Step back to 1990, where you find yourself starting a pop culture magazine from scratch. Your zine has no readers, just a GeoCities page that barely works. You have a 14.4 modem and just enough money for one print run. You’ll need to hire writers, editors, and researchers to help you create stories about the movies, music, games, and news from the 90s.

As you build your magazine, you'll move work through a Kanban workflow. This lets you see your projects go from pitch to published in a clear way. Watch your operation grow from photocopied retro zines at Kinko’s into a real media company. Imagine having a .com domain with a homepage that loads in under eight seconds.

Your choices matter as you make decisions along the way. Do you hire specialists or generalists? Will you set tight deadlines for bonus pay, or take your time for a 5-star quality? You can choose to spend quickly and keep things moving or invest in nice equipment like iMacs and Aeron chairs. Each run will challenge you in new ways, asking different questions about your strategy.

The game has a Windows 95 aesthetic, filled with beveled chrome, tiled wallpapers, and familiar system fonts. It reminds you of running Netscape Navigator on your parents' old Compaq computer, and it does so in a fun, nostalgic way.

As you progress, you’ll unlock in-game achievements that pay homage to the 90s. You might encounter random events while playing, which can alter your revenue stream mid-run. These event multipliers can help or hinder your magazine’s success.

Keep an eye out for Easter eggs as well. Can you find the flying toast or the famous Konami input code? Perhaps you’ll spot the dial-up modem that takes you back in time.

Taking your magazine public is exciting too. You get to experience company IPO mechanics and take a chance at the big time. But be careful—if your stock tanks, it could lead to failure.

Your magazine will be shaped by thousands of 1990s headlines, including the opening weekend of Jurassic Park and Nirvana knocking Michael Jackson off the top of the charts. Remember the O.J. trial and the excitement around Pokémon? These details contribute to the multimedia storytelling experience of your game.

The Kanban workflow will guide your process. You will research, draft, create, edit, and publish stories while managing them like a project manager who enjoys Radiohead. You’ll also build your editorial team, with creators writing, editors catching typos, and researchers breaking leads. Managing Editors will be vital in keeping the whole operation from falling apart.

As you complete each Volume of your magazine, you can earn legacy points through a prestige system. Hitting $500K allows you to start the next run with permanent upgrades, which can shift your strategy in new directions. You might choose a revenue boost or an inflation shield, a quality boost, or even fast learners for your team. Each path leads to different opportunities.

You can also take advantage of temporary speed boosts, powered by things like Frappuccinos, Surge soda, and Snapple. These consumables give you a little push when you need it most. Have a Bull Terrier on hand for permanent motivation or even consider upgrading from your slow dial-up to a T1 line for faster access.

Watch your magazine undergo a digital publication evolution. You’ll see the shift from paste-up zines to a full online presence, mirroring the decade’s incredible changes.

This game is part idle, part strategy, and part management simulation. There are no ads or energy gates, just one optional speed boost for those who want it.

The first Volume helps you learn the ropes. With Volumes 2 through 10, you’ll discover what kind of editor you truly are in this interactive narrative game, all while crafting a legacy in the world of journalism influenced by the 1990s.