**Note: This is an ongoing review as we were only given a demo to review. We will give a final review after release if provided a full release!
Sports: Renovations is another entry in the ever-growing business simulation genre, but with a fresh take on presentation and interaction. For one, it actually has a story, which is something most realistic sims tend to lack. This could be a huge win for fans who want more life in their life simulations—but it does come at the cost of some freedom and the open-ended sandbox nature that many sim players love.
Now, before we get too deep, a quick disclaimer: we played the demo, not the full release, so some of these opinions might not hold up when the final version drops. That said, I really enjoyed the introductory mission, and my main concern (we’ll get to that) could end up being a non-issue when the full game releases.
The premise? Your hometown basketball team, the Goatz (a well-placed nod to publisher Goat Gamez), is about to lose its historic arena to the wrecking ball. But before the bulldozers roll in, your boss/business partner/possibly lover or mother (I don’t know, and the demo doesn’t explain, but she keeps calling you “sweety” and “honey,” so honestly, it could go either way) swoops in to save the landmark. And naturally, the actual work falls on you.
From the jump, it’s clear that story matters to the developers. The intro doesn’t just tell us about the old barn’s history—it shows us. The narration and environmental storytelling hint at the arena’s past glory, the team’s legacy, and the die-hard Goatz fans who would probably chain themselves to the doors if this were real life. Even better, Easter eggs and hidden landmarks are scattered around, doubling as both story-building elements and tracked in-game achievements (and presumably rewards in the full version).
Before we get our hands on the historic basketball arena, the game drops us into our first renovation gig: a rundown Irish boxing club in desperate need of some TLC. The overarching structure seems to be that you’ll earn the cash to restore the Old Barn by fixing up a series of smaller sports facilities, leading up to a grand finale where you bring the arena back to life. (Hopefully, we’ll get a full version to review before release so we can confirm!).
And this brings me to my one real concern: the tradeoff between story-driven gameplay and player freedom.
One of the biggest appeals of business sims is choice—creating your dream business, tweaking every detail, and letting your imagination run wild. In Sports: Renovations, you have plenty of artistic freedom, but your actual decisions boil down to checking off a to-do list: build ‘twelve of these,’ replace ‘ten of those,’ and move on. There’s no real consequence to your design choices, which might leave some hardcore sim fans feeling a little boxed in. Hopefully, the full game expands on this with more meaningful customization.
I really enjoyed the first mission. The voice acting—especially the Irish boxing gym owner, who inherited the place from her grandfather (who is basically a Gaelic Mickey Goldmill)—is surprisingly solid for an indie title. The graphics are sharper than most small-studio sims, and the controls? Smooth. No janky, unresponsive mechanics, which is something a lot of these games struggle with.
As for gameplay, fans of the genre will feel right at home. There are clear influences from the best in the biz:
- PC Building Simulator – The sound and atmosphere give off similar vibes.
- House Flipper – Cleaning, restoration, and shopping mechanics are familiar.
- Car Mechanic Simulator – The way you build the boxing ring feels oddly reminiscent.
- PowerWash Simulator – Scrubbing and painting walls? Oh yeah, we’ve been here before.
The heart of Sports: Renovations is what stands out the most—it’s a mix of beloved sim mechanics, sports knowledge, and a genuine attempt at injecting story into a genre that usually lacks it. It doesn’t feel like a soulless cash grab, and that’s refreshing in a genre that seems determined to simulate every job no one actually wants to do in real life.
So far, my impression is:
✅ Great for casual fans of business sims
✅ Potentially a huge win for players who wanted more depth in their sim experiences
❌ Probably a miss for those who love open-ended sandbox sims
We’ll keep you posted when the full game drops!
