Imagine Resort Owner

Review

Common Sense Media says

Hotel management sim is challenging but a tad monotonous.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Imagine Resort Owner is a simulation game that focuses on managing an island resort. As such, players will need to be able to focus on multiple tasks at the same time, understand the basics of running a business, and be able to accomplish tasks quickly. The game has no objectionable content, but it can become difficult to manage all the routine operations involved making it best played by tweens and teens. There are island-themed mini-games on the side that take away from the monotony of the day-to-day resort tasks, but the fundamental part of the game does require strategy and quick reflexes.

  • Positive messages1
    The focus of the game is to build up a resort empire and ensure guests are happy. As such, it does support a sort of entreprenurial spirit and teaches players how to manage difficult business operations, but in the context of a game that message is not a cornerstone of the product.
  • Positive role models2
    While no characters are presented as very heroic or antagonistic, players can look up to the young inheritor of the resort as someone who is of a youthful age but still able to manage a lot of responsibilities. The resort guests can become annoyed and express frustration levels that some may find unnecessary, but this is just a gameplay mechanic to encourage players to complete their tasks quickly and competently.
  • Ease of play2
    Although this game does not involve a lot of reading, because it is a simulation game it is complex by nature. In addition to ensuring guest rooms are maintained and amenities are available, players must stay on top of upgrading facilities and spending their money wisely to succeed in their enterprise. These functions are all relegated to intuitive point-and-click controls, and each task independently is not difficult to manage. However, the constant need to multi-task and strategize is a component of this game that may make it difficult for younger gamers.
  • Violence1
    There is one mini-game that allows players to water ski. The game itself is fairly simplistic, as players need only to move left and right to avoid various obstacles. Seagulls also occasionally appear as a distraction, and can hit the player's character. If this happens, the character falls off his skis but then immediately reappears.
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What's it about?

IMAGINE RESORT OWNER is about a young, capable entrepreneur who opens up a resort hotel on a tropical island and works to build it up to become the most extravagant vacation destination possible. The game has only a light storyline to introduce players to the new resort, but beyond that it is really more of an interactive, open-ended experience. Players earn money by attracting guests, ensuring they have a good time, and upgrading the resort to make it even more enticing. The goal of the game is to do a consistently good job at managing time and organizing tasks to earn recognition as a 4-star resort owner.

Is it any good?

 

Imagine Resort Owner is a good game for anyone with a young, budding spirit for business. It takes the key concepts of running a successful business - time management, resource management, and customer satisfaction - and bundles it into an intuitive, fun game. The concept may be a bit difficult for very young players to understand, but its difficulty should not be a deterrent for any gamer who has the ability to solve puzzles and multi-task. Because the core concept of the game revolves around mastering and organizing a specific process, it may seem monotonous to some at times, but it tries to eliminate this problem by introducing new challenges and mini-games along the way. It is a fun, casual game that encourages players to think and do something productive.

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What families can talk about

  • Parents can talk about whether or not games can teaches real-world business skills. What did this game teach you about running a business?

  • What are some other issues that hotel or resort owners need to be prepared for?

  • If you owned your own business, how would you take care of it on a daily basis?

This review was written by Mark Raby

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This review was written by Mark Raby
Platforms:Nintendo DS
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Simulation
Developer:UbiSoft
Release date:October 26, 2010
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:E for Comic Mischief
This review was written by Mark Raby

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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