While Netflix and Paramount were wrestling each other in an attempt to take over Warner Bros., one of the major public discussion points was what the purchase would mean for the future of cinema, and especially moviehouses – which have been struggling to win back audiences since the pandemic. Would the big screen be deprioritised?
The thing is, despite the convenient at-home competition of streaming and other entertainment options, there’s nothing like going to the movies. It’s an emotionally powerful and immersive experience common across the globe, dating back to the late 1800s. Hand and hand with it, most nations have their own film industry, along with titles that define each country. In short, movie theatres are special, at both a greater cultural, and intimate individual, level.
Which brings us to PC game Movierooms – Cinema Management, AKA Movierooms Cinema Tycoon, a management simulator that made the journey from Kickstarter campaign to Steam Early Access this March.
Made by Mad Pumpkins, a seven-person indie studio operating out of Italy and France, Movierooms puts players in charge of their own movie theatre. It’s a business with many moving parts, and Movierooms demands that you master all of them, from the construction, maintenance and decorating of your cinema complex, to choosing your films and locking down the screening schedule to best meet viewing habits swayed by things like time of day, reviews, and genre popularity.
Then there’s the people aspect: you need to hire the best staff, manage their physical and emotional needs, and keep your customers happy. That means investing your earnings back into cinema improvements, like cutting-edge projection equipment, more comfortable chairs, and appealing snack offerings. Finally, you need bums in seats so that means effective marketing.
If this is all sounding very ambitious, yes it is. In its current Alpha state, there’s no question that Movierooms is rough, with a lot of work ahead for its developers. Much feels placeholder. Character animations are repetitively simplistic and anachronistic; employee information is copy pasted; and, worst of all, NPC pathing is terrible, causing patrons to get stuck in and outside rooms, striding nonstop into walls. Outside isn’t an issue, but if one attendee is trapped within a space, you’re prevented from moving said space in order to fit in more screening rooms – along with restrooms for guests, a breakroom for staff, and other on-site attractions.
So, yeah, Movierooms is a long way from full release, and requires some serious polish. That said, Mad Pumpkins does have a goal to move toward a Beta version later in 2026, as part of a thorough development roadmap. For the record, the studio has said that they welcome player feedback obtained through the Early Access model, and will continually be updating based on comments.
Of course, you could wait for the final release of Movierooms, but you may want to get involved now. For one primary reason. Movierooms isn’t the first cinema management sim, but it does offer something that makes it stand out for cinephiles: its celebration of movie history.
While Sandbox Mode provides an immediately satisfying hit of creativity, with access to all customization tools from the start, in Story mode, you’re not just running a multiplex in the present day. You start with the nickelodeons of the early 1900s – where you’ll need to hire a pianist to accompany your silent movies – and advance through the eras, dealing with the impact of war and political upheaval, the rise of television, changing audiences, modern digital competition, lockdowns and new technological innovation.
The game has players completing special missions for pioneering industry figures (like Fritz Lang and Frank Capra) who have been flung out of time, and the title is stuffed with period accurate cinema technology. Everything gets compiled in Movierooms’ Archive section, which becomes a fascinating wiki.
Then there’s the attention to detail on the 2D front, with tribute vintage movie posters (which might trick you for a second into believing they’re the real thing), and the films themselves. If you need a break from all the management responsibility, you can zoom in on the cinema screens in your establishment, and watch the movies play out in lovingly illustrated frames.
Honestly, Movierooms may not achieve its full potential, and a lot feels clunky right now. However, its heart is in the right place, and even in Alpha, it offers something unique for keyboard and mouse gamers who treasure the big screen experience.