With a Sims-like interface this simple room designer brings some fun variety.
MAKEROOM is a new cosy diorama builder with massive creative capabilities and some cute as hell prompts that has left me begging to box up and move right in. Customisation is my game and I love to make a space my own, and MakeRoom definitely delivers with the ability to create custom furniture, a full colour wheel of options, and rotating on an eighth being some of the best features.
As I said, I really am a sucker for customisation, but parts of this game felt a little bit flat. When entering one of the prompt spaces, the tutorial explains what should be removed or added, but as soon as those are done the level is just…finished. Like, okay, the reader’s haven should have a bookshelf, but now that I’ve done that, it’s a perfect space? Where’s the blankies?? The fairy lights???? Obviously, you can stay in the level as long as you want and customise further, which I very much enjoyed, but a part of me felt let down that there was seemingly no gratification for making the cosiest space ever, but being applauded for adding a dining room table.
The prompts have a massive range, from vampire den to chilled out camper van, and the dozens of versatile furniture options help to really make a space my own, but for all the response you get from the game, you may as well just use the freestyle sandbox feature.
All that to say, though, I really did enjoy this game. The controls are intuitive, almost reminiscent of the build/buy mode for The Sims (though, I can’t imagine there are unique and creative ways to rotate or duplicate items to be totally honest). I’m a builder first and foremost, so I obviously have a wishlist on things the game is missing, but for a new release it hit most of my usual demands right on - every single colour can be customised, made easier by the simple, low-poly style, and customise you can with a total colour wheel and colour copy tools. Want to try something new? You can randomise colours as well! There’s no free rotate, but turning on eighths is still better than the classic 90.
MakeRoom isn’t perfect, but it is definitely fun. All my gripes aside, I really did enjoy making some fun little spaces and imagining the kinds of people who would live in them. If you’ve had a try at this game, why not join our Discord and come show me some of your creations? Now, if you need me, I’ll be using all of these customisation features to go make a cottagecore vampire den - even monsters need plushies, dammit.
A copy of MAKEROOM on PC was provided to SIFTER for the purpose of this review.
