The players who master year 176 are the ones who go on to build the “Legendary Studio” and unlock the secret by year 200.
Happy developing, — Mike
Using the wrong topic for a genre will heavily penalize your game's score. Action + Sci-Fi/Military RPG + Fantasy/Adventure Strategy + Management/Life Simulation + Life/Train
Do not release games back-to-back with the same topic/genre combo, as this creates a "sequel penalty" that lowers your score regardless of your point totals Game Dev Tycoon Wiki Staff Specialization: game dev tycoon guide 176
If you’ve searched for you are likely past the tutorial phase. You’ve probably hit the mid-to-late 1990s in the game’s timeline, and you’re staring at that elusive “176” score in your review breakdown.
Move from 2D Graphics V2 straight to 3D Graphics V1 as soon as you hit Office 2.
: Choosing a combination that matches perfectly (e.g., RPG/Fantasy or Action/Sci-Fi). The players who master year 176 are the
Maintain your team's energy levels by rotating staff onto training courses between major projects.
To trigger the 176 score, follow this exact preparation sequence:
Always conduct a post-mortem after every game. This uncovers what worked and grants a massive boost to your research points. You’ve probably hit the mid-to-late 1990s in the
Phase 2: Dialogues, Level Design, and Artificial Intelligence Dialogues (0%) | Level Design (100%) | AI (80%) RPG: Dialogues (100%) | Level Design (80%) | AI (0%) Simulation: Dialogues (0%) | Level Design (80%) | AI (100%) Strategy: Dialogues (0%) | Level Design (100%) | AI (80%) Adventure: Dialogues (100%) | Level Design (80%) | AI (0%) Phase 3: World Design, Graphic, and Sound Action: World Design (0%) | Graphics (100%) | Sound (80%) RPG: World Design (100%) | Graphics (80%) | Sound (0%)
❌ Releasing on at once (kills quality). ❌ Hiring too fast (2–3 devs max before year 6). ❌ Ignoring bugs – always leave 2 months for bug fixing. ❌ Making a Huge game before year 12 – it will crash your studio.
| Genre | Best Topics | | :--- | :--- | | | Aliens, Martial Arts, Spy, Military | | Simulation | Airplane, Business, Evolution, Dungeon | | RPG | Fantasy, Dungeon, Post Apocalyptic | | Strategy | Medieval, Sci-Fi, Aliens, Government | | Casual | Dance, Comedy, Virtual Pet |
When you see a review score of or 11/11 , the underlying calculation is roughly 176/200 internally. Veteran players use "176" as shorthand for a "perfect game."
So I made Zombie Chef 2: Midnight Service . Same engine. Same mechanics. Slightly spicier recipes.