Kim Kardashian: Hollywood was just shy of its 10th anniversary when publisher Electronic Arts shuttered the popular mobile fashion game in April. A small but dedicated community was devastated: for ten years they had invested time and money in the game. After the announcement of Kim Kardashian: HollywoodAfter the game closed, gamers immediately started looking for something new.
Months after the server shutdown, there may be a contender: Influencer Story: Become Famous from Hong Kong-based mobile developer Mars-Game. The most immediate similarity is the art style, which is seemingly influenced by the stylized characters Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.
Influencer Story: Become Famous starts off more like one of those absurd mobile game ads: you’re kicked to the curb, makeup dripping off your face, after you encounter your friend in bed with a hotter, more popular influencer. From there you will become famous as an influencer after meeting an agent and working your way through photo shoots, parties and dates. Just like in the Kardashian game, you tap bubbles to work your way through these experiences – a bubble to change positions or have a drink with your agent, for example.
Influencer Story: Become Famous also seems to draw some inspiration from e.g Love Nikki with fashion challenges where you have to create outfits with a certain theme: cute, chic, trendy, modern, elegant. Items of clothing are tagged with these descriptions, and you have to put together outfits to collect points in the correct categories, making the game a little more complicated than Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.
But while Kim Kardashian: Hollywood‘s writing felt self-conscious, Influencer Story: Become Famous not – it’s a bit cringe-worthy and self-serious, while Glu Mobile’s writing team played up its exuberance and imagination. Influencer Story: Become Famous lacks diversity regarding gender, skin color and body type, as well as the clothing options available. There is an energy system with a premium currency that you can buy with real money and earn in small amounts in the game. It wasn’t much of an obstacle in the early game, but I can see it becoming more and more of an issue – having to pay for new, better clothing options – as I continue to play. Kim Kardashian: Hollywood also had issues with body diversity and pay-to-play accusations, but I never felt the need to spend a single cent; I was able to unlock plenty just by playing.
If you’re desperate for a replacement for Kim Kardashian: Hollywood‘s fashion options and the story of the rise to fame, Influencer Story: Become Famous is good enough. It’s also a lot a lot of earlier in its development and lifespan than the Kardashian game, meaning there’s a lot of room to evolve. Influencer Story: Become Famous has been out for a few months on Android and just a few days on iOS devices, with regular updates and storylines expected, as is common with these types of games.
Influencer Story: Become Famous is available to play on Android and iOS devices.