News Tower, a pixel-art journalism simulator developed by Pixelated Pope, launched on Steam today, November 29, 2025, and is quickly gaining traction for its surprisingly accurate depiction of the challenges facing modern newsrooms. The game tasks players with building and managing a newspaper operation, navigating financial constraints, hiring staff, and covering breaking stories – all while striving to maintain journalistic integrity.
The appeal of News Tower extends beyond simple gameplay. As media organizations grapple with declining revenues, staff reductions, and increasing pressure to prioritize clicks over extensive reporting, the game offers a unique, interactive lens through which to understand the complexities of the industry. Players must balance the demands of advertisers, the expectations of readers, and the ethical responsibilities of journalism, mirroring the real-world dilemmas faced by news professionals. The game’s success highlights a growing public fascination with the inner workings of news and a desire to understand the forces shaping the information landscape.
players begin in 1980 and progress through decades,expanding their newsroom,investing in new technologies like computers and the internet,and adapting to evolving media consumption habits. Core gameplay revolves around assigning reporters to stories,editing their articles,laying out the newspaper,and managing finances. Events, ranging from minor traffic accidents to major political scandals, require players to make critical decisions about coverage, possibly impacting their newspaper’s reputation and bottom line.
“You really feel the pressure of trying to put out a good paper while also keeping the lights on,” said one player on the Steam forums.”It’s a surprisingly thoughtful take on the industry.”
News Tower is available for purchase on Steam for $19.99. The game currently holds an “Overwhelmingly positive” rating based on hundreds of user reviews, indicating a strong reception from both gamers and those interested in the media industry. Pixelated Pope has not announced any future updates or expansions, but continues to engage with the community on Steam and social media.
