Performance Overview
I was not expecting Hotel Renovator to run as well as it does. Out the box there’s no controller support to speak of, and with most newly-released games that don’t have a grading, the expectation of solid gameplay isn’t a given.
What’s impressive is Hotel Renovator manages to do the impossible: In-game framerates are very kind and the keyboard template works flawlessly on Steam Deck.
In terms of specifics, framerates constantly move between the low 30s and high 40s. The catch, though, is that it’s rarely felt in a way that hinders gameplay. When Hotel Renovator first loads, you will be running at around two frames per second. But leave it running for 10 seconds and all these wrongs right themselves. Why can’t all games be like this?
Running Hotel Renovator on high settings isn’t recommended at moment. The game stuns, but there’s simply too much going on visually to run it smoothly. Stick with my settings below and you’ll have a mix of gorgeous graphics and mostly smooth gameplay.
As with most games that aren’t fully optimized for the Steam Deck, the GPU is being pushed a little too hard and temperatures are a little high. Of course, this is something that only Valve or the developers can fix, but it’s something to be aware of nonetheless. That said, I’ve only suffered one crash during my playtime and that didn’t appear to be linked to either of those issues. Smooth sailing so far, then.
Recommend Settings
The Hotel Renovator on Steam Deck settings below are designed to offer up the most stable framerate as is possible. Expect to see the frame counter fluctuate constantly, but for the most part, you won’t feel it.
I averaged around 40 frames with these settings, with drops into the low 30s and increases up to the high 40s happening often. Any drops often result in the game rectifying any issues quickly, though, so it’s all good.
One thing that is worth taking note of is the change in the controller scheme. By default, the game loads with the keyboard template activated. This makes sense as there’s no controller support yet, and it works well on the Deck. The only change I’d recommend is changing the ‘R’ binding to ‘Q’.
‘R’ is mapped to the ‘X’ button on Steam Deck and isn’t as useful as having ‘Q’ in its place. Here’s the logic: ‘Q’ is used for rotating items in the opposite direction to the ‘B’ button. So by mapping ‘Q’ instead of ‘R’, ‘X’ and ‘B’ become your rotate buttons.
It’s a small fix for sure, but it makes playing Hotel Renovator much more intuitive.
| Hotel Renovator (In-game Settings) | |
| Quality Preset | Custom |
| Textures | Medium |
| Anti-Aliasing Method | TAA |
| Anti-Aliasing Quality | Medium |
| Effects | Low |
| Shadows | Medium |
| Motion Blur | Off |
| Screen Space Reflections | Off |
| Resolution Scale | 100& |
| Controller Support | |
| Controller Layout | Keyboard (WASD) and Mouse |
| Changes Needed | Swap R with Q |
| Steam Deck Settings (Quick Access Menu) | |
| TDP: 10 (40) | Estimated Battery Life: 90 Minutes |
| Docked Mode Resolution: 1280×700 | FSR: ON (Docked Mode) |
| GPU Usage: 98% | Temperature: 69 degrees |
| Extra Info | |
| Fills the Entire Steam Deck Screen | Yes |
| Valve Grading | Unknown |
| Performance Rating: 3/5 | |
Bugs and Issues
Frames will drop when you demolish wallpaper, flooring, and ceiling panels. That’s because instead of taking off each piece at a time, Hotel Renovator lets the player charge up their tool and unleash a massive whack that obliterates multiple panels at once. This results in a firework of debris that is sure to cause a momentary drop.
Elsewhere, I’ve also suffered one crash and when canceling a section of wall I’d attempted to paint, instead of it reverting to its original form, it can become textureless.
So far, though, nothing has gotten in the way of me enjoying my time with Hotel Renovator.
Games Like Hotel Renovator
- House Flipper
- The Sims
- Animal Crossing
- Two Point Hospital
- PT
Verdict
What’s the difference between a clone and something that takes inspiration? A clone will copy and bring all the bad ideas with it, whereas inspiration builds upon solid foundations.
Hotel Renovator is very similar to House Flipper – pick a room, jazz it up, maybe take out your anger on some unsuspecting walls like an angry gremlin. It’s the same premise, but Hotel Renovator evolves the formula by making gameplay flow more naturally and letting players speed up the act of demolition while keeping the satisfying feeling of smashing stuff.
If you liked House Flipper, you’ll love Hotel Renovator. Visually it stuns, and it gets the gameplay of home renovation just right.
Plus it runs really well on Steam Deck despite not being designed for the console. Honestly, what more could you ask for?
Disclosure: Review code provided by PR. | All screenshots captured on Steam Deck.| To learn more about our review policy click here. | Alternatively, click here to find out why you can trust me.
