Developer: RedDeer.Games
Platform: Switch
Genre: Arcade, Simulation, Strategy
Publisher: RedDeer.Games
Hotel Hustle is a co-op managing hotel game. This game was developed and published by RedDeer.Games. There are many games similar to Hotel Hustle, such as Overcooked, Moving Out and more. Hotel Hustle is only available for the Switch.
Hotel Hustle is a single-player or co-op (up to two players, locally) game where you play as a racoon who has to manage a hotel with several rooms. The racoon carries out several tasks, such as serving food, cleaning bed sheets, vacuuming, and watering plants before the arrival of guests. The raccoons manage through several levels, earning starts and money, which allows them to progress to harder levels.
The controls for Hotel Hustle are nice and simple. I liked that the tutorial at the start of the game was well-detailed and went through each step with dedicated arrows to better help players familiarise themselves with mechanics, except the tutorial was not provided for when playing co-op. The good thing is that the controls were visible on interaction, so players could easily get a hang of them. Additionally, I like that the tasks are kept track of at the bottom of the screen with an icon of the tool to help players stay on task. We played the game both in handheld and docked mode with joy-cons (as it seems pro-controllers are not supported), and there was no delay nor over-sensitivity on the controls, which made the gameplay pretty smooth. With the simplicity of the controls, the one-button mechanic can become repetitive and boring, which takes away from the gameplay.
The visuals for Hotel Hustle are cartoonish. The character designs for the racoons. The customers are nicely expressed, and the usage of bright colours makes the game lively. It adds to the hotel atmosphere. The addition of little details, from stain marks on the bathtub to rubbish on the carpet, is quite nice as well. The game has a 3D, almost top-down view, but the characters are 2D paper-like, which is very unique. The game is not over-stimulated with many details and items, which is nice with the environment and playstyle of the game. The music is very jazzy and amped. It is almost a mix of jazz and country music, which includes melodies from piano and guitar. The soundtrack is really nice and gets the player in the mood of this chaotic gameplay.
Hotel Hustle runs on a simple premise, and that is carrying out tasks by using the tools in your trust handcart and with this mechanic, the game is quite enjoyable. You see yourself pacing back and forth to get the item you need to manage a room before making it ready for the customer, but it is not something you get annoyed by. At times, games that require you to go back and forth between picking items can get a bit irritating. This game keeps everything uncomplicated. I felt that the game was manageable both in single-player and co-op; obviously, when playing with another person, we felt the game was easier and a lot more fun. Co-op mode was fun because it kept you and your partner from managing certain rooms and tasks to efficiently finish tasks. Not only that, but the dynamic moving split screen worked so smoothly and made the game much more fun, as the screen was moving around the racoon you were playing. The tab keeping of tasks at the bottom also had a little flashing animation of when tasks were currently being worked on, which made it easier for you and your partner to coordinate what needed to get done next. In some stages, communication was not even required as we each took the tools we wanted and started to check off the customer’s tasks.
At times, Hotel Hustle did not feel like much of ‘hustle’ but was pretty easygoing. Compared to other games in the gameplay style of Hotel Hustle, like Overcooked or Moving Out, this was not as chaotic. There really is nothing more to this game besides having good teamwork (if playing with someone else) to efficiently reach three stars within the time limit. It is a nice way to get players to ‘strategize’ the tools they use and when to use them to get the best use out of them. I do think maybe the addition of more players would make the game more fun, but the difficulty of levels and additional unique tasks should also be added.
If you are looking for a nice single-player or co-op game where you can manage hotel rooms as a racoon, then this game is just for you. This game offers charming visuals and a relaxed atmosphere where you carry out several tasks to prepare a room and assist customers when checked in. Be sure to check out Hotel Hustle, as it is worth trying with someone else!
Overall: 6/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
