We first reported on indie publisher Flynn’s Arcade’s latest release, Boardwalk Builders, last month, and since then, we’ve had the chance to get our hands on the game, and, thus, the chance to build our very own boardwalk.
We were first drawn to Boardwalk Builders due to its beautifully colorful pixel art graphics, and the game certainly doesn’t disappoint on this front, bringing to mind Bullfrog’s 1994 classic Theme Park, which would appear to be an influence on Boardwalk Builders. The game’s interface is clear and easy to understand, and seeing masses of tiny people wandering around your boardwalk is utterly charming. The in-game music, too, creates the kind of relaxed, chilled vibe that you’d hope to find when strolling along a beachfront boardwalk.
So then, Boardwalk Builders certainly looks and sounds the part, for sure, but how does it play?
As in the aforementioned Theme Park, in Boardwalk Builders you can build a selection of eateries, rides, and shops, adjusting certain criteria of each, in order to make more profit, but the game’s cleverest and perhaps most rewarding mechanic is that you can combine attractions of the same type together in order to create larger attractions, and thus, earn larger profits, and as you play the game, claiming each upgrade that you’ve earned is a particularly rewarding and satisfying aspect of the gameplay loop.
On the whole, Boardwalk Builders is a charmingly made cosy business sim, that offers a chilled, relaxing experience that’s in a relatively niche, but very accessible genre that’s often found on mobile devices, and therefore, Boardwalk Builders therefore feels particularly suited to the Nintendo Switch’s handheld mode, making Boardwalk Builders the ideal game to chill out to with something undemanding on the TV in the background, or to pass the time on a long journey, or perhaps even during your lunch break.
And don’t worry about the game being too complex, it interface is easy to use, and the game is easy to play, with a short and enjoyable tutorial to guide you through all the menus and intricacies of the game.
And if you enjoyed the likes of Theme Park back in the day, or even if you’re a fan of modern casual 2D pixel art titles such as Stardew Valley, then we’re sure you’ll also find entertainment in building your own boardwalk in Boardwalk Builders, because, with Boardwalk Builders, the game’s developer, Studio Primitive, really has made the video game equivalent of taking a relaxing stroll along a seaside boardwalk.
Boardwalk Builders has been developed by Studio Primitive, and it was originally released on Steam back in May this year, then this new Nintendo Switch version of the game was released by Flynn’s Arcade on September 24th, 2026, priced at just $7.99 USD or local equivalent.
