- Jan 14, 2020
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Before this year and the surprise smash hit Supermarket Simulator, first person retail sims were somewhat rare. But after Supermarket Simulator, new first person retail sims came rolling in quite frequently thanks to a retail engine someone made for the Unity game engine. Below are all of these games that I'm aware of and a little snippet about each.
Linking to all these games would ruin the readability of the post, so I'll let you search Steam for them if you are interested. They are all easy to find.
Supermarket Simulator: This was the first and by far the most successful. You simply set up your ever expanding store and kept it stocked through ordering. Like most of these games, hiring employees was a thing, and they were sort of a mixed bag due to pathing. Most of the problems have been ironed out now, and the game has seen several large updates like the one recently that lets you customize all facets of your store (like walls and floors)
Clothing Store Simulator: Basically the same thing but with clothes. Obviously the shelving and products are different, and one nice touch lets you design your own t-shirts. The developers have continued to update the game, and it even has a sort of battle pass now that you can buy with in-game currency. The rewards are new types of fixtures, mannequins, clothes, etc. Out of all of them, I believe this one is my favorite.
Grocery Store Simulator. This one was the first to add multiplayer. When I played it, the rest of the game was a little barebones and difficult to manage. For instance it wasn't possible to tell how many of an item you had unless you just went around counting them. But playing with friends and family helped make up for that, and the game's hectic style played into that well. It's receiving one or two updates each month
Supermarket Together: This one is free and was the second retail sim to add multiplayer. The emphasis here is chaotic and nutty co-op play, and you'll spend a lot of your time chasing shoplifters and hitting them with your broom. In fact, if you let your line at the register fill up, every other customer in that wants to check out will become a shoplifter. The only thing for sale for this free game is a small supporter pack, and the game is being updated weekly.
Internet Cafe and Supermarket Simulator 2024: This is quite fun as you get to build PCs to place in your Internet Cafe, and all the customers have many different reactions they can have to what happens during their visit. When I played it, there was no store stocker, and I don't think they've added one yet, but the game is receiving regular updates and has other types of employees to help you out. The last update also made ordering easier.
Factory Outlet Simulator: Here you are buying equipment and materials and making your own clothes, including shirts that you design yourself. You then sell these either in your outlet store or to large retail outfits. You can take orders from other retailers and these missions are timed. You have to make a certain number of the clothing, pack it up in your truck and take it to the airport, the dock or the train station. It's actually pretty fun, and out of all of these games, this one is updated in the most, keeping an insane update schedule of twice per week.
E-Tech Simulator: I haven't played this one as it has mixed user reviews and the worst patch notes I've ever read. One of them simply says "Error" and the other one says "Employee Fluidification" whatever the hell that means. But, anyway, if you buy it you'll be running a tech gadget store. It also has co-op.
Candy and Toys Store Simulator: I haven't played much of this. I put out a row of candy and a row of toys and was absolutely mobbed by customers who kept coming and coming until there was nothing left to buy. I do like the graphics, though, and the urban setting. It's getting good user reviews, though, and monthly updates.
Tech Store Simulator: This just came out last week. It appears to be like E-Tech Simulator except it's good. Graphics are nice, probably the best of any of these games. Don't know much more about it at this point.
Retail Company Simulator: By the time this came out, I'd lost my will to live, so I haven't played it, but it has 92 percent positive user reviews, so there's that. I didn't like it, but I was over this whole thing by then. It seems like it might actually be pretty good.
Old Market Simulator: This one definitely didn't use the retail engine for Unity. It just happened to come out during the gold rush. In this one, acquisition plays an important role. You can order from the traders at the docks. You can go fishing and sell your fish, etc.
Pharmacy Simulator: Haven't played it. Apparently it is half-arsed and buggy.
The progenitors:
The Weed Shop games. Weed Shop 3 is the best retail simulator, period. Great game.
Store Simulator: I'd never heard of this until just now, and it seems to have come out a short time before Supermarket Simulator. It has Very Positive user reviews and seems to include some life sim features.
King of Retail: Much more detailed than this batch of recent games, and you can open stores all over the city.
My Grocery Store: It's kind of like Supermarket Simulator but necessarily different because it came out well before it. It's still under active development.
Game Store Simulator: Not much to say about this that isn't said by the title. You drive your truck to the wholesale store and buy games from different genres and put them in your store for sale.
Gas Station Simulator: Again, much more stuff in this than the recent batch of games.
Pumping Simulator: Run a gas station and convenience store. Have sex, have a baby. Keep improving your gas station and store.
Coming Soon:
TCG Card Shop Simulator: Coming this month. I've played the demo and it was pretty fun. You can pick up some packs of cards from your own store and open them looking for rare cards to sell separately. You also run gaming events and people come in, sit at your tables and play.
Farmer's Shop Simulator: Don't know anything about this.
Rich Dad Simulator: Despite the name, this is an ambitious game that's been in the works for years. Hopefully it will break the mold that is getting a little tiresome now and be a fun game.
King of Retail 2: Sequel to the game mentioned above. They certainly aren't using the Unity retail engine. Game looks to be even more ambitious than the first one.
It's possible that I've forgotten one or two, and I'm sure that more will spring up in the coming months.
There is an adventuring store game that came out in 2023 where you travel around fight stuff to get merchandise for your store. Unfortunately, it has an odd name, and I just couldn't find it to include in this post. There are also a few alchemy/potion games out there, but I've never played them.
Linking to all these games would ruin the readability of the post, so I'll let you search Steam for them if you are interested. They are all easy to find.
Supermarket Simulator: This was the first and by far the most successful. You simply set up your ever expanding store and kept it stocked through ordering. Like most of these games, hiring employees was a thing, and they were sort of a mixed bag due to pathing. Most of the problems have been ironed out now, and the game has seen several large updates like the one recently that lets you customize all facets of your store (like walls and floors)
Clothing Store Simulator: Basically the same thing but with clothes. Obviously the shelving and products are different, and one nice touch lets you design your own t-shirts. The developers have continued to update the game, and it even has a sort of battle pass now that you can buy with in-game currency. The rewards are new types of fixtures, mannequins, clothes, etc. Out of all of them, I believe this one is my favorite.
Grocery Store Simulator. This one was the first to add multiplayer. When I played it, the rest of the game was a little barebones and difficult to manage. For instance it wasn't possible to tell how many of an item you had unless you just went around counting them. But playing with friends and family helped make up for that, and the game's hectic style played into that well. It's receiving one or two updates each month
Supermarket Together: This one is free and was the second retail sim to add multiplayer. The emphasis here is chaotic and nutty co-op play, and you'll spend a lot of your time chasing shoplifters and hitting them with your broom. In fact, if you let your line at the register fill up, every other customer in that wants to check out will become a shoplifter. The only thing for sale for this free game is a small supporter pack, and the game is being updated weekly.
Internet Cafe and Supermarket Simulator 2024: This is quite fun as you get to build PCs to place in your Internet Cafe, and all the customers have many different reactions they can have to what happens during their visit. When I played it, there was no store stocker, and I don't think they've added one yet, but the game is receiving regular updates and has other types of employees to help you out. The last update also made ordering easier.
Factory Outlet Simulator: Here you are buying equipment and materials and making your own clothes, including shirts that you design yourself. You then sell these either in your outlet store or to large retail outfits. You can take orders from other retailers and these missions are timed. You have to make a certain number of the clothing, pack it up in your truck and take it to the airport, the dock or the train station. It's actually pretty fun, and out of all of these games, this one is updated in the most, keeping an insane update schedule of twice per week.
E-Tech Simulator: I haven't played this one as it has mixed user reviews and the worst patch notes I've ever read. One of them simply says "Error" and the other one says "Employee Fluidification" whatever the hell that means. But, anyway, if you buy it you'll be running a tech gadget store. It also has co-op.
Candy and Toys Store Simulator: I haven't played much of this. I put out a row of candy and a row of toys and was absolutely mobbed by customers who kept coming and coming until there was nothing left to buy. I do like the graphics, though, and the urban setting. It's getting good user reviews, though, and monthly updates.
Tech Store Simulator: This just came out last week. It appears to be like E-Tech Simulator except it's good. Graphics are nice, probably the best of any of these games. Don't know much more about it at this point.
Retail Company Simulator: By the time this came out, I'd lost my will to live, so I haven't played it, but it has 92 percent positive user reviews, so there's that. I didn't like it, but I was over this whole thing by then. It seems like it might actually be pretty good.
Old Market Simulator: This one definitely didn't use the retail engine for Unity. It just happened to come out during the gold rush. In this one, acquisition plays an important role. You can order from the traders at the docks. You can go fishing and sell your fish, etc.
Pharmacy Simulator: Haven't played it. Apparently it is half-arsed and buggy.
The progenitors:
The Weed Shop games. Weed Shop 3 is the best retail simulator, period. Great game.
Store Simulator: I'd never heard of this until just now, and it seems to have come out a short time before Supermarket Simulator. It has Very Positive user reviews and seems to include some life sim features.
King of Retail: Much more detailed than this batch of recent games, and you can open stores all over the city.
My Grocery Store: It's kind of like Supermarket Simulator but necessarily different because it came out well before it. It's still under active development.
Game Store Simulator: Not much to say about this that isn't said by the title. You drive your truck to the wholesale store and buy games from different genres and put them in your store for sale.
Gas Station Simulator: Again, much more stuff in this than the recent batch of games.
Pumping Simulator: Run a gas station and convenience store. Have sex, have a baby. Keep improving your gas station and store.
Coming Soon:
TCG Card Shop Simulator: Coming this month. I've played the demo and it was pretty fun. You can pick up some packs of cards from your own store and open them looking for rare cards to sell separately. You also run gaming events and people come in, sit at your tables and play.
Farmer's Shop Simulator: Don't know anything about this.
Rich Dad Simulator: Despite the name, this is an ambitious game that's been in the works for years. Hopefully it will break the mold that is getting a little tiresome now and be a fun game.
King of Retail 2: Sequel to the game mentioned above. They certainly aren't using the Unity retail engine. Game looks to be even more ambitious than the first one.
It's possible that I've forgotten one or two, and I'm sure that more will spring up in the coming months.
There is an adventuring store game that came out in 2023 where you travel around fight stuff to get merchandise for your store. Unfortunately, it has an odd name, and I just couldn't find it to include in this post. There are also a few alchemy/potion games out there, but I've never played them.
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