Open Wheel Manager 2

I often play F1 Manager and find myself looking for a more in-depth F1 management game. Since this game has less emphasis on visuals, I hoped it would offer a deeper management experience than the F1 Manager series. But, it turns out to be much shallower, as you have less control over almost everything.

Let meg get this straight: The core of the game is superb, it brings back the best memories of the Grand Prix World era, and more. However, the game just feels unfinished. There are things that don't matter at all, R&D is very simplistic and too easy to master. Sponsors are way too easy to obtain after the first couple of seasons. You can build even a backmaker team into a world beater in a few seasons. There is no movement between the disciplines, meaning that a team will never disappear from the grid, even if it's seconds slower than anyone else. Again, the core of the game is great, and for the first playthrough, it felt awesome to build up my own team into WDC/WCC. This could have been such an awesome game! But the developer moved on, having way too many ideas in his head to squeeze it into this game, and started working on that one. So I would suggest to skip this one, and prepare for that one.

Cannot recommend at all in comparison to Motorsport Manager. MM has lots of QoL that make it bearable to play while OWM2 feels like half-baked, not to mention the last major update was 7 months ago, with no word from the developer. There is no way to learn how to play the game other than niche steam guides.

Open Wheel Manager 2 is a methodical, systems-driven motorsport management game that places long-term strategy and careful planning far above spectacle or moment-to-moment racing thrills. Developed by Paprikash Games and published by MicroProse Software, the title positions itself as a deliberate throwback to classic management sims, particularly those rooted in the late-1990s era of open-wheel racing. Rather than attempting to recreate the sensory excitement of race day, the game is firmly focused on what happens behind the scenes: budgets, contracts, development pipelines, and the slow, often unforgiving climb from midfield obscurity to championship contention. From the beginning, Open Wheel Manager 2 makes it clear that you are not a driver or tactician glued to every lap, but a team principal responsible for the entire ecosystem of a racing outfit. Nearly every meaningful decision happens off the track, from hiring drivers and engineers to choosing engine suppliers and negotiating sponsorship deals. The game excels at conveying how interconnected these choices are, as short-term financial gains can easily undermine long-term competitiveness if development or staff growth is ne…

Tyre strategy is bonkers, speacilly when it comes to wet weather. This makes weather changes during races just an aesthetic feature. This and other stuff has been reported on the game's foruns, but developer doesn't seem to care enough to respond posts regarding those issues. Shame on him, this game could have been a true gem, but instead is just a waste of time, unfortunately.

Michael Krombacher. In the lead! I was hoping to love this game after enjoying MM and F1M games previously. Unfortunately it's a bit of a lite version in all regards. I wasn't expecting top end visuals but the management elements are a little basic. Signing contracts is a lottery at best. I lost all my good staff without really understanding the reasons. On the other hand the best engine supplier rejected my offer, but I was still able to sign them for some reason. Financials don't make sense either. I had no idea how to balance the books. Lost 100m in my first season. Hoping there might be some reward at the end of the season like in MM, but which never came. When I figured out how most of the mechanics worked there's sadly not much depth to the game. It's very easy to completely ruin the next year's car as you have no idea when to begin development. I was sitting with a calculator trying to work out how many weeks were left in the year and still somehow got it wrong. Maybe the game would be more enjoyable with a reworked UI and development mechanics. The help icon is terrible, the pop up is often hidden behind the screen it's trying to explain. The help button then disappe…