Developer: nikukyu (Published by 072 Project)
Genre: Management Sim
Reviewed version: Final
Censored: No, except for the DLSite version
Patch Needed: No
OS: Windows
Language: English, Japanese, and Chinese
Idol Cultivation Process: Unspoken Rules is a management sim game in which we play as a freshly-hired producer who finds out that the idol agency that hired him is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the only way to prevent it is by turning the only idol in the agency, the rookie Humino Yumesaki, into a superstar in 30 weeks.
The plot is decent and focuses on the interactions between the main character and Yumesaki as they bond during the game's events. Sadly, the text has some misplaced line breaks and stilted sentences that make the dialogues a bit harder to read, though you can still understand what they say.
I liked it gameplay-wise. It's a management game in which you train Yumesaki in four different areas to reach the requisites to succeed in each event while keeping an eye on her stamina so she doesn't get injured. Training her frequently in one aspect gives you an even higher gain after a while, plus being lucky enough to score a perfect result in a session increases your stats even more. Moreover, you can spend a day working part-time to get extra money to buy clothes and accessories that increase the idol's stats. It can get a bit monotonous after a while if you're not into this kind of management game, and the game's reliance on RNG makes it way too tempting to save scum to get perfect scores.
As for the visuals, I have a soft spot for Nikukyu's art style, so it's no surprise I liked the game's art. Yumesaki's design is beautiful and different from the typical cookie-cutter design idols have in most eroge. The colors aren't as vibrant as in Unyielding Succubus Princess of Arrogance, but the subdued tones blend nicely with the backgrounds. The sex scenes are also nicely drawn, but they are few and far between, with most of them being featured when training Yumesaki's charm stat.
Verdict: Fun
While it's not perfect, Idol Cultivation Process: Unspoken Rules is an entertaining management sim game with solid gameplay and pretty art. Sure, it doesn't have many sex scenes, but you're bound to enjoy it as much as I did if that's not a problem for you.