Real Estate Simulator – From Bum to Millionaire | PC Review

May 16, 2024 Jacob Gunderson

You know, I really do love games like this. The whole buying and selling aspect whether it’s stocks, goods, or houses just really brings me joy. It all started in Fable 3, with its house buying mechanic. Running around, getting property, renting it out, and watching the ticker on the side tell you how much gold you made, those were good times. Anywho, Real Estate Simulator hits really close to home, since I actually am a realtor. What better way is there than to test a game against an “expert”? While not exactly like my job, I do get to still have some of the perks, like helping a first time home buyer into their first… tent? From developer Geekon and publisher Midnight Games S.R.L, Real Estate Simulator- From Bum to Millionaire really had a hook in me.

Tent Flipper Simulator

I’m not sure what they think happens where they are from, but I really hope Real Estate Agents aren’t going into storm drains to sell the masses that live there a tent for $1000+ and, if they are, I’m in the wrong area. Eventually, you work your way out of the sewer to sell some normal houses and then on to selling apartments in the big city too. There is a remodeling aspect to the game to sell properties at higher values, but you aren’t limited to what you can have or need in a house to make it more attractive. At first I was really trying, spending time buying and placing items, trying to make the house worthy of the price I wanted to sell it for. Then, I placed two beds in a house and it did more than actually trying. Before I knew it, I was making millions by filling houses with 25 beds and was buying everything I saw. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to the game outside of this. Dealing with the NPCs and negotiating prices are really the only other things in the game.

From Bum to Millionaire Bum

So, you buy a house for $1,000,000 and put $20,000 worth of couches in it. List it for sale at double the purchase price and then sift through the NPCs until you find a quote that is tied to your house. They argue 40% down, you argue 20% up and sell the house for $1,800,000. Now, do this 20 times with tents until you have enough to buy a small house and you’ll be well on your way. I really wish it was harder than this and that I was being dramatic, but it feels like they started with an idea, got so far and cut it short. There are actually a lot of things in Real Estate Simulator that just feel incomplete. In the remodeling menu for instance, there are six options to choose from, but only three are used at all. The other three have a lock symbol on them and the game acknowledges when I put my cursor over them, but even at the highest point there isn’t any use to them. Maybe I’m doing something wrong.

I Still Sleep on a Couch…

I think they really missed some good opportunities with this game that I hope they rectify. In the beginning, you’re given some cash to take the bus to buy your first tent and start your business. They have you finish your first day as a tent monger by sleeping on your office couch. I thought this was going to be a “rags to riches” deal, some The Pursuit of Happyness stuff going on. Now, I’m worth millions, fancy office, view of the city, still on the couch. To be fair the couch has gotten nicer, but still a couch.

There are lots of little knit picky things that I could go into, but I think some are just me and some are just annoying. I really pushed towards the end. I was getting sick of talking to the NPCs, I just needed to know if there was something more. If I had missed something. I really do hope they continue to improve this game and add to the idea of what it could be and maybe cut out a few things. I’m nine hours in and I’m about four hours past the first time I thought I had gone far enough, but I can’t recommend it. It is sad because whether it’s a shopping mall sim or a trading game like Port Royal, I have this love for economy games, but as it stands I just can’t.

To hear me talk more about Real Estate Simulator – From Bum to Millionaire, be sure to listen to the April 3, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:39:58 time stamp.

This review is based on a PC copy of Real Estate Simulator – From Bum to Millionaire provided by Midnight Works for coverage purposes. It is exclusive to this platform.