House Flipper
A first-person simulation game about buying and renovating properties.
House Flipper is a simulation game developed by Empyrean and published by Frozen District and PlayWay. It was initially released on 17 May 2018 for macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game became a bestseller on Steam and was nominated for several awards, including 'Game, Simulation' at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards and awarded Poznań Game Arena Best Polish Indie Game of 2018.
- Developer
- Empyrean
- Publisher
- Frozen District and PlayWay
- Initial release date
- 17 May 2018
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Mobile version release
- October 2020 (Android and iOS)
- Sequel release date
- December 2023
- Metacritic reception
- mixed or average reviews
Lore & Background
House Flipper is a first-person simulation game where players fix up properties to create a profit. Tasks include painting, laying tiles, cleaning, installations, and demolition, with some tasks unlocked as the game progresses and tools upgradeable for speed. The game features a catalog for browsing furniture, wallpaper, doors, and windows. Players complete quests accessed via email for money, which can involve cleaning, painting, placing furniture, and remodeling homes. Rewards depend on job size and quality. Players can also buy and resell houses according to buyers' needs, with potential buyers competing in an auction based on how well the house suits their needs. Additionally, players can buy and customize houses for themselves. Several downloadable content packs were released, including the free Apocalypse Flipper DLC on 17 May 2018, Garden Flipper on 16 May 2019, HGTV DLC on 14 May 2020, free Cyberpunk Flipper DLC on 19 November 2020, and later Pets DLC and Luxury Flipper DLC in 2021.
Reader's Guide
House Flipper received 'mixed or average reviews' on Metacritic. Reviewers found fixing up homes satisfying but questioned its long-term playability. Kotaku noted satisfaction in transforming 'often extremely gross or ugly' homes, stating that 'Manifesting your vision of a decent, sellable house onto these garbage heaps feels amazing—especially because it happens on such a granular scale.' Game Informer wrote that 'Flipping your first few houses is fun, but the game doesn't have the scope or flexibility to stay interesting for long.' PC Gamer was critical, acknowledging satisfaction in making a room look nice but finding the slow, mechanical painting and cleaning unenjoyable. Despite mixed reviews, the game became a bestseller on Steam. It was nominated for 'Game, Simulation' at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards and won Poznań Game Arena Best Polish Indie Game of 2018. A mobile version, House Flipper: Home Design, was released in October 2020 for Android and iOS. A sequel, House Flipper 2, was released in December 2023.
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