House Flipper has been around for a fair few years and has had an overwhelming reception since its launch on PC and later down the line on consoles. Surprisingly it shadow dropped onto Xbox Game Pass without a word of warning a few days ago to much excitement. Whilst my backlog continues to grow thanks to the amazing subscription service, it means I finally get to don my handyman overalls virtually and try my hand at some video game DIY. I’m the kind of guy who will do anything not to do manual labour myself and I’d happily pay someone else to carry out the work for me. Did I enjoy revamping and modernising run-down dwellings in video game format? Keep reading and let’s find out!

Introduction

Renovating and investing in property appears to be a goldmine in the real world. Play it clever and you can go from small to big time if you negotiate the markets successfully. In House Flipper, you start with a small budget of around £30,000 living in a dingy, dirty dwelling with next to nothing. Using your trusty laptop you can pick up enough maintenance and DIY work in the local community to start building up your business. 

These odd jobs and errands range vastly. You could be installing a couple of radiators in one house and in the next, you’ll be demolishing walls and rebuilding rooms to suit the owner. There is some grotty work out there involving deep cleaning and clearing out cockroach-infested accommodation amongst other stuff. As with anything in life though, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty and start at the bottom to reap the rewards. 

Soon enough you’ll be submerging into the property market purchasing buildings that are in tatters. Using your bank balance you can spend time giving these places a new lease of life in the hope of making a tidy profit. You may have to steer developments to suit potential buyers, but this is all part of the fun factor, you are in control of where every penny goes.

Gameplay and Perks

Almost all decisions are made using your tablet which you carry around on the job. You can use this to purchase everything you need from pots of paint to paintings to hang on the wall. Working hard will grant you perks which will make you work more efficiently. Paint across larger areas, demolish quicker, clean faster, negotiate deals better, and more. You get the picture, the more experience you gain, the better the handyman you become, a bit like my Dad who can do just about anything. Most work has a certain percentage and coverage to get done before you can sign off and take the money. Often though there was much more graft that needed doing to gain the maximum amount of revenue. Luckily everything that needs to be done is displayed on the screen and disappears once that specific job is completed.

The controls felt fluid enough with nothing out of the ordinary and everything was explained or prompted fully so that the player can understand. There are some fiddly moments at times but it sounds as if the game has come on leaps and bounds after reading some of the issues when it first launched. There isn’t much gameplay outside of properties other than installing the odd doorbell or some light cleaning on the exterior, but beyond the garden path is a no-go.

Graphics & Audio

House Flipper isn’t a masterpiece in the visuals department by any means. Visually though it is more aesthetically pleasing than I anticipated. It appears that the current generation Xbox Series X|S consoles have had some extra treatment in terms of resolution. There is the opportunity to extend your field of view and push that FPS up for a crisp, clean and sharp picture. It is advisable to check out the settings in the menu since I was unaware of these options. 

Animations are great for the most part when performing tasks. You can knock down walls with a sledgehammer, paint walls, lay tiles and so much more. All of these require you to interact to get the job done. The cleaning motions do come across as extremely lackluster. Clearing rubbish was just clicking on discarded boxes, cans and empty bottles and them totally vanishing. Scrubbing soiled surfaces and furniture was just waving a mop or brush in the designated area. Whilst it was nice and simple, it would have been nice to have a more satisfactory spin on these elements. 

The game does make up for it by decorating walls, laying flooring, carpet and selecting new furnishings. These options gave you the feeling of the more you spend, the nicer your place will appear. The development team did exceptionally well to differentiate the basic items from the more pricey options. 

There is in-game music that blends well within the gameplay. The tones have a relaxing, casual vibe and whilst it suited the environment, I did find it repetitively draining after a while. Not a problem though since you can just turn the music off from the in-game settings. Sound effects are implemented solidly with everything performing how you’d expect. The thud of a sledgehammer against a concrete wall with the crumbling of the demolition is gratifying. Bring with that the squelching noise of a roller filled with paint across a smooth wall. Audio throughout just ticks all the boxes.

In Conclusion

House Flipper was an absolute joy to invest my time in. When I say time, minutes literally become hours. The game consumed me with its huge versatility in tasks, properties to invest in and the range of decisions and choices you can make. The financial juggling and being responsible for your own empire is wonderfully satisfying. If you’re one of those who adores starting on a fresh canvas in games like The Sims then there is something for you here. Renovating and kitting out an interior reminds is very similar albeit from a first-person perspective. The longevity here appears to be endless with hundreds of hours of gameplay if you want to engage with it to this extent. Can I recommend House Flipper? The answer is absolutely and with Xbox Game Pass there is no excuse not to give it a try at least. I’ll certainly be purchasing the full game in the very near future. For those wanting that little bit more, there is a DLC package titled “House Flipper – Garden” which I’ve yet to delve into. The development team appear to be invested in the long-term future here though, it really is a must-play.