A PhD Simulator - Publish & Perish is a single-player simulation RPG that places players in the role of a biology PhD student navigating the daily realities of graduate school. The game blends casual simulation elements with RPG-style progression as players select a research field, conduct experiments, manage personal needs, and pursue publication to complete a thesis. Developed for PC, it draws directly from the experiences of biologists to present a satirical yet grounded view of academic life, including its repetitive tasks and potential setbacks.
Gameplay
Core gameplay revolves around balancing laboratory work with personal maintenance. Players choose among cancer biology, evolution, or structural biology at the start, each presenting distinct challenges and opportunities for data collection. Experiments form the central activity, where outcomes can succeed or fail, requiring players to gather results, create figures, and compile a thesis over time. Resources such as hunger, sleep, and sanity must be tracked carefully, as neglect leads to burnout as one possible conclusion.
Relationships add another layer, with the advisor's approval, interactions with labmates, and risks like being scooped by competitors influencing progress. The publishing process mirrors real academic cycles through writing, submission, rejection, revision, and resubmission steps, incorporating elements like predatory journals. Humor appears in deadpan, research-specific observations drawn from actual PhD experiences, emphasizing the frustrations and routines without exaggeration.
Game Modes
The experience operates as a single-player simulation without separate multiplayer or competitive modes. Progression occurs through repeated cycles of experimentation, resource management, and publication attempts, leading to multiple distinct endings based on choices made throughout the run. These endings vary according to how players handle experiments, relationships, and personal balance rather than following a single win or lose path.
Key Mechanics and Features
Experimentation serves as the primary loop, where failed attempts contribute to the realistic pace of research. Thesis building requires accumulating sufficient data and figures while navigating rejections in the submission process. Resource management integrates hunger, sleep, and sanity as depletable elements that affect overall performance and can trigger specific outcomes like burnout. Relationship dynamics with advisors and labmates introduce variables that impact opportunities and risks, including the threat of being scooped on research findings.
The game incorporates the full publishing cycle as a core system, complete with revisions and options involving less reputable outlets. Several endings emerge from different combinations of these systems, rewarding varied approaches to the simulation. The satirical tone highlights repetitive elements of grad school in an accelerated format while maintaining research accuracy in its details.
Is It Worth Playing?
This title targets players interested in a simulation that reflects the actual structure of a biology PhD program rather than idealized versions. Its single-player format suits those who enjoy managing interconnected systems of work, health, and social factors over multiple playthroughs to explore different endings. The inclusion of failure states and the publishing grind provides a focused experience for anyone curious about academic routines presented through satire.
With a planned release in August 2026 and no user reviews available at this stage, reception remains undetermined. The game stands as an independent project from developers with direct research backgrounds, emphasizing authenticity in its mechanics. It appeals most to those seeking a casual yet detailed simulation of grad school challenges without requiring prior knowledge of the field.