‘Sports Renovations’ Takes the Familiar ‘House Flipper’ Formula and Makes It Much More Macho (Review)

If you’ve seen any of my writing in the past, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of House Flipper 2. And if this is your first time seeing my writing; hello there! I’m a big fan of House Flipper 2. That’s why, when the opportunity to check out Sports Renovations came my way, I was excited beyond words to check it out. While some parts of the game suffer from those “first game” woes, I found Sports Renovations to be just as relaxing and even more exciting than what one of my favorite games could offer. And that’s a high bar to clear.

Lather, Rinse, and Repeat in ‘Sports Renovations’, but Make It ”Cool”

The basic premise of Sports Renovations is simple; it’s our job to renovate an abandoned Arena, home of the GOATS. To do this, we’re going to need money, and we need it quickly. We only have a total of 160 days before the Grand Opening, and what better way to get some cash (and some experience) than by fixing up other Gyms in the immediate area? From a humble boxing gym to countless other sports-themed areas, it’s our job to clean things up and get them looking presentable once again.

It’s a simple story, but one that works here. To be honest, I don’t think anyone here is going to be buying Sports Renovations expecting an Oscar-worthy plot along the way. We want to clean, reorganize, and make things look good. In style, none the less. I was given a few simple tools to start: a broom, a hammer, a set of garbage bags, and a pressure washer. I was then sent on my way to start cleaning. Roughly halfway through my first mission, however, things went amuck. My pressure washer randomly broke, leaving me with nothing more than a humble sponge. Determined, I scrubbed the grime from the walls and kept on trucking forward.

Smash and Crash Our Way to Victory

Even compared to the contemporary giants of this type of game, Sports Renovations did a few things differently. Rather than needing to upgrade my skills to pick up all the trash in an area at once, it allowed me to do that from the start. Instead of just selling off things I didn’t need? I got to bash them apart with a hammer, with satisfying physics that kept things from feeling too similar. It was a great stress relief, to be quite honest, and kept me interested as I continued on my journey.

While the Plot Is So-So, There’s a Surprising Amount of Lore in ‘Sports Renovations’

As I continued working my way through each of the locations in Sports Renovations, I was genuinely surprised to see how rich the surrounding portions of the world were. Each of the locations had small hidden items scattered throughout them. Finding them would prompt a character to pop up on the screen, telling me more about why that particular item was important to them. Something like the pair of boxing gloves, for example; they belonged to the former owner of the gym that I was working on. They were hidden away inside of a box, likely never to be seen again until I discovered them.

Little moments like this help the repetition of doing something like cleaning up a gym feel more “worth it” at the end of the day. Sure, we’re getting a paycheck while we’re doing it. But learning these interesting tidbits helps the world feel more alive, and it’s better for it. Speaking of working on the job, the basics are all fundamentally great. Picking up trash is a breeze, and our helpful “Builder Vision” makes finding stragglers much easier. Pair that with our seemingly superhuman strength to destroy a locker in three swings of a hammer, and we’re on easy street.

Some parts, however, did feel a little drawn out and repetitious. Getting rid of larger objects, such as big barrels and even car jacks, required us to run back and forth to the dumpster. Compared to other games, this did take a bit longer than I would have liked it to. But at the same time, the added realism is appreciated.

‘Sports Renovations’ Appreciates Our Time and Makes Some of the More Time-Intensive Tasks Easier

Ironically, I write this headline. Especially after talking about how doing things like tossing out bigger pieces of trash takes longer than expected. But Sports Renovations knows when to save time when it’s needed. Painting a wall, for example, can be drastically sped up after painting 50% of an area. A simple button tap fills in the remaining space, making it easier to finish up a job than ever before. The less time I have to hear the awful noise the paintbrush makes, the better in my eyes. And my ears, to be honest.

The music in Sports Renovations is your typical simulator fare. Positive beats keep the action flowing, and everything feels good. Some of the voice acting here is a little shaky, but once again, we know what we’re getting into. But the sounds of some of the tools make my skin crawl. I know that’s likely a “Me” thing, but the paintbrush makes me feel physically ill. My wife, on the same side of the coin, was in the same boat about the sound effects here. One sound out of so many isn’t so bad, but it’s so loud that it can be distracting at times.

On a functioning level, however, the tools all work as expected. Painting and scrubbing can be a little goofy at times, as I could stand back and use the paint brush from a long distance away and still cover a massive part of the wall. But it helped me complete plenty of jobs quickly, so I was content using the jankiness to my advantage in this situation.

A Few Blemishes on the Surface Can’t Ruin the Fun That Waits Underneath

Sports Renovations is a valiant attempt at making a sports-themed “Flipper” game, and it has more good than bad. Some parts of the experience are, admittedly, a little frustrating to get used to. Painting, in particular, is a bit of a sore spot. But, as with any successful franchise, the first year is always the one that has the most woes, and it can only get better from here. As I continued to build up my tools and get better items, I began having more fun.

All in all, I had a genuinely good time with Sports Renovations, and after a few updates, I think it’ll be ready to claim a spot on the podium with other games in the same genre. It’s so close at this point, and if it continues to push harder, it’ll make it into the grandstands for an amazing finale.

Verdict: Recommended

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Sports Renovations will be available on March 27, 2025, on PC. Sports Renovations will release on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 at a later date. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.