Discounty is one of those Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon types of games that will either shine or fail. If you love the genre, you will adore the slow action and the daily grind. Furthermore, there are some nice villagers to interact with, and a gentle learning curve and progression window. However, if this isn’t your thing, you’ll find it super tedious, and you’ll probably uninstall it in minutes. Though it could be considered Marmite, I think more people will love it than loathe it.
This shop/life simulation was developed by Crinkle Cut Games and published by PQube Limited. It is a single-player, top-down affair that is set in a sleepy little town. The main draw is the shopkeeping moments. However, there is a small sense of automation as new tech is unlocked and your shop expands. This is where it truly thrives, as the sense of achievement far outweighs the sense of grind.
Discounty tells a familiar tale.
A family business in trouble, your help is needed, and getting trapped in a backwards village are familiar tropes for this genre. Though it is well trodden, I like how the developer incorporated it into the simple story. Additionally, the main gameplay loop rarely becomes tiresome as you are kept busy.
You are a young, energetic and helpful person who answers the call of your Aunt Tellar. She is a cranky individual who wants her franchise store “Discounty” to thrive. Unfortunately, the village of Blomkest is dead, and the neighbouring villages are thriving. Consequently, Aunt Tellar needs your help to bring energy and a cheap employee to her rescue. As you are left to your own devices, you must appease the villagers, expand the store, and complete an array of tasks.
A simple gameplay loop.
At first, the store is small, understated, and a little grubby. However, with some hard work, you soon get things up and running. New shelves, coolers, items, stock, and customers ensure that each day is different. On top of this, some nice quests help to increase your reputation and relationships with the locals.
Unlike other games in this genre, Discounty hasn’t focused heavily on the out-of-hours experience. Subsequently, once the shop closes, there is little to do. This was somewhat disappointing as romance doesn’t blossom, and friendships are a little stale. Had the team expanded this element, it would be more appealing and more suited to the life simulation genre.
Despite this shortcoming, the store mechanics are fun. Your maths is tested as items fling along your conveyor belt. Alternatively, new tech takes out the hard work, and you serve as many people as possible. Alongside this, you must order stock, replenish shelves, and keep on top of your advertising. It is tough work building an empire, but someone has to do it.
Discounty has a pleasant finish.
Soft colours, gentle pixelated graphics, and a small, cosy town create a wholesome and pleasant finish. Though Discounty won’t win awards for beauty, I like the simple approach and the easy-on-the-eye colour palette. Furthermore, each character has a unique appearance, and this helps you pick out key protagonists from the ordinary punters.
The gentle audio creates a relaxed atmosphere. This isn’t always in keeping with the hectic action, but it matches the slow and lazy small-town charm. The sound effects are basic, but they work to great effect. This isn’t a game that breaks the mould, but it does everything nicely.
The controls are a little clumsy.
Navigating the world, interacting with the locals, picking up rubbish and recycling stuff was a walk in the park. However, things aren’t as rosy as they first appear. The controls are occasionally clumsy, and I made numerous errors when calculating my customers’ bills. This impacts their experience and is unnecessarily frustrating. Though it doesn’t ruin things too much, it could have been better polished.
It didn’t take me too long to complete quests and expand my store. Furthermore, once you invest in some tech, you start to bring in the big bucks. This, coupled with the lack of out-of-hours encounters, holds Discounty back and prevents replay value from truly shining.
Discounty is good, but not the best.
I enjoyed many elements of this game, but I don’t think the balance is quite right. Though the shopkeeping is enjoyable and the limited relationships are captivating, it falls short of its peers. Lovers of the major players in this genre will be left wanting. However, if you want something a little more relaxed and, dare I say it, shallow, this could be the game for you. Accordingly, I like it and recommend buying it here! Can you help the store thrive? Learn the ropes, appease the locals, and put the village back on the map.
