Flower Stand Tycoon
One doesn't generally think of flower stands and business tycoons in
the same breath. When I think of mobile florists, I generally picture
barefoot peace-loving hippies standing on the corner selling bouquets.
This isn't that type of flower stand - oh, no. It's a chic urban floral
business with some hefty profits to be made. That's not a surprise
after all, since the game is called Flower Stand Tycoon and not Flower
Stand Subsistence Farm.
In Flower Stand Tycoon, your Uncle Pott's has a dream of nurturing a
great florist business. Fortunately for you, however, Uncle Pott's is
more of a bioengineer than a businessman, and would rather spend his
time inventing new flower cross-breeds than being a salesman. He hands
you his van, $700, and an old flower cart to start, and you're sent out
to make your fortune as a budding Flower Stand tycoon.
To start, you'll need to stock your cart with inventory. Inventory
includes both flowers and merchandise. When you open, you will be able
to sell daisies, daffodils and ruby roses. The variety of flowers you
can sell will increase with further research. Merchandise (like
balloons, teddy bears, and wind chimes) is earned as you reach certain
objectives, such as taking over competitors territories. There is a
click box which allows you to automatically restock the same items each
time, or else you must refill your cart before each new day begins.
Until you've bought the refrigerator upgrade, your daily supplies can
not be carried over the next day, so select carefully. While
restocking, you can also adjust your prices to meet with customer
demand.
Once you've gotten your cart stocked, you are ready to select a target
neighbourhood. Your flower stand is mobile, and can travel to different
neighbourhoods each day. You may purchase more separate carts later in
the game, allowing you to visit different neighbourhoods at the same
time. The features of each neighbourhood and its customer base are
unique, so you'll find differences in the amount population and
customers' favourite flowers. After selling flowers in a neighbourhood,
demand will temporarily go down. It may take several days for demand to
replenish, which is why its a good idea to visit different
neighbourhoods each turn. You can check current demand by clicking on
the neighbourhood before selecting it. Once you've decided on where to
sell, click "set route" to confirm.
When your route is set and your cart is ready, you are all set to begin
the day. As the day is being played, you may observe your customers on
one of the four display monitors. The customer's reactions give you
vital feedback on your business strategy. Satisfied customers are
market with a happy face. Disgruntled customers may be upset over high
prices, long wait times, or lack of flower variety.
At the end of each day, you get a chance to read the newspaper.
Sometimes, a news article will hint at something that affects the
following day's sales, and Uncle Potts will put a sticky note on it for
you.
Later in the game, you will begin to have competitors. You will notice
that each neighbourhood will give you a statistic on your market share,
along with theirs. When your market share is higher than all
competitors, the neighbourhood will be highlighted in orange.
Competitors will also have their own highlighted neighbourhoods. You
can take over by getting a higher market share, but they can likewise
take over your territories, so its important to keep an eye on market
share trends.
As you'd expect, you may buy a variety of upgrades for your carts.
Lights attract more customers, and music makes them more patient.
Calculators improve your speed, and refrigeration allows you to roll
over unused supplies. Larger carts can handle more inventory, plus have
a bigger presence and attract more customers.
Allocating more money towards Uncle Pott's research means you'll have
faster access to new flower types. Advertising means more customers and
better market share. You'll also have regular access to research which
can assist you in making strategical choices.
You'll notice numerous similarities in Flower Stand Tycoon to both
Fairy Godmother Tycoon and Ice Cream Tycoon. The concept of market
share and competitors is a nice twist that makes the game more
interesting. While not unique in mechanics or theme, it is relaxing and
never turns the pressure up too high. All things considered, its fairly
easy to learn how to play, and most of the rules can be figured out as
you go.
However, while tycoon games always have an audience, Flower Stand
Tycoon doesn't seem to offer anything special or interesting to the
player. The game play also appears open ended, with no real goals
outlined for the player other than becoming a "tycoon" as the title
infers. There aren't any major twists, the plot is rather minimalist,
and the game play can be somewhat predictable. In contrast to Fairy
Godmother Tycoon, which was full of humor and clever cutscenes, Flower
Stand Tycoon is a bit more plain. There are no jokes or interludes or
anything of the sort, short from the cute newspaper headlines shown in
between each day.
While it's tough at times to figure out what the main point is, other
than earning a daily wage, Flower Stand Tycoon does offer accessible
tycoon gaming with a no-pressure attitude.
