Blooming Business: Casino Get May Release

After two years in development by the French studio Homo Ludens, the upcoming casino tycoon title, Blooming Business: Casino, is set to open its 60s-inspired doors. I’ve been following the muted (though colorful) and sometimes animal-unfriendly title for a while now. I have a penchant for tycoon/management games after all. The original Evil Genius and its sequel used a casino as a front for your Bond villain base, and for the business-focus Hotel Giant had plenty of that.

Revealed just the other day (though we only got the press release this week), Blooming Business: Casino is set to release on Steam on the 23rd of May. Announced alongside the sandbox trailer and a studio interview, we get a showcase of the gameplay of this animal-focused satirical twist on the 50s-60s era of Las Vegas gambling culture. From building to business management, the team shows that there is a large focus on telling a story. Specifically, multiple stories you’ll never fully get with a single playthrough. How typically French of you Homo Ludens.

The interview focuses on creative director Paul Blachère and player experience & live operations director Christelle Melchor explaining what you’ll encounter and what to expect. Paul in particular made me a very happy racketeering casino owner when he mentioned that inspiration comes from the Bullfrog games we all grew up on. If you’re too young for Bullfrog, you don’t exist to me. Economic simulations aren’t your era of gaming; that would be loot boxes. Christelle notes that each anthropomorphized character is utilized to play into the era and setting.

Art director Pierre Mervaillie also notes that the accessible vintage look is purposely there to be inviting. Melchor’s note on the specifics of the characters goes into the details of political figures and singers (characteristic of the era) being the connections you need to make to succeed. Though if you’re like me and prefer a more creative or endless style of play over the campaign in your tycoon titles, both are available. Nonetheless, as mentioned in the interview, there are supposed to be some tools to make Blooming Business: Casino malleable.

I’ve already said it, and I’ll continue to say so. Blooming Business: Casino is right up my alley and is something I’m going to be keeping my eye on all those animals that will be counting cards on the 23rd. Passing up a business-sim/tycoon game isn’t something I’m going to be doing when it looks and sounds this interesting.