Showrunner

Do you like the idea of running your own TV show? Then you should take a look at ShowRunner. It offers an intriguing management simulation from Inexplicable Games, and it is growing in popularity since it was released in January 2023. It looks to be an interesting enough title, though it is still in Early Access at present. So far, though, the features which are provided offer an excellent framework for what should be a very thorough, enjoyable title come full release.

Crafting your own TV show is more challenging than you think

The first thing to note is that most of us imagine that running our own TV show would be amazing. Quickly, though, you will find that this is very much more challenging than you assume. Your own TV show can take a lot of work, as you need to spend your time crafting scripts, bringing in characters, casting actors, and then manage all of the background staff. This takes plenty of planning and patience, but if you have played other management titles like Chroma Squad you might feel a little at home with the planning and prep side of things. While this lacks the combat system of something like Chroma Squad, you might find if you have played management games like Two Point Campus then many aspects of the hiring, firing, and planning process feels familiar.

You get to choose the genre of your show, and you can pick from quite a lot of different themes and styles. This does give you great variety, and then you simply have one goal: get a streaming firm or TV company to pick up your show!

Enjoyable management paired with interesting ideas (7/10)

While there is still much missing from the ShowRunner experience, there is more than enough here to give you an idea of what to expect. Your job is basically going to be built around meeting the aims and expectations of the companies who take your show on.

Building the scenes and scripts of your show comes from laying down scene cards, which define the structure of your storyline. The cards selected (and their order) play a significant role in determining how good (or bad) the show comes across, and over the course of a season you build up and define various themes that become the ‘go-to’ for your show. All of this can be quite fun, and it is simple enough to play and to get a hang of. There is plenty of opportunity to be interactive and to be creative, but the Early Access barriers means that, for now, there are still some limits as to what you can really do.

Pros

• Interesting gameplay style that is easy enough to get to grips with
• Card-based layout system makes it easy to create shows and scripts
• Plenty of options to choose from, allowing for ample creativity and options

Cons

• Not enough content at the moment, though this is expected to change in time
• Technical glitches limit the experience, though these should also be smoothed out