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Watch trailer on Steam ↗ConsoleMe
TheHydraFlash · Published by TheHydraFlash · Official site ↗
Positive — 83% positive (12 reviews) · 10 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Start in 1984 with a small game studio. Create hit games, build consoles, grow a business empire, acquire companies, invest in stocks, own football clubs and other ventures, then enter politics, fight elections, and lead a nation. One save. One journey from developer to mogul to Prime Minister.
£9.99
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Price history
Simulation, Early Access · 2026 · More £5 - £15 games
About this game
Build a Studio. Build an Empire. Lead a Nation.
Most business sims stop when you get rich.
ConsoleMe starts there.
Now in Early Access, the game is actively updated with new systems, ventures, and depth across studio, empire, and politics.
Begin in 1984 with a small game development studio and a dream. Create hit games, launch consoles, hire staff, and survive the brutal realities of the gaming industry.
As your success grows, so do your ambitions.
Build a business empire spanning multiple industries. Acquire companies, invest in stocks, own football clubs, expand your influence, and shape entire markets.
And if wealth is not enough?
Enter politics.
Write manifestos, fight elections, pass legislation, form a government, and if you rise high enough, become Prime Minister.
One save. One journey. One story.
Your studio success feeds your wealth. Your wealth feeds your empire. Your empire feeds your political power and government decisions flow back into the businesses you own.
Your story.
Build a Studio
Every great empire starts somewhere.
Start with a small team and build a studio capable of competing with the biggest names in gaming history.
Create games across multiple decades, develop new technology, launch your own consoles, build successful franchises, and guide your company through changing markets and industry trends.
Hire staff, manage teams, grow your reputation, and turn a small startup into a global gaming powerhouse.
Create games through a guided New Project Wizard, pick genres, scope, platforms, mix & themes, and design your own box art before launch. Plan marketing, press previews, and launch timing, or ship and hope.
Studio Features
Create and publish games across multiple eras of gaming history
Hire, train, promote, and manage staff
Build custom engines and technologies
Design and launch your own consoles
Compete against rival studios in a living industry
Expand into publishing, merchandising, and media opportunities
Chase awards, critical acclaim, and commercial success
Design and launch your own consoles — full R&D tech tree, hardware wizard, pre-launch exclusive deals, launch reports
Run live service games, like MOBA and MMORPG titles with their own management screens (champions, balance, esports, monetisation, servers)
Football annual series, yearly sports SKUs with cadence pressure, staleness, and franchise strategy
Engine Lab. Found a middleware/engine product line; license it and earn recurring income
Story universes. Build franchise timelines across multiple releases
Software & apps. Ship software products with category and monetisation choices
Console OS designer. Design your platform's home screen and online service (modern eras)
Mix & Themes + Mix Lab. Express what you're making and how the market reads it
Industry events, like expos, press calls, awards, rival duels in a living market
Hire specialised staff. Producer, PR Specialist, Technical Writer, and more
Build an Empire
Success opens new doors.
Take your company public, buy competitors, invest in financial markets, and expand far beyond the gaming industry.
Build a portfolio of businesses and ventures while managing your growing influence and wealth.
Take your company public, fight activist investors, acquire rivals, and build a holding group spanning dozens of industries. Your empire isn't one spreadsheet, it's a portfolio of optional ventures and passion projects, each with its own management screen, P&L, and weekly loop.
Empire Features
Capital markets & control
IPO roadshow and listing; share buybacks, dividends, capital raises
Boardroom votes, activist pressure, hostile acquisitions
Acquire rivals (full integration, IP-only, or talent-only deals)
Empire Command Centre
Weekly mogul dashboard, with risks, recommended actions, cross-venture alerts
Ventures & passion projects
Motorsport — full racing team sim (drivers, R&D, sponsors, race weekends)
Football Chairman — own and run a club; stadium, league, match drama
The Daily — run a newspaper (newsroom, circulation, advertisers, legal heat)
Wrestling Federation — book weekly TV, storylines, ratings war vs rivals
Tech empire — phone manufacturer, search engine, social network, car manufacturer
Lifestyle & luxury — golf club, fragrance house, fitness chain, wine cellar, yachts
Talent & events — talent agency (scout, poach, place talent) and events agency
Space venture, movie studio, airline, and more
Founder life
Mogul profile, personal wealth, real estate, philanthropy
Media scrutiny from day one
Lead a Nation
What happens when business success is no longer enough?
Step into politics and compete for power.
Build a political career, create policies, campaign across the country, and fight elections against rival parties.
Serve in opposition, propose legislation, influence public opinion, and work your way toward the highest office in the land.
If you earn the trust of voters, you may even become Prime Minister.
Politics is fully integrated into the same world as your businesses and studios. Decisions made in government can affect the economy, taxation, regulation, and the companies you own.
Political Features
• Create political parties and write manifestos
• Campaign in elections and win seats
• Serve in parliament
• Propose and vote on legislation
• Form governments and appoint ministers
• Manage public approval and political capital
• Pass policies that shape the economy
• Become Prime Minister
Version 1 focuses on the United Kingdom parliamentary system. Rather than rushing multiple countries, development has focused on building a strong foundation with meaningful elections, legislation, and government management. The framework is designed to expand further over time.
Shape The Narrative
22 outlets across wires, tabloids, specialist beats, and biased press
Interviews and press conferences with trade-off answers that move reputation, share price, and political standing
Spin wars. Rebut hostile coverage, feed friendly outlets, or stay silent
Quick statements from Football, Racing, Wrestling, Stock Market, and Political screens
Owning The Daily gives you editorial influence over the wider press ecosystem
Political mass appeal and scrutiny are tied to your media standing
A Living Connected World
ConsoleMe is built around one idea:
Your choices should matter beyond a single screen.
Your studio affects your wealth.
Your wealth affects your influence.
Your influence can affect politics.
And political decisions can affect the businesses you own.
First you worry about payroll
Then competitors.
Then shareholders.
Then the press.
Then parliament.
Key Features
Start in 1984 and build a gaming company from the ground up
Create games, consoles, and technology across multiple generations
Build a business empire spanning numerous industries
Trade stocks, acquire companies, and manage investments
Own and operate football clubs and other ventures
Enter politics and compete in elections
Pass legislation and shape national policy
Become Prime Minister
Experience decades of progression in a single save
Build your own unique story from developer to national leader
Media Centre, interviews, press conferences, spin wars, 22 outlets
Empire Command Centre
MOBA & MMORPG live-game management
Engine Lab & Story universes, with technology and IP infrastructure
15+ empire ventures, including, racing, football, newspaper, wrestling, tech, luxury, and more
Full national government sim, economy, elections, legislation, geopolitics
German language support in early alpha (Settings → General)
Early Access with regular updates; saves migrate forward automatically
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) or later
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster (x64)
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: 1400 MB available space
Supported Languages
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Player Feedback updates
Innovations & Studio Upgrades FixesInnovations tab routingFixed: The “Innovations” link on project screens was opening Hardware R&D (console tech tree) instead of mechanic research.Now: Innovations opens the correct screen where you unlock gameplay mechanics for your games. Hardware R&D stays under Console R&D.Studio Upgrades counter (17/18)Fixed: Studio Upgrades showed 17/18 even though only 17 upgrades exist.Cause: A hidden deprecated upgrade was still counted in the total.Now: The counter shows 17/17 when the tree is complete, matching Dashboard and Company Profile.Stuck “Upgrades idle” notificationFixed: The “No company upgrade in progress” alert could stay forever after you’d unlocked everything.Now: That alert only appears when upgrades are still available and you’re not researching anything. It clears when the tree is maxed.Nav & cross-linksRenamed the Tech Tree tab to Innovations for clarity.Updated links that pointed at the wrong screen (e.g. hardware/innovation cross-links now go to the right places).Real Estate Portfolio UpdatesOverviewReal estate has been reworked so well-maintained properties can appreciate in value while still earning rent, with slower deterioration, true multi-unit buildings, and more late-game depth.Balance & investment feelWhat changedCondition decay is much slower, especially on rented propertiesDeferring maintenance costs; maintenance events are less frequentProperties can gain market value over time based on city desirability and regional economyCondition affects value less harshlyWeekly value noise removed — equity moves should feel intentional, not randomWhere to see itReal Estate → Catalog → buy any propertyList → Manage on a propertyCheck Market value, Market appreciation, Cap rate (net), Condition decayAdvance several weeks with the property Rented and funded → value should trend up on maintained unitsPortfolio dashboard improvementsWhat changedDashboard shows avg cap rate, equity vs invested, and units occupied (for multi-u...Read full article on Community Announcements (The Hydraflash)AnnouncementsOfficial
Sales Clarity, Defence Systems & Display Improvements
Console Sales Clarity and Platform Game SalesSales Drivers panelConsole sales swings are easier to read. The game now explains demand vs sold, what moved demand week over week, and when sales were capped by stock.Where to find itDashboard → Console output (each active player console card shows a compact summary)Hardware → Your consoles (full panel under Demand vs supply on each console)Hardware → \ (full panel on the console detail view)What you will seeDemand this week and change vs last weekSold vs lost (unmet demand)Stock-limited warning when the market wanted more units than you had in warehouseTop movers (price, sales, platform momentum, marketing, weekly rhythm, etc.)Show all factors for the full breakdownNote: Older saves get a partial breakdown until one more week passes. Full driver history starts from the next tick.Platform game sales now drive console demandThird-party and first-party game sales volume now affects hardware demand, not just how many titles are on the platform and their review scores.What changed under the hoodThird-party titles now simulate weekly unit sales (review, age, installed base, economy)Player game weekly sales are tracked and included in the platform totalStrong software weeks boost console demand (capped so it does not run away)Platform royalties and top-games intel use real third-party sales when availableWhere to see itHardware → Your consoles → Sales drivers (this week) Look for Platform game sales with detail like 14.2k units (9.1k 3rd party)Dashboard → Console output Compact drivers panel includes the same signal on busy weeksHardware → \ → Top games Third-party titles now show real revenue instead of always showing zeroPlanning tip: A spike in Sold with high Lost and a stock-limited warning usually means demand jumped but inventory did not. Check Platform game sales before ramping factories. A hot third-party month can pull console demand even if you did not change price or bundles.Existing signals, better surfacedThese we...Read full article on Community Announcements (The Hydraflash)Patch NotesOfficial
The Gaming Studio CEO Update
Core Studio CEO ModeUntil now, your Core Studio (the main game development business where you hire staff, greenlight projects, ship games, and run console hardware) was always under your direct control. Side ventures like your football club, movie studio, or racing team could already be handed to an Empire CEO. Core Studio could not.That changes with Core Studio CEO mode. You can now appoint a CEO, set a strategic posture and weekly budget, switch to Hands-off, and let them run day-to-day studio operations while you focus on the wider empire.What is Core Studio CEO mode?Core Studio CEO mode is the same Empire delegation system used by your other ventures, applied to your main studio. When active:An appointed CEO runs weekly studio operations on autopilot.You set the strategy (posture, budget, risk, KPI targets, focus tags).The CEO executes within those limits.Studio screens stay open for reporting and watching, but most operational buttons are locked.Pop-ups for contracts, poaches, raises, project decisions, expos, and similar events are handled by the CEO instead of interrupting you.Think of it as promoting yourself from studio manager to chairman: you steer direction, the CEO runs the floor.How to turn it onOpen the top navigation and go to Empire → CEOs.Find Core studio & hardware in the venture list.Click Manage on that row.In the CEO panel:Appoint a CEO from the candidate list (or assign internal staff if available).Set Engagement to Hands-off (CEO).Choose a Posture (see below).Set a Weekly budget the CEO can spend from.Adjust Risk appetite and Focus tags if you want to steer genre or strategy bias.Optionally tune KPI targets (releases per year, market share, team morale, 52-week profit).Advance weeks as normal. The CEO acts each week and their latest action appears in the CEO activity log on the Empire → CEOs panel.To take direct control again: Empire → CEOs → Core studio & hardware → Manage → Hands-on.You can also jump straight to the studio dashboard from th...Read full article on Community Announcements (The Hydraflash)Patch NotesOfficial
The Fans & Audiences Update
Fans & AudiencesNew feature: Your studio now has a fuller audience layer. You can see who follows you, how they feel, what they want, and what to do about it. This replaces the old standalone Community screen as the main place to manage fans, while keeping per-game community tools inside the same hub.Where to find itStudio → Fans (formerly labeled Community in some builds, now Fans in navigation)From there you have five tabs:OverviewSegmentsResearchHistoryGame communitiesWhat changed at a high levelBefore this release, community management was mostly per-game. Now the game tracks a studio-wide audience model built from sales, releases, marketing, game communities, franchises, and player behavior.Two numbers appear everywhere and mean different things:MetricWhat it meansActive fansPeople with a sustained positive attachment to your studio (casual through core fans)Community reachTotal players connected to your game communities, including people who bought or play your games but are not loyal studio fans yetA game can have tens of thousands in community reach while active studio fans stay in the thousands. That is intentional.Overview tabClick path: Fans → OverviewWhat you see:Active fans, Community reach, Latest net change, Satisfaction, and Audience reachFan relationship bar: Casual, Regular, Loyal, Core, Lapsed, DetractorsWhat needs attention: actionable warnings (fatigue, vocal minority skew, lapsed fan opportunities, positive advocacy)Largest audience segments: top three segment cards with portraitsOpen Marketing from here if an insight suggests a campaign response.View all segments → jumps to the Segments tab.If you load an older save, you may see a one-time banner: "This audience breakdown was recalibrated from your game communities, sales, and release history." That is normal for migrated saves.Segments tabClick path: Fans → SegmentsYour audience is grouped into audience segments (for example Story & character fans, Competitive players, Tech enthusiasts & coll...Read full article on Community Announcements (The Hydraflash)Patch NotesOfficial
The Characters Update
CharactersBuild reusable company IP (heroes, villains, mascots, and more), track how fans respond over time, and cast the same characters across games and movies. Popularity grows when they appear in strong projects. Use them too often and fatigue builds up.Getting startedWhen it unlocks: Week 8 of your company timeline.How to open it: Studio → Products → CharactersYou can also find it via the command/search palette using keywords like characters, IP, mascot, or hero.First visit: If you have no characters yet, you will see an empty state with tips on identity, personality, and casting. Click Create character to begin.Creating a characterClick path: Studio → Products → Characters → Create characterThe creation wizard has four steps with a live portrait preview on the side.Step 1: IdentityName (required)DescriptionCharacter type: Human, Animal, Creature, Robot, Alien, Monster, Supernatural, Mascot, or Abstract / objectPrimary role: Main protagonist, Supporting hero, Villain, Rival, Sidekick, Mentor, Comic relief, Mascot, Love interest, or Ensemble memberGender / presentation: Unspecified, Masculine, or FeminineAge category: Child, Teen, Adult, Elder, or AgelessAlignment: Heroic, Antihero, Villainous, Neutral, or AmbiguousIntended audience: Kids, Teen, Mature, or All agesSpecies: Preset options per type (Cat, Dog, Dragon, and others) or custom textFranchise link (optional): Tie the character to a released game franchise, or leave them as an Independent characterStep 2: PersonalityPick traits from a 6-point budget16 traits available (Brave, Intelligent, Funny, Loyal, and others), each costing 1 or 2 pointsOpposing traits cannot be combined (for example, Serious and Funny)A budget bar shows how many points you have leftStep 3: Visual themeProcedural SVG avatar built from your choices, updated live as you editUpload portrait: Optional custom image (max 500 KB). Use Remove portrait to go back to the SVG avatarColour palette: 6 preset swatchesModular builder across four gro...Read full article on Community Announcements (The Hydraflash)
