small

At the start of the game, you start very modestly. You have a small stand in the suburbs and you are not exactly quick or good at making lemonade. You need to get through those early days so you can become a Lemonade Tycoon. You need to get the supplies, make the lemonade, sell the lemonade, and make sure people are happy with the service you are offering. It is a full “tycoon” style game, but it is just at a much smaller scale.

Moving On Up!

While it may be on a smaller scale, it is certainly not a simple game. You have many factors that you have to take into account. You plan your day and if you plan it right you can make some big bucks. For example, if it says it is going to be a very hot day, you can get away with charging a bit more for your lemonade and this is what a real Lemonade Tycoon would do.

You also move out of the suburbs to more populated areas where you can make more money. However, as a great rapper once said, mo money, mo problems. You will gain more customers, but if they are left waiting, they will walk away. This is where the upgrade system comes into play. You can get an ice maker and a fridge; you can get a cash register and so on. These things all save you time and time is money in this game. Eventually, you get the hang of it and start making some serious money.

Simple, But Easy On The Eyes

The visual presentation is not exactly going to blow you away, but there is a certain charm to it. For me, it looks like a game that could have been on the Super Nintendo and I do not mean that in a negative way. Most of the screen is made up of the icons you can click on and then there is a little square that shows your stand and the people waiting in line for your lemonade. It is basic stuff, but it fits the premise of the game pretty well if you ask me. The sound on the other hand is not that great so be sure to be playing your own tunes as you play the game.

This is one of those games where a lot of people will probably wonder who the heck wants to play it? Well, I must say I was like that at first, but Lemonade Tycoon is a truly fun game and the kind of game that can get very addictive. Once your profits start going up, you just want to keep on playing to see how much money you can make. If you enjoy other tycoon and sim-style games, I am sure you will have fun with this.

Pros:

• The style of the game does have a lot of charm
• It is very easy to get into
• You will find it has a kind of relaxing vibe to it
• Making money is very addictive
• Some of the upgrades are quite clever

Cons:

• You will want to play your own music as you play
• It is one of those games that is addictive, but then you just have your stopping point