The Meter is Running Review Summary

Engaging gameplay with strong Turkish cultural appeal and atmospheric realism, but the experience is too short, suffers from serious optimization issues, and quickly becomes repetitive.

Game is fun and engaging: Many reviewers find the game enjoyable, immersive, and a good way to pass time. The core loop is praised for being well-thought-out and entertaining.

High potential and quality: Reviewers see strong potential in the game, noting it is well-made, high quality, and could make an impact. The concept and mechanics are promising.

Turkish cultural appeal: The game is valued for being Turkish-made, with Turkish names, dialogue, and cultural references. This adds a unique charm for local players.

Realistic and atmospheric: The game is praised for its realism, accurately reflecting 2000s Istanbul and taxi driver chaos. The atmosphere is immersive and well-captured.

Engaging story and scenarios: The story, including the debt premise and multiple endings, is enjoyable. Scenarios are well set up and add to the gameplay experience.

Game is too short: The game's total playtime is consistently described as very short, ranging from 40 minutes to 5 hours, which players feel is insufficient for a full-priced title. The brevity leaves the game feeling incomplete and unsatisfying.

Gameplay becomes repetitive quickly: Players report that the game becomes monotonous and tiring after just 1-3 hours due to a lack of variety. The repetitive nature of the gameplay loop significantly reduces long-term engagement.

Game ends after debt payment: The game abruptly concludes once the player pays off the uncle's debt, with no continuation or story progression afterward. This leaves players feeling the experience is incomplete and unsatisfying.

Game is boring and tedious: The core gameplay is widely criticized as boring, monotonous, and tedious, with many players losing interest shortly after starting. This fundamental flaw undermines the overall experience.

Game limited to 15 days: The game is restricted to a 15-day in-game time limit, after which it ends. This artificial constraint further shortens the experience and limits player freedom.

Taxi station management simulation: The game is a management/simulation title where players run a taxi station, dispatch drivers, and handle customers. It involves managing a taxi business and paying off debt.

Dispatch drivers to customers: Core gameplay involves dispatching taxi drivers to pick up customers on a map, using mouse or key mechanics. Players direct drivers to specific locations and manage their routes.

Random events and scenarios: The game features random events and scenario systems that affect score and reputation, including unusual events like a driver being kidnapped or a customer bringing a python. These add variety and challenge.

Tax system and bankruptcy risk: The game includes a periodic tax mechanic that can take the player's money, potentially leading to bankruptcy. This adds economic pressure and strategic planning.

Driver and customer traits: Both drivers and customers have traits that affect gameplay outcomes, such as debuffs and buffs. These traits influence decision-making and strategy.

Serious optimization issues reported: Multiple reviewers report serious optimization problems, including severe lag, stuttering, and FPS drops, making the game difficult to play. These issues are widespread and affect core gameplay.

FPS drops during exploration: Players experience FPS drops and stuttering while exploring the map, even in performance mode. The map-following feature and browsing driver cards also trigger stuttering.

Severe lag on low settings: The game lags severely even when graphics settings are set to low, and in some cases becomes unplayable. This indicates fundamental performance problems rather than hardware limitations.

Very low frame rates: Some players can barely achieve 15-20 FPS, indicating severe performance bottlenecks. This makes the game nearly unplayable for those affected.

Lag with multiple drivers: Significant FPS drops occur when there are more than 4 taxi drivers, and some lag is experienced with 9 drivers. Performance degrades as the number of in-game entities increases.

Wait for updates before buying: Multiple reviewers advise against purchasing the game in its current state, recommending waiting for updates before deciding to buy. The game is considered not worth buying until it receives fixes.

Game recommended for management fans: Several reviewers recommend the game to fans of the management genre, particularly those who enjoy tension, difficult choices, and economic survival. It is also compared favorably to games like 911 Operator.

Game offers good value: Some reviewers feel the game is a steal for its price and can be bought with peace of mind. The game is considered worth its price by these players.

Avoid e-taxi upgrade system: Reviewers warn against buying or trying the e-taxi upgrade, describing it as useless and causing significant money loss. This feature is considered a poor investment.

Recommended driver and facility setup: One reviewer recommends a specific setup: 7 drivers with particular traits, level 1 tea house, repair shop, washing area, and level 2 parking area. This provides a concrete early-game strategy.

Game completion: 3.5h.

Story completion: 3.0h.

Session length: 5.0h.

Endgame: 12.0h.

The game presents an early learning curve that, once overcome, becomes highly addictive for some players, while others find it immediately boring and hollow. The strongest evidence points to enjoyment arriving after the core loop clicks, though reports conflict.

Friction: overwhelming initial information dump; lack of narrative drive or compelling hook; tedious simulation that feels like real work; static screen gameplay with little interaction.

Unlock drivers: understanding the core gameplay loop; everything starting to click.

Map Realism Enthusiast: Exploratory, casual, detail-oriented. Motivation: Appreciation of realism and technical craft. Stance: buy.

Chill Relaxation Seeker: Casual, laid-back, no rush. Motivation: Stress relief and relaxation. Stance: buy.

Value-Driven Supporter: Not specific, likely casual. Motivation: Supporting indie devs and getting a unique experience at a good price. Stance: buy.

All three Windows VRAM cohorts report severe performance problems, with low FPS and instability dominating the feedback.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. Players report frequent FPS drops and low frame rates (15-20 FPS), with performance cited as a major issue despite recommended status.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: negative. Both reports describe very low frame rates around 15 FPS, indicating poor performance.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: negative. The single report describes barely reaching 15 FPS and frequent crashes, with poor optimization.

Turkish production and cultural appeal: Many reviewers are drawn to the game because it is a Turkish production set in Istanbul, with a story related to Turkish culture. This local connection is a primary reason for playing and supporting the game.

Comparisons to other management games: Players frequently compare the game to titles like Dispatch, Frostpunk, Papers Please, and Game Dev Tycoon, setting expectations for deep mechanics and management gameplay. These comparisons often highlight where the game falls short or meets expectations.

Potential for future improvements: Many reviewers express hope that future updates will improve the game, trusting the developers to address issues and expand content. This sentiment is often tied to the game being seen as a good start or prototype.

Pricing and value concerns: Opinions on the price are mixed; some find the $7 price fair and worth it, while others consider it high for the amount of content offered. The value proposition is a key factor in player satisfaction.

Unique setting and cultural details: The game's setting in Istanbul and inclusion of Turkish cultural elements, such as the Eurasia Tunnel and humorous events, are appreciated. Reviewers suggest adding more cultural visuals like a Van cat, tea, and prayer beads.