The Completionist: 1980-1989 takes you back to the golden age of print in this 80s-inspired sim
Overview & Key Takeaways
Nowadays (unless you're part of the really big publishers), the journalism business looks very different to the 80s. Gone are smoky newsrooms and hunting down leads via payphone, or rows of monitors tuned to CNN and NBC. In this remote working world, you might have your own coffee machine if you're lucky. Whether you're a writer or not, it can seem as if the heyday has passed. And that nostalgia is what The Completionist: 1980-1989 capitalises on. You play as the owner of a pop culture magazine throughout the 80s, covering the biggest news of the decade: from the Challenger disaster to M.A.S.H. hitting its tenth season. ... [MORE]
- The Completionist: 1980-1989 sees you take on the role of a pop-culture mag editor in the 80s
- Cover the biggest headlines of the decade from Challenger to M.A.S.H.
- Keep track of your workflow and choose between fast-paced journalism or award-winning stories
Nowadays (unless you're part of the really big publishers), the journalism business looks very different to the 80s. Gone are smoky newsrooms and hunting down leads via payphone, or rows of monitors tuned to CNN and NBC. In this remote working world, you might have your own coffee machine if you're lucky.
Whether you're a writer or not, it can seem as if the heyday has passed. And that nostalgia is what The Completionist: 1980-1989 capitalises on. You play as the owner of a pop culture magazine throughout the 80s, covering the biggest news of the decade: from the Challenger disaster to M.A.S.H. hitting its tenth season.
To do so, you'll interact with a Commodore-style interface, manage expenditure, team, energy and other facets of your business. You'll keep track of articles and features going from pitch to finished product, using a Kanban workflow method (which I'm sure means something to someone).
Surprisingly, nothing to do with the YouTube channel
Now, if you can't tell, I'm getting some pangs of longing myself. Wouldn't we all like to be working in that fast-paced environment, fuelled by only coffee and doughnuts, and a little bit of MTV? But that is sadly a world that's passed most of us by.
But what The Completionist offers is not just a nostalgic tour of that period, but pitches itself as a genuinely enthralling and interesting game too. So if you're a fan of tycoon-style sims, and the idea of running your own magazine enthrals you, why not check out the Completionist: 1980-1989 on iOS?
Certainly, it's not a bad concept. And if you want to keep up with some other great releases also hitting mobile this year, well, there's only one place to be. Take a look at our list of the best mobile games of 2026 (so far) to see what we think is worth playing.
