For how widespread Hollywood's influence is on modern culture, there are surprisingly few games that directly address the Entertainment Capital. It's far more common for movies to turn the camera lens around on themselves, which occasionally comes across as a bit self-aggrandizing, but can also act as a strong critique of the film industry and all its pitfalls.
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Video games do this far less often, and it's not entirely clear why. However, it's possible to find some games about Hollywood out there if you know where to look. Many of them are simulators, putting players in the role of a film producer, studio head, or actor. There are some more traditional video games that also visit Tinseltown, though, oftentimes to satirize the movie industry and its excessive glamour.
The Movies
Suit Up, Spielberg
The Movies
- Released
- November 8, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC
Anyone who has searched for games about making movies has probably been directed towards The Movies at some point. It's 20 years old at this point, but it remains one of the best movie studio simulators ever made thanks to its engaging Sims-like elements. This isn't just a game about making movies; it's a game about building a movie studio from the ground up.
Balancing your lot is key to having the most success. Sure, building new sets is important because those unlock new scenes that you can put your actors in, but it's also important to have things like snack stands to keep your actors happy while they're working. Movies are crafted by selecting a handful of scenes and stitching them together to create a story. Then, the critics will give the film a review, your studio will make some box office revenue, and hopefully, it's enough to fund your next movie. The game's criteria for what makes a "good" movie are a bit vague, but it's still fun to experiment.
LA Noire
It's A Bad Town, Cole
LA Noire
- Released
- May 17, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
There's a lot more going on in LA Noire than just "Hollywood," but given that it's set at the advent of the golden age of filmmaking, both Hollywood, the place, and Hollywood, the celebrity community play a big role in Cole Phelps' rise through the ranks of the LAPD. In fact, the presence of Tinseltown is palpable almost from the start.
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While Cole is still working the Traffic beat, he is assigned to a high-speed accident involving a B-movie actress named June Ballard. However, the Hollywood influence really kicks in when Cole is promoted to the Vice desk of the Hollywood Police Station. Here, the cases he takes on are exclusively set in Hollywood, and it's when LA Noire fully embraces its Los Angeles setting.
Hollywood Animal
Whatever It Takes To Get This Movie Made
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Platforms |
PC, macOS |
|---|---|
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Released |
April 10, 2025 |
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Developer |
Weappy Wholesome |
|
Genre |
Simulation |
There are some similarities between The Movies and Hollywood Animal, but this is a much darker take on the movie industry. Yes, you still build up your studio, make movies, deal with unruly stars, and manage a budget, but there's a lot more going on behind the scenes that make this interpretation of Hollywood more insidious.
You'll also be dealing with societal upheaval brought about by war and struggle. Do you exploit those topics, or ignore them? You may get a visit from the mafia, or deal with an actor who shared some racist opinions in public. Hollywood Animal is still in Early Access, but the plan going forward is to add simulations for every era of Hollywood, which may result in one of the most robust movie-making simulators on the market.
The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon
A Day At The Office
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Platforms |
PC, macOS |
|---|---|
|
Released |
May 16, 2024 |
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Developer |
Aniki Games |
|
Genre |
Office Simulator |
For fans of Game Dev Tycoon or Office Management 101 who are looking to add a bit more glitz and glam to their office sim gaming, The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon is the place to go. You start your studio in the 1970s and try to build it up into an international success. You choose a genre, pick a director and lead actor, and then produce your movie, releasing it at the best time of year to become a hit.
Anyone familiar with games like Game Dev Tycoon will know just how addictive this simple gameplay loop can become. The Executive is no different. It's a $15 game that offers a ton of replay value and is perfect for a long flight or whipping up a quick movie on your coffee break.
Dead Island 2
These Zombies Are... Kind Of Full Of Themselves
Dead Island 2
- Released
- April 21, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Dambuster Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Sure, the main focus of Dead Island 2 is obviously zombies: smashing them, burning them, electrocuting them, cutting them up. You get the gist, but whatever you do, don't discount its setting: a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles loaded with the undead. All of LA is represented to some degree, and Hollywood is no exception.
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You'll deal with a handful of former celebrities-turned-slayers, including an actress, an influencer, and a rap star, among others. While these characters aren't playable, they are absolutely products of the pre-apocalypse Hollywood elite. Then there are the undead themselves. They may not be, you know, "characters," but the environmental storytelling of where you find them, how they were dressed when they died, and even the weapons they wield will say a lot. If you stumble upon a lady zombie wearing an elegant dress in a Beverly Hills mansion... Well, you do the math.
Hollywood Visionary
Text-Based Production
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Platforms |
PC, macOS, Linux, Android |
|---|---|
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Released |
May 1, 2015 |
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Developer |
Choice of Games |
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Genre |
RPG |
Stepping away from the strategy/simulator genre and taking a purely narrative focus, Hollywood Visionary is about as "text-based" as a game can get. If the screenshots above don't drive it home, this game is made entirely of text; no animations, no sound effects, just the narrative and how you interact with it.
The devs describe Hollywood Visionary as a 150,000-word interactive novel, but there's a little bit more to it than that. Much like any visual novel, your choices throughout will influence the way events take place. While there aren't any animations, the game's excellent world-building does wonders to compensate. Hollywood Visionary is set in the 1950s, and during your journey to the top, you'll rub shoulders with Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Garbo, and more. With five endings to work towards, this wordy Hollywood narrative has plenty to offer in place of fancy visuals.
The Sims 4: Get Famous DLC
From Sim To Celebrity
The Sims 4
- Released
- September 2, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Maxis
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
There are plenty of expansions available for The Sims 4, but if you want your Sims to become a legendary actor or actress, then the Get Famous DLC is what you're looking for. While the new area in the DLC is called Del Sol Valley, there's no mistaking the real-world inspiration for it.
The Get Famous DLC introduces a stat called "Fame," which determines how successful your Sims are in pursuing their career in the spotlight. Specific interactions and career choices will influence how much Fame a Sim accrues, while their Reputation will determine how other Sims react to them in the world.
Hollywood Mogul 4
Like Football Manager, But For Movies
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Platforms |
PC |
|---|---|
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Released |
April 22, 2025 |
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Developer |
HMdesigner |
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Genre |
Strategy, Simulator |
If you'd rather look at spreadsheets, numbers, and graphs than actually witness your movies come to life, Hollywood Mogul 4 is the game for you. This is a game for fans of Football Manager who want to dig into the movie-making business, because it is far more focused on statistics than visual flair.
The concept is similar to other games on this list: you start up your own movie studio and attempt to guide it through the years until it's a major name in Hollywood. The main difference is that you'll do so by micromanaging everything from budgets to crew to location scouting, with little more to look at than numbers and words on a chart. To be honest, it's the most detailed filmmaking simulator on the market right now, but it's so detailed that it will only appeal to a particular section of players. However, for those gamers, Hollywood Mogul 4 is the Holy Grail of film production sims.
Blockbuster Inc.
The Movies, Modernized
Blockbuster Inc.
- Released
- June 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Super Sly Fox
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Strategy, Casual
Fans of The Movies have been clamoring for a remake, remaster, or sequel for a long time. That game was originally released in 2005, so those calls have been going out for at least a decade, and probably longer. While it's not quite a direct follow-up, the best example of a modern take on The Movies is absolutely Blockbuster Inc.
The systems are all there: build your studio, construct sets, hire actors, and shoot movies by choosing scenes and stitching them together to make a short story. Where Blockbuster Inc. Excels is in the added depth in all of those systems. You don't just choose shots for your movies; you can actually control camera movement. You don't just hire actors; you can customize their look and costumes. Once filming is done, you can make decisions on things like sound design, special effects, and more. All this while also designing and building up your studio. While it's not The Movies 2, it's an excellent and worthy substitute.
Manhunt
Subtly Gratuitous
Manhunt
- Released
- November 18, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
Make no mistake: behind all the violence, gore, and gratuity, Manhunt is absolutely a critique of Hollywood, content consumption, and sensationalism. It may be 22 years old, but this is a game with themes that still ring true today, some even more so than back in 2003. James Earl Cash awakens in Carcer City after his death row execution was faked. With a man known only as The Director in his ear, James must earn his freedom by killing Hunters, gang members who are out to kill him. The catch? It's all being recorded on CCTV cameras for an audience of sick viewers who love watching violence play out.
While it is primarily a stealth game, Manhunt is notoriously violent and visceral. That directly plays into the "game show" element, where viewers are expecting Cash to commit violent murders to satisfy their live snuff film cravings. The commentary on filmmaking isn't hard to identify, but it's the other themes that truly tie Rockstar's cult hit to Hollywood. How far would you go to get what you want? What's the violence limit on the content you will watch? Does the line between reality and entertainment matter? These are questions that are answered in a variety of ways by Hollywood producers all the time. Manhunt simply takes them to their most extreme conclusions.
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