There have been a few film-production tycoon games over the years, but none have stood out to me for their absolute attention to detail quite like Hollywood Animal.
Hollywood Animal follows every aspect of running a 1930s film production agency—from the scriptwriting process to filming and distribution, to the scandals and personal lives of the crew you hire for your production company. The game takes an honest, detail-oriented look at both the process of making movies and the social climate of the time, having you balance your budget and your ethical slate while trying to make it big in Hollywood during one of the most turbulent eras in American history.
The scriptwriting process alone had my little writer brain tweaking with excitement. By hiring a writing staff, you can either wait for writers to pitch script ideas or create your own using a simple but deceptively dynamic system. It lets you combine genres, plot hooks, character types, and even locations to craft your first unique masterpiece. My first custom-made film, Lovestruck, was part romance, part drama, and mainly thriller—about a down-on-his-luck man saving his love interest from a serial killer. A pretty risky film for the time, if I do say so myself.
Once a script is written, the process of turning it into a film is just as involved. You choose everything from the actors who will play the parts to the filming locations and the technology that will be used. One thing I especially love about the film production system is its emphasis on planning. Just because you have a script doesn’t mean you should rush it into production. The game will occasionally ask if you want to shelve an idea and wait for better conditions—whether that means improved tech, better filming locations, or the right actors for the roles.
The game’s attention to detail makes your decisions feel fully impactful, and I can’t emphasize enough how much I appreciate the level of thought and preparation involved in creating a film in Hollywood Animal. For context, everything I’ve described so far only covers the pre-production phase—there’s still plenty to do afterward.
Outside basic movie production, the game throws random events your way that require careful decision-making. Crew members’ lives can create unintended setbacks, each with their consequences—addiction, romance, and drama can interfere with their work. Accidents can occur on set, delaying production or outright damaging the final product. Gossip can damage your studio’s reputation, affecting future success. A mysterious, unknown writer might offer you a script that could be the next Casanova—or a total flop. You won’t know the outcome of your choice until you commit.
Something I really appreciate about Hollywood Animal is that it doesn’t avoid the era’s social climate. Racism, sexism, and other prejudices present in 1930s Hollywood are represented and influence your studio’s day-to-day life. The game also takes an unflinching, unapologetic look at the darker side of the film industry, placing you in direct control over many difficult decisions.
Actors will be exposed for abuse of all kinds. Secrets will come from risky or mismanaged productions. Police might raid your studio and shoot actors during confrontations. You aren’t just a bystander in the darker parts of the industry—you’re an active participant. You’ll use your influence and secrets to control actors, sabotage the competition, or push a shoot forward faster.
Some of your employees are racists. Officials may offer favors if you make films aligned with their political views. Actors may commit suicide after working on your set. Nothing is too dark for Hollywood Animal to tackle, and you’re made directly responsible for much of it. The time period is portrayed accurately, and your role in it feels very real.
As much as I love Hollywood Animal, it’s still in early access. There are tweaks to be made and problems to solve before the full release.
Most notably, there are bugs and performance issues present in Hollywood Animal that did not go unnoticed during my playthrough. The most common issue was with the UI—sometimes the game wouldn’t let me click “continue” during production because it didn’t register that I had assigned producers or directors. I experienced one freeze when my balance went into the red. The biggest performance issue overall was the unusually long load times.
As far as non-bug-related changes, I would like to see the ability to skip the game’s tutorial added at some point. Also, I feel like the game’s judgment on which movie genres match and which don’t could be improved. For example, who doesn’t like a western horror film, featuring an incredible monster? According to Hollywood Animal, these genres clash, leading to a script that simply doesn’t work.
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