News Tower Review – A 1930s Newspaper Tycoon with Heart and Headaches
I spent weeks juggling reporters, presses and the mob in News Tower — a cozy-yet-demanding 1930s newsroom management sim from Sparrow Night. Lovely art and music, brilliant loop, but expect busywork, UI grumbles and some mid/late-game repetition.
News Tower turns the oddball premise of running a 1930s New York paper into a surprisingly deep tycoon: build floors, assign reporters, and pick headlines while factions and deadlines breathe down your neck. It scratches the same managerial itch as Project Highrise or Two Point Hospital, but with ink-stained fingers and jazz music.
At its core News Tower is a weekly loop: send reporters out, collect stories, assemble pages and pray the presses finish by Sunday. You design a multi-floor newsroom — elevators, pneumatic tubes and smart layouts actually matter — and staff more than 30 roles from janitors to star photographers. Editorial choices (respect vs reach), faction deals (Mayor, Mafia, High Society and more) and district preferences give each week a different pressure. The production chain is tactile: typesetters, compositors, printers and paper logistics need attention, and morale upgrades like coffee, plants or a gramophone can make or break productivity. The art, music and period writing sell the 1930s vibe like nothing else; it’s a joy to watch your paper crawl through the press. Downsides? There’s a fair bit of manual busywork (paper management, moving inventory), some clunky UI moments, and a tutorial that doesn’t always explain the hows. Mid/late-game can feel repetitive for players wanting deeper, persistent macro-strategies rather than weekly micro-challenges. Still, the interlocking systems are clever, and when everything clicks that “Print” button is endlessly satisfying.
News Tower is a hugely lovable management sim that nails mood and core loops — but be ready to tolerate some busywork and UI rough edges. It’s a strong pick for tycoon fans who enjoy juggling people, presses and politics.
Pros
- Exceptionally charming atmosphere — art, music and period writing
- Satisfying weekly loop with meaningful editorial and faction choices
- Deep staff/production systems and clever layout-driven gameplay
Cons
- Too much manual busywork (paper & inventory micromanagement)
- UI quirks, thin tutorial and some late-game repetition
Player Opinion
Players love the vibe, soundtrack and the addictive joy of assembling an edition — many praise the meaningful staff progression and faction systems. Common complaints point to busywork (paper logistics), UI clumsiness and occasional AI oddities that stall production. Some reviewers say the 1.0 release added systems that feel half-baked, while others report that patches and QoL tweaks already improved things. If you like Project Highrise, Two Point Hospital or cozy-but-deep tycoons, you’ll probably click with News Tower.