Story

• The game takes place in SimValley, which is a small town with a couple stores, some places to eat, and plenty of activities for your sim.
• Initially, you start out living in a barn on your uncle’s farm.
• Since you only know your uncle in SimValley, you will need to go around and make some friends.
• In order to move out of the barn and to advance in the game, you will need to complete a set of goals given to you by your new friends in town.
• Eventually, your sim might even run for Mayor.

Gameplay

• Bustin’ Out still has some very open-ended gameplay.
• Overriding the open gameplay is a set of goals to achieve that will force your sim to gain skills, learn jobs, and to move up in the world.
• You only have to complete the goals to advance in the game, but you can take as long as you want to complete those goals.
• Each goal is a group of related tasks that you can complete in any order you want.
• The tasks are the main focus of the gameplay and can be broken down into their separate parts.
• Tending to your sim’s needs.
• While not a task, you’ll need to keep your sim in a good mood by making sure they have enough fun, sleep, food, rest, and of course, bladder relief, or else they’ll refuse to follow your commands.
• Gaining popularity
• Make friends with other sims by talking to them in a positive way and doing them favors.
• Complete the favor fast enough and you’ll earn some money.
• The more friends you have the higher your popularity will be.
• You won’t be able to converse with other sims if one of your personal needs is too low.
• Friends can be located by calling them from one of the many pay phones scattered throughout SimValley. 
• Unfortunately, by the time you reach the place where the friend was supposed to be, they usually are gone.
• Increasing skills
• Certain objects that you can find or buy allow you to improve your skills
• i.e. playing chess will improve your logic skill.
• You can also increase skills by studying the subject at the library.
• Skills are required to earn job promotions.
• Performing Jobs
• Performing a job entails playing a mini-game.
• Jobs can only be performed between certain hours in a day.
• It’s one of the main ways to make money in the game.
• You can earn promotions by meeting certain skill requirements and by performing well at your job.
• Some of the jobs you can do are:
• Mowing your uncle’s lawn.
• Playing guitar at the local club.
• Fishing at the dock.
• Collecting Items
• Scattered throughout SimValley are a bunch of different items that can be collected and then sold for money.
• Collecting these items is an alternative way of making money if you don’t want to work.
• The town goes through night and day cycles but has no other weather except the occasional rain storm.
• Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that the rain has any obvious effect on the gameplay.
• There are two stores in SimValley where you can buy different items for your home:
• Appliances (Basic models to High End)
• Entertainment Items (TVs, Radios, Fish Tank, Chess Table, etc.)
• Furniture (Couches, Tables, Chairs, Beds, etc.)
• I liked the variety of jobs that you can do and places to live. Each time you complete a new set of goals you get the opportunity for new jobs and places to live.
• I liked the overall gameplay and thought they did a good job at keeping it open while still having a defined structure in place to help you move on if you felt like it.