Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 89 | 30 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 88 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 86 | 124 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 20, 2026) · 95 reviews sampled · 124 total reviews in window · weighted 74.2 up / 6.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (15)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
- 80
“News Tower is a return to form. It feels made for fans of a genre that’s become lost in the Steam Early Access muck. It also feels like a great entry point for people looking to do more than stock virtual shelves.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“News Tower leverages smart design, meticulous detail, and a strong commitment to the feel of classic journalism to deliver one of the most engaging management experiences in recent years. While it does suffer from a few issues, such as a somewhat shallow narrative and a lack of clarity in certain systems, the game’s ability to recreate the real challenges of running a newspaper, along with its wide variety of tools, flexible office-building options, and group decision-making mechanics, is hard to overlook. As someone who deals with the real, day-to-day pressures of working in media, News Tower felt not just entertaining, but familiar, inspiring, and at times genuinely demanding. It’s a game I can easily see myself returning to after work for a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“News Tower is a stellar debut and a triumphant return to form for the vertical tycoon genre. Its rich 1930s art deco aesthetic, propelled by wonderful Jazz-Swing scores, underpins a deep, addictive gameplay loop. From optimizing the production line to navigating political factions, this is a meticulously crafted management sim that offers many hours of pure oldschool fun. An excellent example of how Early Access should be done.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“News Tower reaches the heady stressful heights of the Tycoon genre, challenging you to keep a newspaper in print and filled with stories every week, to manage a tower of reporters, cleaners, and typesetters, and to satisfy a town of opposing factions, all wrapped up with a lovingly vibrant 1930s golden age string ready to be hawked on a street corne”
read full review ↗ - 90
“News Tower is a rare kind of tycoon game, one that puts a lot of care and effort into simulating a very interesting and niche business. While the early game can feel slow and the loop might be repetitive for some, it’s otherwise a fun, detail-oriented simulation game with a decent amount of diversity in its progression systems and overall content, enough to keep you printing papers for hours.”
read full review ↗ - 88
“If News Tower is anything to go by, Citizen Kane was right; it is fun to run a newspaper.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“News Tower is a very solid Tycoon game that perfectly understands what makes the genre appealing: balance, constant progression, and decisions with impact. Its setting works wonderfully and manages to transport you to the real pressure of putting out a weekly newspaper while managing workers, egos, interests, and external pressures. If you are attracted to the world of journalism or this genre, I recommend it.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“In News Tower, running a newspaper is about more than just making money. It's also about balancing desire, strategy, and ethics while navigating the unstable 1930s. The News Tower game is both fun and hard for anyone looking for a unique and difficult tycoon experience with historical flavor and strategic depth.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“News Tower isn’t a game that could be called a successor to Game Dev Tycoon. It’s a much more complex blend of strategy and builder mechanics that can keep you hooked for a long time. Maybe not necessarily in a single session, but definitely through many shorter ones. If you love jazz, upgrades, and seeing tangible progress, this game is for you.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“News Tower is not just a game; it’s a time capsule that propels players into the vibrant, chaotic world of 1930s journalism, inviting them to navigate the challenges and triumphs of the era. With its authentic references, captivating narrative, and strategic management elements, it stands as a must-play for those who yearn to experience the glitz and grit of a bygone era.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“News Tower, from developer Sparrow Night and publisher Twin Sails Interactive, is a marvelous newspaper sim that goes above and beyond the typical simulator formula.”
read full review ↗
3DNews
Gamer Escape
Zoomg
FingerGuns
Try Hard Guides
Entertainium
PCMGAMES
NoobFeed
GameOnly
Rectify Gaming
Digital Chumps…and 3 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- SimFest & "Setting The Record Straight" UpdateJul 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Roadmap Post-1.0 & Leaderboard Contest Wrap-upApr 23, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- The Press Rolls On Update Goes Live!Apr 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- More print! More sales! More fixes!Feb 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- It's time for our very own Christmas Update! (And some fixes)Dec 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Our very first patch post 1.0 is live!Nov 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- News Tower – Everything You Need to Know Release FAQNov 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Road to 1.0 - Factions and Favor in the City That Never SleepsSep 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! News Tower's 1.0 Release Date Announced!Aug 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Road to 1.0 - Competitor System OverviewJul 30, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- News Tower's 1.0 Community Playtest has Begun!Jul 23, 2025
- The Road to 1.0 - Roadmap Update & 1.0 Content RevealJul 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Minor Update #0.18.613.rJun 3, 2025
- Patch 0.18.605.rMar 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v0.18.601.rMar 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Going International UpdateFeb 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- In Other News UpdateNov 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v0.18.126.rOct 10, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH UPDATESep 17, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix v0.17.86.rJul 10, 2024
- Patch v0.17.85.rJul 9, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- AGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY UPDATEJun 12, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Community Test BuildMay 30, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v0.13.28.rApr 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix v0.12.107.rMar 20, 2024
- UPDATE #2 - Endless Mode is available now!Mar 13, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Endless Mode Preview BuildMar 6, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v0.11.173.rFeb 28, 2024
- Hotfix v0.11.136.rFeb 20, 2024
- Road to Beta – September updateSep 28, 2023
- Happy New Year From News Tower HQ!Jan 1, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- UPDATE | A message from News Tower HQJun 14, 2021