When I hear the word “Motel,” I always think of a singing dog or a bald guy. You know, Pitbull. The one and only: Mr. Worldwide! We at the hotel, motel, Holiday Inn… But today, we’re talking about the game Sunset Motel, developed by Efkey Studios and published by RockGame S.A.
Getting Started
The game starts with a clear introduction that guides you through the story and immediately shows you how the controls work. You start right away by renovating motel room 201.
Tear down the wood that’s blocking the door, clean up the mess, and make the room look nice by installing a new floor, painting the walls, and placing furniture. You get a handy “To Do List” so you know what to buy and where to place it. What I thought was funny is that you actually have to remove the old floor before you can lay down a new one. The same goes for the walls: you need to tear off the old wallpaper before you start painting. You also have to repair the windows, although that feature is pretty simple. You just hit the windows with a hammer, and boom, they’re fixed. The game also uses a skill menu that lets you unlock certain perks. Laying floors and painting is a bit easier here than in other games, which helps prevent it from getting boring too fast. The animations are simple, but definitely not bad.
I actually found them pretty appealing. The quality of the furniture and items also looked really good. The plants and chairs especially surprised me when it comes to graphics.
You also get quite a bit of freedom when decorating your motel room. You can choose to just stick to the checklist or give the room some extra attention and make it even more beautiful. But why are the rooms so unbelievably big? After renovating and decorating two motel rooms, the other side of the game begins.
Random Start
The game suddenly begins with a random event. Your money gets stolen, and you have to catch the thief. Yes, really, you actually have to chase him yourself. Why is this in the game?
I have no idea. Maybe to give you a quick money boost or to prevent the game from becoming boring too soon. Either way, it is the reason you need to buy upgrades, so it does not happen again. Without customers, you do not earn anything. So it is time to open your motel.
Service Stress
But customers have needs, so you need to go shopping for food at the local supermarket. This is when the real work starts, because guests begin booking rooms. And this is where the part started that began to irritate me. You also have to serve the guests. You need to prepare and deliver their orders, which include food, dirty laundry, and luggage. This means you also have to make sure your fridge stays stocked. You actually have to manage your fridge.
For me, that was a bit too much. It is a fun addition to the game, but it just went a little too far in my opinion. This makes it feel like a full-on motel management game instead of something like House Flipper. And then there are small accidents too, like little fires, and you have to put them out. You also have to make sure the rooms are left clean, so yes, cleaning is your job too.
Want to build more rooms? Then you have to shut down the entire hotel. I would have liked more freedom here. For example, an easy mode where you can hire staff early in the game, so you can decide which tasks you want to do yourself. Because right now, a relaxed evening of gaming suddenly turns into a night full of stress and panic. Some players might enjoy that, but others, like me, do not.
Because of all that chaos, I ended up closing the game earlier than I wanted to. And that is a shame, because there was still so much waiting for me. Like cleaning and renovating a pool (with a bar) and opening gyms and other facilities. The further you get in the game, the more you can automate. Eventually, you can build laundromats and hire staff. But all of that is locked behind stars or other requirements. And like I said earlier, I would have preferred to access that sooner, or at least have an easier way to unlock it.
AI Usage
It immediately stood out to me that AI was used in the game. Some of the character illustrations looked a bit suspicious. According to the developers, they made “honest” use of AI. For example, AI helped them create drawings and animations. They also used AI to come up with worlds, characters, and storylines.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed playing the game, but at times it just felt a bit too hectic for me. I also found some of the AI elements a bit disappointing, since they quietly influence the way you perceive the game. The renovation part is well done, and visually, it looks great. If you’re used to pure renovation simulators, this game might feel a bit overwhelming. But if you want to experience everything that comes with running a motel, then this is the perfect game for you. This is a game where micromanagement and multitasking are key. If you’re looking for a laid-back renovation game, though, this one might be a bit too demanding. Still, I am curious to see what future updates will bring. Maybe I will check in again sometime.
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