2025 In Review

Hey TV Tycoons 👋

It’s been… a year.

A busy one. A slightly chaotic one. And an important one for Endless TV Tycoon — not just because of new features, but because I had to seriously rethink how I build this game going forward.

Let’s do a quick look back, then I’ll tell you what’s coming in 2026 👀

A Year of Features, Fixes & Hard Truths

First, a lot of my effort went into making the End Week process much faster which was slowed down with the massive Network Management update in 2024. Also, I fixed a record number of bugs. 🐛

Then came the first big update of the year: Lights Out, Cameras On. 🎥 (Currently in Early Access.) Its headline feature was the third community-voted addition: Planned Show Endings — finally letting you end your shows on your terms, instead of dragging them into oblivion.

That update also brought:

• a completely new Main Menu (the one you see every time you launch),
• network management improvements,
• and a ton of quality-of-life tweaks all over the place.

I also experimented with something new: the Raffle Game, a way to earn free subscriptions just by playing. Short version? It didn’t work. Almost nobody participated. 😅 And that failure triggered a much bigger realization.

The uncomfortable truth is that the game’s growth has stalled. And without new players, it’s simply not possible to reach a point where development becomes sustainable long-term.

The good news is: the people who are here make a real difference. I’m talking about you! This isn’t a game with millions of silent players — it’s a small group where every active player, every subscriber, actually changes what I can work on next and how fast I can move.

So I made a clear decision: focus less on flashy late-game ideas, and more on making the game more fun, clearer, and more inviting — especially for first-time players, without boring long-time fans.

The first big step was the New Game Start Flow. Instead of dumping you straight into chaos, you now go through a short, guided setup where you make key choices for your TV empire — with cleaner visuals and a bit of cheeky flavor along the way. 😏

The second step… took way longer than I expected. The completely redesigned End Week was a monster of a task. But the result is something I’m genuinely proud of.

It makes the game feel smoother, snappier, and — honestly — just more enjoyable to play. It’s a huge visual change, which matters a lot for first impressions, but it also gives long-time players a fresh coat of paint and sets the stage for future improvements.

Originally, I planned to ship one more big thing before moving on to fan-voted features. But since the End Week rebuild took sooo long… I decided to jump straight to Critics & Viewer Reviews instead.

Which brings us to... 👇

The Next Two Major Updates

In the first months of 2026, I’m planning to deliver these long-promised features:

• New Episode Production
• Critics & Viewer Reviews

Episode Production comes first, because Reviews depend on it. Here’s why.

Right now, getting a high episode score mostly means maxing out parameters: supporting actors, editing quality, budget stuff, etc. Genres do weight these differently, but let’s be honest — if you max everything, you usually win.

The only real limiter is money. Early on, that’s great. Cash is tight, especially on Realistic or Hardcore setting, and every decision hurts. Later? You just crank everything up and move on.

That core system will stay — but it’s getting expanded in two ways:

💰 Production Budget

All existing parameters will live under a new Production Budget section, that clearly represents how spending improves technical quality. Each parameter will also show genre-specific advice, so when money is tight, you’ll actually know what’s worth prioritizing instead of guessing.

🎨 Creative Direction

This is where things get spicy. 🌶️ I’m adding 12 brand-new creative parameters: Tone, Humor Level, Realism, Pacing, Acting Style, Music Style, Visual Style, Location Style, Set Style, Structure, Narrative Density, and Dialogue Style.

These are not “max it and forget it” sliders. There’s no objectively right or wrong choice here. A lighter tone isn’t better than a darker one — it just depends on the genre and current audience taste.

As you produce episodes, the game will build a heat map, showing how close your tried settings are to the current “sweet spot” for that genre. And yes — viewer tastes will shift over time, so staying perfect means adapting.

Personally? I’m very hyped about this 😄 It adds real creative depth and makes episode production feel much more like… actually making TV.

This is also the kind of deeper, riskier system that only really works because of the people supporting the game — and if you ever drifted away during a quieter phase, this is where things start to get interesting again.

With the holidays around the corner, it’s also a pretty perfect moment to slow down, spend a bit more time in the game, and ease back into building your TV empire.

I’ve already started working on this update and I’m confident it’ll land early next year. 🥳 And once that’s in your hands, Critics & Viewer Reviews are next on the roadmap.

🗳️ Feature Voting – Season 5 Check-In

Ultimate Pass holders, you’re still calling the shots.

Current standings:

1. Full-Season Autopilot: 5,659 votes
2. New Genre Explosion: 2,573 votes
3. Streaming Tiers & Pricing: 2,323 votes
4. Talent Expansion & Custom Creation: 1,609 votes
5. Reruns for Network Scheduling: 1,125 votes
6. Marketing Campaigns: 715 votes
7. Production Pipeline for Networks: 647 votes
8. Stats Dashboard: 171 votes
9. More Show Loglines: 130 votes
10. Milestones: 58 votes

Voting closes when the next Early Access feature drops. Ultimate Pass holders aren’t just voting on ideas here — they’re actively shaping what the next year of Endless TV Tycoon looks like. If a feature matters to you, this is where it lives or dies. 😬

💖 Why Subscriptions Actually Matter

Did you know this game began as a dream of mine in 2019? Thanks to an incredible, supportive community like you, that dream has become a reality.

Here’s the simple, unfiltered truth: Subscriptions buy me time. Time to build deeper systems instead of shortcuts. Time to polish instead of rushing. Time to keep this game weird, complex, and unapologetically niche. There’s no publisher safety net here. Just me, the game, and the people who care enough to keep it moving forward.

Every subscription genuinely moves the needle. It brings me closer to covering costs and unlocking even more awesome experiences for you. Together, we’re building something truly special.

A Basic Pass removes the End Week subscription interruptions.

The Ultimate Pass is more like joining the inner circle:

• You get Early Access to major new features while they’re still fresh (like Planned Show Endings),
• You help decide what I build next through Feature Voting,
• You unlock Premium Extras like 1,500+ promo images for your shows,
• And yes — your name lives permanently in the Hall of Fame! 🏆

If you’ve ever thought “I wish this game leaned more into that idea” — this is how you push it there. If you’re enjoying where the game is headed, sticking around as a subscriber right now helps more than you might think — especially during this transition phase.

And whether you are able to support development right now or not, dropping a rating with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on the App Store helps a ton in getting in front of new players… thanks! 😘

That’s all, folks! 🐽 Thanks for sticking with this weird, stubborn, deeply niche TV management game and our community.

Enjoy the holidays! 🎄 See you in 2026 — and until then:

Keep pitching.

Keep producing.

Keep scheduling.

Keep scheming.

And keep owning prime time! 📺🔥

Cheers,
Greg Karpati
Solo Developer // The Guy Behind the Game 👋