Review: Sticky Business Is a Pleasant Creative Outlet

I keep coming back to Sticky Business. I want to experiment with the restrictions to see what designs I can create. It’s like one of those virtual paper doll creators I enjoyed in high school, only with a little bit of a simulation surrounding it. It is a little light on the actual “game” elements, but it’s very good at establishing a cozy, creative vibe.

In Sticky Business, you start with a blank slate. After naming your storefront, something that really doesn’t come up after that, you are plopped into a creator. You can use the “parts,” divided into categories, to make a sticker. There are a handful of sizing options, occasionally you’ll be able to change the color (if you paid for the extra color), you name it, and then you choose if it is a plain one or printed on a special kind of paper. This takes up a certain amount of the “day,” if you are playing on a timed mode. Once you have stickers, you pay coins to print them after placing them on sheets. Orders come in, you fill them, and you ship them out. The downside is, it also doesn’t really explain what some “game” like elements mean. Parts used in the stickers you sell earn experience, but I didn’t really see how that influenced anything.

There isn’t any real “to-do” list. Once you come to the shop for the day, the first order of business is to basically pack any orders that came in. You can add extras like shredded paper grass, decorative tissue paper, or candy, with candy adding a percent increase to the money you earn from that order. You need to head to the mailbox after the whole lot is done. It might be worth printing more of certain stickers you are selling, if your stock is low. Maybe then you upgrade your offerings by increasing space for sticker designs, getting new sticker options, getting new colors, or picking up more sticker backings for the printer. If you run out of things to do or the day ends, you head to bed and wait for it all to start again. You never have any obligation.

There are some optional requests, if you pay attention. Some customers will tell you about their lives and situations when you place orders, but you don’t have to listen. However, even though sometimes some would request I make stickers with a particular subject like rats, they would then… go on to not buy ones with those designs. (To be fair, one who requested a boba tea sticker and another with a “derpy face” did go on to buy that and advance their “storylines.”) But this is largely a situation where there’s no risk and all reward. In Sticky Business you will always earn hearts to acquire new sticker elements or money to expand your options and print more stickers. People will buy your stickers, regardless of the designs.

Now, I realize that might sound a bit harsh. However, this in no way means Sticky Business is bad. I feel it’s more like an outlet than anything. The number of available designs is rather limited. (For example, there are no humans to use in your sticker designs at all, with a lil’ goblin being the only real humanoid figure.) I’d have loved if I could have changed the primary color in all stickers, rather than only some offering the ability to select a different one. But what is there is still pretty ample, and it affords a lit of creativity if you’re willing to play around with elements and styles.

For example, because the color palette is a bit limited, you can work with that to adjust the way elements flow together. As such, I was able to give the goblin the frog part as a face, put a bowl in its hands, and make a lil’ soup gremlin. (It is a very popular design.) The green of the potion liquid, tentacle, and frog head are all so similar that I made an iguana lounging. It’s an incredibly delightful game to play when you feel inspired and like you need to take a minute to breathe, play around with the limited selection, and perhaps come up with something special.

Likewise, the freedom also means you can turn this into a profitable “factory.” The smaller the sticker, the more on the page. Which means the more money you can make from a single sheet. In turn, that means lower costs and more orders. Including a lot of different elements means if someone is keeping track of elements like animals or magic, those are represented.

As such, Sticky Business is genuinely a perfect outlet. While the sticker part options are a bit restricted and I hope DLC or updates add to the library, it’s such a relaxing time sink. I had so much fun setting things up just so, knowing that no matter how it looked my virtual customers would love it. It’s quite a relaxing and validating experience.

Anyways, look at my stickers!

Sticky Business will come to the PC via Steam on July 17, 2023.