In my household, I was never the one to sit back and design or renovate homes. That was my wife. She would relax for hours on end, toiling away in The Sims 4, and it caught my eye on more than one occasion. And so I gave it a try. I started delving into home renovation-style video games, like the original House Flipper, and found myself enamored with their simplistic mechanics and borderline addicting gameplay loop. Now, here we are. The House Flipper 2 review is upon us, and is it as good or better than the first? Let’s find out!
Editor’s Note: We received a copy of the game from the developer/publisher for review purposes. This does not, however, impact our impressions or the outcome of this review.
Let’s Get Down to Business
Straight off the bat, it’s easy to tell the production value is significantly higher in the sequel. There’s well-done voice acting, a story worth following along with, unique characters to meet and speak with over the phone, and the actual gameplay mechanics feel smooth and vastly improved over its predecessor.
It took me a few tries to grow accustomed to the tools and how they vary from the first game, but only a job or two. After spending time cleaning up other people’s homes, I was ready to tackle just about anything the game could throw my way. That said, it did take some time before the opportunity to flip houses became available. By then, I had stashed away over $100,000 from odd jobs around town. But it never felt like wasted time. Even on the simple jobs, in which I sat about cleaning up after a wild party or because someone’s young daughter wanted to experiment with DIY, I was having fun.
And hey, that’s the point of video games, right? House Flipper 2 nails the fun factor. It’s an entertaining sequel that is improved enough over the first entry to feel fresh. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down. I meant to play for a few hours and then work on other projects in the pipeline, but instead, I wound up playing House Flipper 2 for six hours straight.
That’s a testament to its gameplay. Even the more mundane tasks, such as cleaning, painting, and negotiating with buyers, are entertaining.
A Spotless Shine
Graphically speaking, as I know many do care about the visuals in their video games, House Flipper 2 is once again vastly improved. It’s a more stylistic design choice in this entry, with a colorful palette that truly helps your renovations pop.
When I pair dark brick with bright wood, as I did in my first flip, it genuinely looks impressive. The game shines.
And the noticeable difference between a dirty home and a clean one, after you spend an hour scouring each surface for signs of grime, is fantastic. It feels genuinely exciting and worthwhile to spend the extra ten minutes to ensure every piece of dirt is gone, and the room is spotless.
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Let’s Talk Replayability
These days, I typically want a game that I can eventually return to in the future. A second or third playthrough can win me over, though that’s not to say one-and-done games aren’t worthwhile.
House Flipper 2 oozes replayability. The game world is massive, with numerous districts and biomes to work on homes in and around, and though the missions will remain the same, you can approach them differently in many ways.
Then, of course, you have the actual house-flipping portion of the game. While the homes available to you remain the same, like the story-based missions, you can approach each design in a unique way every playthrough. For example, let’s say you want an expansive kitchen one time but a kitchenette the second, or perhaps wood floors instead of tile? The choice is yours! You can experiment and have fun!
Is House Flipper 2 Worth Your Time?
Absolutely! I’ve played countless games this year and reviewed many of the top titles, but it’s the small indie games that have impressed me the most. Titles such as Dredge and, yes, now House Flipper 2, shine through the muck and give me hope. They provide me relief after a long day, a chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy myself without worrying about an excessive grind (though I do love a good grind in an RPG).
I highly recommend House Flipper 2!
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