Hotel management

It is moments like this, I wonder why I did not pursue games in the simulation and tycoon genre earlier. Perhaps seeing the success of Zombie Situation has given me the audacity to try something new and interesting. Or maybe I just got burnt out of action oriented defense games, where I noticed myself going into autopilot mode during development of Bunny Tactics. Either way, I have taken a very strong liking to this kind of design...

 

There is definitely a lot of temporary placeholder art being used (some borrowed from the Internet), so try to see through all that. The hotel guests can path-find to a room, or simply wander around for something interesting to buy. I am using the A* algorithm for path-finding and amazingly it works without any problems.

The overall objective is build a hotel and satisfy guests to reach a five star rating. Stars unlock additional shops and services, but also attracts guests with picky tastes and high expectations. There will be plenty of surprises along the way to break up the repetition.

Each room can be upgraded to support up to four amenities, purchased with the secondary heart currency. The quality of a room gives a greater chance to receive a heart, while popularity increases the chance that a guest will enter the room to spend money. Rooms are more pleasant if they have a good cleanliness ratio, so maids and janitors need to be hired. Also, building rooms beside one another can create beneficial combos, such as a vending machine room beside a lost-cost bedroom, or a hot tub room beside an expensive suite.