House Flipper is one of those titles that you just don't expect to be as good as it is. Seriously, play this videogame.

It seems a little silly to gush about a video game that simulates housework but given the added amount of stress and anxiety that has crept into my life lately, House Flipper is a wonderful way to shut out the noise of the world for a little bit.

This house-renovating simulator provides a satisfying sense of progression and realism. Its focus veers away from architectural and interior design, letting handiwork steal the spotlight.

It is a niche title, but it can be a very fun game if you don't mind spending hours remaking houses and decorating them to your heart's content.

House Flipper manages to scratch a specific itch, but it lacks long-term incentives and just generally feels like a missed opportunity. With more content, polish, interactivity, and customization, this could become a nice sleeper hit. It's serviceable as is, but it won't hold your attention for too long.

House Flipper seems like a killer idea for a sim game, and while your first few sales deliver some of the before-and-after magic, the game fails to capture the larger remodeling fantasy. Empyrean has been delivering a steady stream of updates and improvements to House Flipper, but it’ll take a lot more elbow grease to get this fixer-upper ready for market.