Running a small business isn’t easy, with everything in the beginning usually relying on just one person to get it started. In Sticky Business, players take on the role of an entrepreneur in the sticker trade, creating their own designs. Then there are also the more complicated parts like understanding the logistics of how to make the most profits they can.
Sticky Business is a pretty simple pastel-colored desktop simulator where players will be looking top-down at a literal desktop where they will see their packaging, printing, creations, and everything else they need to be successful.
The game puts the tools in players’ hands and allows them to express their creativity while they connect with their customers in a real way. It’s a small business journey that will allow you to grow yourself as a creative and as a business in equal measure. Unfortunately, it does tend to lean too heavily into the cute aesthetic for its own good, which may not be a negative to every player.
It’s not just business
As with most of these fledgling business simulators, players will start with just a few resources and have to work their way through the business world. You start by creating your first sticker. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t do a great job of telling you how to create it, so I struggled a lot in the beginning as I tried to understand the different steps.
After you get the first sticker done and figure out that you’re supposed to put more than one per printing page, you’re well on your way to getting further in the business. I made the mistake of making my first sticker too big, so I could print way less than some of the smaller stickers that I would make later. If you do this you can sell it for more, but you’ll also pay less.
As you really get started and begin to receive orders, some of them will come from recurring fans and you’ll hear their stories through messages. These progress until they reach a natural conclusion that you can review at any point. These messages of the gameplay make Sticky Business naturally wholesome and I couldn’t wait to get another order or fill a specific request put in by a repeat customer.
It’s not very deep, but I liked that the customers would react to specific items in the shop and even acquired some new people because of it. The dozens of different stickers you can acquire and use is great too, so you never feel limited in what you can create and give to your customers. While it’s not the same freedom to create as if you were drawing yourself, there’s enough where your only limitation is your imagination.
Some of my best artwork, personally
It is easy to create something you can be proud of in Sticky Business and it makes playing through it so relaxing. It’s not entirely free though, as there are timing mechanics that you can adjust at the start of the game that will allow you to have a more realistic time or complete freedom. Whichever you choose, your orders each day will increase as time goes on, which makes resource management important.
Thankfully the resources are just money and likes, both of which are used to buy new base stickers, colors, and slots on your website. I never felt any pressure to expand except for when I wanted to, which further played into my ability to just relax and create. The music is really loud, but after turning it down to a more manageable volume, I really jammed out for a bit while I was working my business.
The simplicity of the game means that it runs exceptionally well and I didn’t notice a single technical or visual bug the entire time I played. The only time I really ran into an issue of any kind is when I got too complacent filling orders and failed one or two, but the customer will come back the next day if important, so there’s no real pressure anyway.
It’s a very cute game but sometimes it doesn’t feel as challenging as it could be, not giving the possibility of a slightly more realistic playthrough, but that’s not necessarily what people are looking for. If you want a simple, relaxing, and very cute sticker-making game, then Sticky Business will likely check all the boxes for you.
The Final Word
Sticky Business is a cute and creative take on the desktop simulator genre, allowing players to get out their best ideas using pre-made stickers. The game is as cute as it looks and its ability to run so well creates such an adorable experience that’s really easy to lose yourself in. While it’s pretty shallow, it’s also exactly what it promises to be and does a good job of doing it.
8.5
Try Hard Guides reviewed this title on PC via Steam. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website!