Supermarket Simulator is one of those games that will either pique your interest or make you turn up your nose. Oddly, I’m somewhere in between. The early action was a little too grindy for my liking, and I almost gave up and moved on to something else. However, I’m glad I didn’t, as the gameplay loop is rewarding, and I like the idea of expanding my empire and becoming a supermarket mogul.
This simulation game was developed by Nokta Games and published by NAISU. It is a single-player and up to 4-player cooperative experience. Moreover, it is available on Xbox Game Pass if you don’t wish to invest your hard-earned cash. This should make it easier to team up with friends as you tackle each shop, expand your goods, and appease every customer.
Supermarket Simulator has no plot, but plenty of hands-on moments.
Supermarket Simulator lacks a story, and I’m sure sim fans will say, “Who cares?” To be honest, I see their point as the game flows perfectly without a story. Furthermore, a tale of shopkeeper battles, revenge, or sabotage would have been futile and dull. Accordingly, it was the right choice to let the gameplay do the talking.
It doesn’t matter if you play this alone or with friends; the core ideas remain the same. Effectively, you must control your cash flow, order stock, expand your store, and make every customer happy. Although this sounds dull as hell, it really wasn’t. There was something oddly rewarding about getting every day right. Additionally, I loved seeing my empire grow and my NPC staff working hard.
Another day, another dollar.
Each day is a bit of a grind. Even when you have staff, the customers never stop coming. If they don’t walk through the door, you can still be hounded by them online. As such, you must be prepared for a bit of a nightmare shift as you keep the shelves stocked and react to changing prices.
Alongside this, you’ll have to earn XP to unlock new items and elements to progress the game. This was great as your hard work pays off. Whether it is new shelves, better flooring, new items, or that security guard to arrest shoplifters, it keeps you focused and working hard.
Multiplayer action.
I enjoyed running my solo empire, but it was much more fun with friends. Supermarket Simulator should have been dull, but the laughter, conversation, and silliness never ended. I can’t say that we were the most professional shopkeepers, but I laughed so much that my face and sides hurt. Accordingly, I’d call that a great success.
If you have no friends, you’ll need to enlist the help of NPCs and new tools to make your life easier. Unfortunately, the developer didn’t think of ways to automate every element of the game. Consequently, replenishing your stock when your store expands is a bit of a tedious task. Maybe, just maybe, this will be looked at to improve the endgame.
Supermarket Simulator is a little rough.
Unfortunately, Supermarket Simulator isn’t exactly next-gen. The graphics are basic, and the colour palette leaves a lot to be desired. Additionally, if you look at things too closely, it’ll make you frown with disgust. However, sim games do not rely on their visual prowess, as it is normally the action that takes centre stage.
The audio is a blend of upbeat, bland, and simple tunes. Moreover, the sound effects are rudimentary and do their job without wowing you. This wasn’t a surprise, and I didn’t expect anything exciting, fun, or off the wall.
Where is my tutorial?
If you love to sink or swim, you’ll adore Supermarket Simulator’s lack of a tutorial. Being thrown in the deep end may work for some people, but I don’t think trial and error works well with this genre. Subsequently, the lack of a guide will annoy more people than it will impress.
If you fall for the charming life of a shopkeeper, Supermarket Simulator will keep you busy for hours. Expanding your shop, changing the layout, and keeping everyone happy takes up all of your time. As such, this has plenty of longevity and replay value.
Supermarket Simulator should have sucked, but it didn’t.
I expected this to fail and be terrible. However, Supermarket Simulator surprised me. The action is addictive, fun, and a bit silly. Moreover, there is a nice layer of progression, and it is good with friends. Accordingly, I like it and recommend buying it here! Can you make a supermarket empire? Help your customers, expand your store, and become the next big thing!
