If you’re anything like me, you’ve lost at least one Saturday or Sunday afternoon to a home improvement or house-flipping show binge on Netflix. I’ve never so much as replaced a cabinet, nor do I have much desire to do so. But there’s something about watching someone rip apart an old home, to leave a small wonder in its stead, that is damn near hypnotizing. Empyrean hopes it can deliver some of that same magic with House Flipper, a new game that lets players buy, rebuild, decorate and even sell their dream home(s).
We’re not sure if anyone has come up with a catchy name for these sorts of one-off simulation games, like Viscera Cleanup Detail or Car Mechanic Simulator, which try to make a game out of life’s mundane activities. But if we’ve reached the point where studios are letting people live out their “Masters of Flip” or “Human Wrecking Balls” fantasies from the comfort of their PC monitor, it’s probably time to come up with one. According to Empyrean, House Flipper lets players “buy, repair and upgrade devastated houses” using an assortment of tools and parts. But tearing down a wall and replacing missing windows is only half the battle. Players must also redecorate each home, without blowing past their budget, and invest wisely to keep the business growing.
House Flippers is currently trying to clear the Steam Greenlight program, and receiving quite a bit of support on Valve’s digital distribution service, but it’s still hard to know whether or not we’ll ever see the game on Steam. Fortunately, if House Flipper doesn’t clear that hurdle, there are other places (like Itch.io) for developers to sell games without relying on their own web store.
For a closer look at House Flipper, take a few minutes to watch the game’s Steam Greenlight trailer. Then hit the comments and let us know if you’d like to see House Flipper on Steam or if these types of games are why you support Valve’s decision to replace the Greenlight program.
House Flipper is in development for PC and expected to debut later this year.
h/t to Rock, Paper, Shotgun for bringing the game to our attention.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes and follow Scott on Twitter for additional House Flipper coverage in 2017 and however long Empyrean supports House Flipper after launch.
