The Manga Works in IOS

Adventure

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

85/100

Kairosoft has done it again with The Manga Works. If you’ve played their other sims, you’ll feel right at home, but the theme here is particularly special. You start as a struggling artist in a tiny room with nothing but a pen and a dream. The progression from drawing one-shot chapters to getting a serialized anime adaptation is incredibly rewarding.

The game strikes a perfect balance between creative choices—like picking your genre and theme—and the cold, hard reality of the publishing industry (deadlines are no joke!). It’s charming, funny, and surprisingly educational about how the manga world works. Watching your 'Artist' grow their stats while managing their stamina is addictive. It's the perfect 'one more turn' game that fits beautifully into short mobile sessions.

Reviewed on: Thu Mar 21 2024
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

Kairosoft has a formula, and they stick to it. If you’ve played one, you’ve played them all, but The Manga Works fits the theme particularly well. The pressure of deadlines and the search for 'ideas' feels like a legitimate simulation of the industry. It’s clean, it’s pixelated, and it doesn't try to be anything it isn't. I appreciate that it’s a premium game without a hundred microtransactions. It’s a bit repetitive after a few hours, but the core loop is satisfying in a quiet, methodical way.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Charming pixel art
  • Addictive management loop
  • Fair price point
  • Classic Kairosoft repetitiveness
  • Lack of complex end-game content

Technical Report

Performance: Runs perfectly on almost any hardware.

Accessibility:

    Audience Fit

    Buy if: You enjoy management sims and want a relaxing but engaging loop.

    Skip if: You are tired of the Kairosoft pixel-art formula.

    Similar Games:
    • Game Dev Story
    • Anime Studio Story

    Reviewer Context

    • Reviewer: Dinsun - 40yo Male, Conservative scoring
    • Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
    • Playtime: 12 hours
    • Status: Won first major award

    The Game

    Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

    Version 1.40Tue Apr 09 2024

    Fixed minor issues.


    It's the manga artist experience you've been waiting for!

    Create a manga masterpiece and draw your way into the nation's heart.

    Start out as a fledgling manga artist in a small and empty room... Armed with only a single pen, draw the best manga you can and march proudly to the publishers to show off your work.

    Ideas are the lifeblood of a manga artist. Go out in search of inspiration and gather plot points, then stuff your manga full of creativity.

    Accumulate experience points and use them to train up your drawing, storytelling, and other skills.

    When you think you've created a great one-shot, take it to a publisher! If you manage to make the "editor from hell" smile, it might just be the start of a fruitful relationship.

    Produce the best manga the world has ever seen, and write your name down in history!

    * All game progress is stored on your device. Save data cannot be transferred between devices, nor can it be restored after deleting or reinstalling the app.

    Try searching for "Kairosoft" to see all of our games, or visit us at https://kairopark.jp. Be sure to check out both our free-to-play and our paid games!

    Follow kairokun2010 on Twitter for the latest Kairosoft news and information.

    https://twitter.com/kairokun2010


    Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

    It's the manga artist experience you've been waiting for!

    Create a manga masterpiece and draw your way into the nation's heart.

    Start out as a fledgling manga artist in a small and empty room... Armed with only a single pen, draw the best manga you can and march proudly to the publishers to show off your work.

    Ideas are the lifeblood of a manga artist. Go out in search of inspiration and gather plot points, then stuff your manga full of creativity.

    Accumulate experience points and use them to train up your drawing, storytelling, and other skills.

    When you think you've created a great one-shot, take it to a publisher! If you manage to make the "editor from hell" smile, it might just be the start of a fruitful relationship.

    Produce the best manga the world has ever seen, and write your name down in history!

    * All game progress is stored on your device. Save data cannot be transferred between devices, nor can it be restored after deleting or reinstalling the app.

    Try searching for "Kairosoft" to see all of our games, or visit us at https://kairopark.jp. Be sure to check out both our free-to-play and our paid games!

    Follow kairokun2010 on Twitter for the latest Kairosoft news and information.

    https://twitter.com/kairokun2010


    Ratings & Reviews

    4.2 out of 5 with 48 Counts
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★
    ★★★★★
    Age Rating 4+

    Screenshots

    The Manga Works screenshot 1The Manga Works screenshot 2The Manga Works screenshot 3The Manga Works screenshot 4The Manga Works screenshot 5The Manga Works screenshot 6The Manga Works screenshot 7The Manga Works screenshot 8The Manga Works screenshot 9The Manga Works screenshot 10

    In The Manga Works, you step into the shoes of an aspiring manga creator. This management simulation by Kairosoft lets you customize your artist's life, from coming up with plot ideas to managing grueling deadlines. Hunt for inspiration, draw masterpieces, and work your way up from a small apartment to a professional studio. Will you create the next global phenomenon?

    Features

    1

    Classic Kairosoft pixel art charm

    2

    Deep artist stat and skill progression

    3

    Realistic deadline and publishing mechanics

    4

    Unlockable studio upgrades and assistants

    5

    Multiple awards and rankings to conquer

    News on this game

    All 4 Kairosoft 30th Anniversary Game Bundles Now on Steam  Siliconera

    Siliconera - Tue Jun 16 2026

    Mokumokuren’s ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ was Inspired By 2 of the Best Horror Games  FandomWire

    FandomWire - Mon Jul 07 2025

    The Manga Works

    It's the manga artist experience you've been waiting for! Create a manga masterpiece and draw your way into the nation's heart.

    Nintendo - Thu Jun 13 2024

    Splash around with 2 new Kairosoft games on Xbox  TheXboxHub

    TheXboxHub - Thu May 02 2024

    15 best retro games for Android  Android Authority

    Android Authority - Fri Feb 16 2024

    10 Best Kairosoft Games, Ranked

    From game development to piracy on the high seas, Kairosoft have a range of titles to keep you entertained.

    TheGamer - Wed Dec 13 2023

    10 Best Kairosoft Games, Ranked  TheGamer

    TheGamer - Sat Apr 08 2023

    A big, beefy Manga Minis column featuring World Piece, Bofuri, Fist of the North Star, and more!  GamingTrend

    GamingTrend - Thu Apr 29 2021

    REVIEW: ‘Sekiro Side Story: Hanbei the Undying’  But Why Tho?

    But Why Tho? - Sat Aug 08 2020

    Three new demos now available on the Japanese eShop (Mad Rat Dead, OZMAFIA!!-vivace-, and The Manga Works)  GoNintendo

    GoNintendo - Wed Jul 29 2020

    Gameplays

    Q&A

    Initially no, but as you grow your studio and hire assistants, you can manage more complex projects.

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