Aperture Desk Job
LQ: 8.8
Recommended Age: 8+
Skills Used: Focus, Working Memory, Reading
Enter the realm of the dark side in Tiny Death Star, a Star Wars themed resource management game. Alongside Darth Vader himself, the Emperor Palpatine is building a Death Star from the “ground up” and could really use a helping hand. There is an ongoing intergalactic war that needs funding, and a lively, successful Death Star is the answer to all financial needs. By building floor after floor of residential, business, and (hidden) imperial levels, you can earn the money that will ultimately help you conquer the galaxy. It’s also your duty to assign jobs to all residents, according to their skill level. The higher the skill, the greater the rewards, so pay attention! Be sure to also keep a lookout for rebel spies – they will try to infiltrate the death star and steal valuable secrets! Tiny Death Star is not difficult to play, nor does it contain any inappropriate content. However, it regularly calls for basic reading skills. Considering the steady use of this academic skill, this game is better suited for children ages seven and older.
Teachers: check out the classroom guide!
Arranging and coordinating materials and activities in order to complete a task.
Building a thriving Death Star isn't easy and requires a lot of work. Placing citizens --or as the game calls them, Bitizens -- in jobs for which they are not qualified (based on their skill levels) not only creates unhappy employees, but it also limits the amount of money the business can make from sales. When employees are more qualified (meaning, they have a high skill rating for that type of job) they earn more money to fund the Empire's evil schemes.
Even more, giving a Bitizen their dream job makes them produce more stock and double's their productivity. More stock equals more sales, which means a bigger and better Death Star. Organization of job assignments and Bitizens is a continual process that serves to increase the amount of success (money) the Death Star can make in a certain amount of time.
It is not a "once and done" job. For example, the player might hire a Bitizen who's dream job is to work for Tardarian Toys. However, she doesn't actually have that level yet, so the Bitizen gets assigned a job at the Workout Center. Eventually, she opens up a Tardarian Toys level, but without looking over her job assignments again (in light of any and all new levels added since the last Bitizen was hired), she'll lose out on the opportunity to stock more product in Tardarian Toys, as well as the bonus "Imperial Bux" for giving a Bitizen their dream job.
Organizing Bitizens also involves the process of eviction. Perhaps a Bitizen that moved in a while ago has a skill level of only 2 in each type of business, but since then many more-qualified Bitizens have moved in that have much higher skill levels. That one Bitizen, therefore, should be evicted in order to allow a new resident of higher skills to enter the Death Star. This process, like job assignments, should be considered regularly so that the player doesn't miss out on better opportunities for herself and her Bitizens.
Getting started and then maintaining attention and effort to tasks.
The more Bitizens working in the Death Star, the more difficult it becomes to ensure each one of them is placed in the best job possible based on their skill levels. In the beginning with only a few levels and a handful of employees, it is not too difficult to perfect job assignments. However as residential levels increase and more and more Bitizens move in, it gets harder. It starts to take time and brainpower, and maybe even note taking depending on player dedication to the game. However with Focus, as presented in motivation and patience, along with thoughtful organization, she can create the absolute best employee-to-job matches. This means more money earned, that then goes to fund the war against the Rebels. Another element of the game involves quests provided by the Emperor. These are not always quick and easy, and most often they will require a few hours at minimum before completion. Expecting instant gratification can lead to a lot of disappointment. Examples of some quests are to add new levels, fully stock a business, or locate a rebel spy. When she completes a quest, she earns money. Again, the game is asking of her some patience before she can reap the benefits of her efforts. She may choose to use precious (and few in number) Imperial Bux to speed up these processes, however repeatedly doing so will empty the bank and she is back to the original problem. Using Focus skills to be patient with long quests and take time to ensure Bitizens are placed in the best jobs possible, she will have an enjoyable gaming experience and of course, lots and lots of money from successful, stocked businesses.
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