News Tower

Players navigate the complex world of journalism during a turbulent historical period, recruiting and managing various newspaper staff while searching for newsworthy stories across the globe. Players must balance journalistic integrity against pressure from influential factions including the mafia, mayor, military and high society figures who may offer rewards for favorable coverage, while designing and optimizing their newspaper headquarters floor by floor and meeting weekly publishing deadlines.

• Title — News Tower • Developer — Sparrow Night • Publisher — Twin Sails Interactive • Platform — * Linux • macOS • Windows • Released — November 18, 2025 • Genre — Management simulation, strategy • Modes — Single-player

News Tower is set in 1930s New York City during the Great Depression and Prohibition era. Players assume the role of a newspaper publisher tasked with building a media empire from a struggling local Brooklyn paper. The game combines elements of tycoon management, resource allocation, and narrative decision-making as players navigate the complex world of journalism during a turbulent historical period. The core gameplay loop involves recruiting and managing various newspaper staff including reporters, photographers, typographers, janitors, advertisers, and lawyers. Players must search for newsworthy stories across the globe, from major historical events like the Great Depression to minor local stories such as missing cats. Each story can be approached from different angles, with players choosing between maintaining journalistic integrity or succumbing to pressure from influential factions including the mafia, mayor, and high society figures who may offer rewards for favorable coverage. The game features a tower-building mechanic where players design and optimize their newspaper headquarters floor by floor, managing everything from printing presses to employee break rooms. Players must balance employee well-being, production efficiency, and meeting weekly publishing deadlines while expanding their readership throughout New York City's various districts.

Sparrow Night was conceived in late 2018 when Jan-Maarten Nachtegeller, who had prior experience in game development, collaborated with Stefan Rijsmus, founder and creative director of Studio Nul, a design, film and technology studio. The partnership officially began in early 2019, with the founders expanding their team to include additional developers and an illustrator to work on their debut project, News Tower. The concept for their flagship title emerged from contemporary media concerns. Nachtegeller explained that inspiration came from observing the relationship between press and public during the 2016 U.S. elections, noting the rise of Fake News discourse and growing skepticism toward traditional news outlets in the Netherlands. The four-person development team based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, chose Early Access as their development approach to incorporate community feedback into the game's evolution. News Tower entered Steam Early Access on February 13, 2024, for PC and Mac platforms. The studio describes its mission as creating games that are "smart, welcoming, and immersive," focusing on engaging gameplay mechanics that combine entertainment with educational elements. The Early Access version spans from 1930 to 1935, with the full release planned to cover the complete decade from 1930 to 1939. Additional features planned for the full version include a competitor system, additional NPC questlines, and an endless mode allowing continued play beyond the campaign timeline. The game fully released on November 18, 2025.