When I saw Hotel Galactic pop up during Steam Next Fest, I knew I had to give the demo a go. In Hotel Galactic, you’re in charge of flipping this rundown hotel into a must-visit travel destination. And who wouldn’t want to visit this world with anime nostalgia, spirits, and magic?
The game proudly states it isn’t made with AI, and once you see the cinematic intro, you’ll understand why. The scene channels Spirited Away, showing a grand bathhouse, workers scrubbing the floors, and even a Howl’s Moving Castle-style boat floating across the sky. But while the inspiration is clear, Hotel Galactic has its own charm, with character designs and environments that feel unique rather than derivative.
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I started on the Steam Deck, but quickly realised the intricate, miniature-style visuals were better suited for PC. You’ll do a lot of clicking — this game leans heavily into its Sims-inspired, point-and-click style. You assign objectives to your hotel crew, speed up time, and wait for things to happen. Early on, it feels almost idle-game adjacent, especially when staff are slowly waddling between floors. Fortunately, you can prioritise tasks to stop your staff from spending five minutes cleaning a hallway.
You’ll expand your hotel by building new rooms, farming for materials, and crafting furniture to spruce things up. Item placement can be a bit fiddly though — there’s no camera rotation, so you’re mostly placing and praying.
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When my guests arrive, I realise I didn’t build enough rooms for all of them as I was only instructed to build one. I scrambled to fix it, but they bailed. Rats.
You’re also in charge of meal planning and cooking for your guests, though mine never made it to the dining room. Not sure if I missed a step or they just weren’t hungry. I also couldn’t figure out how to cancel some actions, which led to a bit of chaos.
It was here where the demo ended for me as I couldn’t progress further — possibly a bug or just the end of the demo. Either way, I had a lovely time. Hotel Galactic has the makings of a cosy, whimsical hotel sim with serious animated charm.
You can wishlist it on Steam and try the demo now. The full game launches July 25th, so not long to wait now!
