House Flipper 2 [PC] | REVIEW

House Flipper is one of the most rewarding and addictive simulators that I’ve played, with the satisfying loop of renovating properties (and doing a few odd jobs on the side) one that I’ve spent a LOT of hours with over the years. It did leave me to wonder what House Flipper 2 could really do to improve upon the formula, but it only took a couple of hours play to realise that this is a special sequel. It doesn’t only add new features that flesh out the gameplay, but also refines the core mechanics to help give the game the polish that was sometimes missing from its predecessor.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The core gameplay loop of House Flipper 2 revolves around renovating properties to make some money. Sometimes, this will be in houses that you’ve purchased to sell, whilst other times, it’ll be when doing work for a customer – either way, there’s a lot of DIY taking place, with players smashing down walls, cleaning up filth, installing different facilities, wiring electronics, painting and decorating, and ensuring each house is kitted out with the adequate furniture to add to its overall value.

The single player campaign takes place in the town of Pinnacove, with players finding their feet in the world of renovation by taking on simplistic jobs that introduce them to the mechanics of the game. Nothing in House Flipper 2 is especially complex, but with a myriad of tools to use and different forms of renovation to undertake, it’s nice to get eased in slowly with tasks that don’t take much effort. It all builds up to players learning the skills and earning the cash required to renovate their parents’ old home, which they inherit after they move away. The way the narrative is delivered reminded me a little of Power Wash Simulator, with the storytelling not being the focus of the experience but adding that little something extra to give it a bit more personality.

If you played the first game, a lot of House Flipper 2 will feel familiar. The controls feel the same, a lot of the tasks you have to complete are the same, and the vast majority of tools you use are the same. There’s not some MASSIVE evolution to the formula that completely re-invents the flipping process, so you shouldn’t expect something wholly different to what you’ve played before.

“There are just so many improvements on offer that it’s difficult to list them all, but believe me when I say this: House Flipper 2 is more polished, enjoyable, and addictive than the first game, so expect to see your life consumed by it when you start playing.”

What has been changed and introduced does feel impactful though, with House Flipper 2 seeing a lot of additions that will make players very happy.

For one, tools have seen improvements that’ll make them a lot easier to use, whether that’s with the flipper tool that can now clone items or the paint roller that can be increased in size to make painting a quicker process. They may sound like small changes, but believe me, they go a LONG way in making it easier to decorate those bigger rooms and fine-tune your décor to add consistency to the layout. Of course, you’ll have to unlock a lot of the upgrades before you can use them (the more you do something, the better you’ll get at it), but they’re gamechangers in the long run.

Ever wanted to build a basement whilst renovating a property in the previous game? Well, you can in House Flipper 2, with players now able to modify the height of the ground layer to give them more space to play around with, whether that’s by installing a basement or even placing their property on a fancy little hill to look over Pinnacove. Want to live in a dwelling that wouldn’t look out of place in Bag End? You can do that too, with players able to build into and around the elevated groundwork. It really adds a whole new dynamic to the building process and I’m excited to see what cool ideas the cleverer players manage to pull off with it.

Speaking of other players, there’s a greater emphasis on sharing this time around, with level creation tools in place for players to create houses or put together jobs and then make them available for others to download. Yep, you can literally build everything from the ground up, allowing players to scratch that creative itch without having to worry about earning the funds in-game to build their dreamhouse. Of course, you don’t have to share your creations online, but with plenty of potential to see iconic houses from across all of pop culture built in-game, I’m super excited to see what’s uploaded over the coming weeks.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Are you the crafty type who likes to get stuck into fiddly building work? You’ll love the new Assembly mode, that allows you to build furniture and utilities from scratch like some kind of IKEA addict. It’s a lot more specialised and robust than in the first game, but with rewards to earn for your effort, it’s definitely worth getting stuck into.

It all comes together to make for an experience that offers more of the same that players would have been used to, but that has also refined just about every aspect of its design to make it better than before. Even the visuals have seen a big improvement, with the charming aesthetic offering a good blend of realism and colourful imagination. Placing furniture is a LOT snappier too, whilst having a sort of spidey-sense (but for decorating) to see where there’s still work to be done is REALLY useful. There are just so many improvements on offer that it’s difficult to list them all, but believe me when I say this: House Flipper 2 is more polished, enjoyable, and addictive than the first game, so expect to see your life consumed by it when you start playing.

Developer: Frozen District, Empyread
Publisher: Frozen District, PlayWay
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1190970/House_Flipper_2/