In the realm of indie games, simulation titles have carved out a nicely comfortable niche: manage a café, run a farm, manage a TCG card shop, even direct a laundromat. But Mall Simulator, developed by F13 Games and launching into Early Access on Steam on November 3, 2025, gives us the “mega-mall tycoon” variant of the genre.
From a small shopping centre to a sprawling city-mall, the project promises dozens of store types, hundreds of brands, and management across pricing, trends, expansion, and more.
In this indie game review, we’ll evaluate how well Mall Simulator delivers on its ambitious premise: can you turn your mall dreams into a viable simulation? And how well does it hold up in its current Early Access state?
Gameplay & Core Loop
Mall Simulator places you as the operator of a fledgling shopping centre. Your task: build stores, sign brand deals, set product ranges and prices, keep customers satisfied, and expand vertically and horizontally to avoid bankruptcy.
Key gameplay features include:
- A variety of store types and services: clothing, sports goods, tech, toys, supermarkets, food outlets, cinema, arcade, and more.
- Monitoring trends and customer behaviour: you must keep up with changing tastes, ensure stock doesn’t run out, manage foot traffic, and avoid stores going bankrupt.
- Expansion mechanics: adding upper floors, opening new brand stores, managing services like cleaning and security (not yet fully implemented at Early Access).
The core loop: build → attract customers → manage inventory/pricing → expand → repeat—with the risk of running out of money, losing foot traffic, or failing to adapt to trends.
What Works Well
Accessible Theme & Familiar Appeal
For many players who grew up with games like Mall Tycoon, the mall-management theme has nostalgic appeal. A Reddit post noted:
“I definitely think the trailer does a good job building up hype… I was actually just thinking about a mall simulator today.”
This familiarity helps the game feel inviting.
Scope & Promise
The feature list is ambitious: 15+ store types, dozens of machines/services, “hundreds of brands” waiting for you. For an indie title, that’s a major plus.
Early Access Transparency
The developer is clear that the game is in Early Access and outlines future features (security, upper floors, cleaning, shoplifters) in the store description. That kind of clarity is appreciated in the indie-simulation space.
Areas for Improvement & Considerations
Content Depth & Current Scope
While the promise is large, as of the Early Access launch there are important systems still pending: cleaning, security, multi-floor management, theft mechanics. Early adopters should be aware they’re experiencing a work-in-progress, not the complete mall tycoon simulator.
Replayability & Long-Term Engagement
Sim games like this can fall into “same loop” territory after a while unless there’s enough variation in store types, customer behaviours, events, or branching challenges. The current build may need more “surprises” or mechanics to keep players invested long-term.
Tutorial and Onboarding
Given the number of systems (trend tracking, expansion, pricing, stock, brand deals) players unfamiliar with mall simulations may feel slightly overwhelmed. Ensuring a smooth onboarding and tutorial will greatly help the game’s accessibility.
Polish & Performance
As with many early access titles, some minor bugs or optimization issues can be expected. The SteamDB shows the game is still pre-release with further updates planned. While not a critical issue, it’s something to keep in mind for players on lower-end hardware or expecting AAA polish.
Final Thoughts
Mall Simulator is a promising addition to the indie simulation genre. Its theme is appealing, its scope is ambitious, and the developer’s transparency about its Early Access status is commendable. For fans of management sims who enjoy the idea of building and running a large shopping complex, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on (or jumping into if you’re comfortable with early access).
However, it’s not quite the fully polished mall-empire simulation yet. Some key systems await implementation, and long-term variation is still developing. If you’re looking for the complete package today, you might want to wait. But if you’re excited by the idea of growing a mall, tweaking storefronts, tracking trends, and watching foot traffic build—Mall Simulator offers strong potential.
To us at Indie Games Tavern, if building your own shopping empire sounds fun and you’re okay with early access, Mall Simulator could be your next sim fix. Just remember—you’ll be part of the mall’s early days, not yet strolling its fully-realized corridors.
Who Should Play It?
- Players who like management and simulation games, especially those with mall or retail themes.
- Those interested in indie games with focused scope and willing to ride with Early Access development.
- Gamers who enjoy building, optimization, and seeing visible growth in a simulation environment.
Who Might Wait or Skip?
- Players who demand fully polished, feature-complete simulation titles on day one.
- Gamers looking for heavy strategy or complex economic simulation beyond storefront management.
- Individuals who dislike Early Access and prefer waiting for the “finished” version.
Mall Simulator Review by Indie Games Tavern.
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