Game Reviews

Pocket Clothier

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Pocket Clothier
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There are signs that the Kairosoft train is slowing down. Each game thus far has been very similar to the last in terms of gameplay, and the last title from the studio, Cafeteria Nipponica, was missing that special something.

With Pocket Clothier, we've learnt a valuable lesson that we already knew deep down - you can always bet on Kairosoft.

Pocket Clothier takes the standard Kairosoft formula and yet manages to feel fresh all the same. There's always something to see or do, and - most importantly - you can feel the effects of your handiwork as your store grows alongside your skills.

Suited and booted

Put simply, Pocket Clothier is an addictive management sim set in a clothes shop.

You add shelves and racks and then hang clothes on them for fashion-hungry customers to pick up and carry to the till. Mirrors, changing rooms, and mannequins help to push your punters over the edge and splash even more cash.

You've also got staff to hire, special events to complete, customers to satisfy, and new shop furniture to research. What makes Pocket Clothier so fantastic is the sheer nuber of activities to complete, and the rate at which the game throws them at you.

Every minute there's a new clothing range to check out, or a new customer in your store, or a new task to attend to, or a new floor to build. Pocket Clothier keeps throwing new elements at you, even after hours of play.

Pocket Clothier adds enough new style that it feels like Kairosoft 2.0. Swiping left and right lets you see information about your shop quickly, while swiping up and down changes floors. There are also trophies to collect - another new element for the management franchise.

Sewed into your hands

The game then rounds all this off with an element that some Kairosoft titles could be accused of lacking - direction.

There's always something to aim for in Pocket Clothier, whether it's climbing the rankings, finding jobs for all your customers, collecting trophies, attracting celebrities to play in your store, or building your complex as high as possible.

There's very little to fault. Ordering clothing is a little confusing at first, and there are some silly trophies to bag, but these are utterly trivial complaints.

In all, Pocket Clothier may be the best Kairosoft game to date.

Pocket Clothier

Kairosoft is on fine form as Pocket Clothier proves one of its best management titles to date
Score
Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.