Supermarket Simulator

Opening a supermarket is no easy feat, but Supermarket Simulator allows players to live out that fantasy in a realistic first-person simulation game. Developed by Nokta Games, Supermarket Simulator empowers you to handle every aspect of store ownership, from designing the layout to stocking shelves to dealing with the seedy underbelly of small business loans. Does this Early Access title have what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of retail simulators? Let’s find out.

An Immersive Shopping Experience

Step into the supermarket manager’s shoes as you navigate the triumphs and tribulations of running your very own store. Supermarket Simulator offers an incredibly immersive experience right off the bat. The intuitive controls, stellar graphics, and authentic ambient sounds make you feel like you're right there on the supermarket floor.

Designing your store layout is intuitive yet impressively customizable, allowing you to optimize for visual appeal and shopping efficiency. Shelves must be stocked, refrigerators must be cooled, and money must be handled at the cash register. It’s your job to ensure operations run smoothly. If you’ve ever wanted to run your own supermarket, this simulator allows you to do it in exacting detail.

Navigating the Finer Details

Beyond store design and product display, players must master the finer details of retail management. A realistic in-game computer allows you to place orders to suppliers and track upcoming deliveries. When shipments arrive, you’ll unpack boxes, organize inventory, and artfully arrange items on shelves and in refrigerators. Scan barcodes, tally totals, and handle transactions at the cash register. Make no mistake, Supermarket Simulator offers a rigorous simulation of all that goes on behind the scenes.

The game also thrusts you into the volatility of real-time markets. To maximize profits you must buy low and sell high, balancing affordable prices and healthy margins. Fail to do so, and you may anger customers and suppliers alike. This level of retail authenticity sets Supermarket Simulator apart from other simulation titles like Gamer Shop Simulator.

Shady Beginnings

However, operating on slim margins is not the only challenge players will face. Your supermarket journey begins with securing a risky loan from local gangsters. Nightly payments must be honored to avoid disruptions or other unsavory consequences. This unique plot point ratchets up the stakes and tension, requiring flawless money management.

You’ll also need to keep up with online orders, carefully preparing packages for couriers to ensure accurate and timely service. Attentiveness and efficiency are musts in every area, from store operations to finance. It’s a heavy burden to bear, but skilled players may just transform their modest supermarket into a neighborhood staple, all while repaying loans and appeasing the mob.

Review: 7.5/10

With its intense focus on accuracy and realism, Supermarket Simulator stands out in the retail simulation genre. The immersive graphics and controls combined with fine-tuned gameplay allow you to live every minute of owning and managing a working grocery store.

Pros:

• Incredibly realistic and immersive supermarket simulation
• Intuitive custom store design options
• Packed with authentic retail tasks and challenges
• Unique loan shark plot adds stakes and tension
• Promising Early Access with more features to come

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for retail novices
• Constant pressure to perform and repay debts
• Won't appeal to players seeking more casual experiences

Supermarket Simulator is a fun and chill kind of simulator game and the kind of game I never knew I wanted until I played it. I was going to pass on this one as I worked in a supermarket many years ago and I freaking hated it! It was one of the most stressful jobs I ever had and the idea of playing a game based on that freaked me out. However, a friend of mine told me about this game and how it was super relaxing and one of the most addictive games of the year! I thought what the hell, if it gives me PTSD flashbacks to some of the jerk customers I used to deal with I can just blame my friend!

Building An Empire

When you start Supermarket Simulator, you start off small with a modestly sized place. Of course, like any simulator style of game that deals with a business, growing it in terms of profit and the physical size is your goal here. The actual supermarket building and design aspect of the game was something that I had a blast with, heck I could happily spend hours just designing supermarkets. Having your place of business grow and being able to actually physically make it bigger, add more shelves, hire more staff, and so on always keeps you wanting to play just a little bit more.

A Day In The Life!

One of the most relaxing parts of Supermarket Simulator has to be the stock system. You will get orders in and you then have to put them in the stock room and then put them on the shelves, in the freezer, or wherever it is they go. It is hard to put into words, but organizing your shelves so that they are neat and organized right for your customers is so addictive and satisfying. You will also have to clean the store and make sure your orders are up to date. I do wish that there was not a limit on the things you can order. This may be an “early access” quirk, but I could only order things ten at a time, and in some instances, this was a bit of a bother.

Making Your Money Work For You

Sticking with the ordering system that Supermarket Simulator has, this is where a bit of strategy comes into play. The market is always changing with the price of stock going up and down. You can get a great deal on a certain bit of stock and make a killing on it! However, you can also get left with stock and have people leave it on the shelves if they feel that you are charging too much. At the end of the day, making money is your goal, but so is the satisfaction of your customers. If they feel like you are overcharging, they won't part with their cash, it is as simple as that. I do wish that there was a system in place to see exactly what your customers are thinking but to be fair, that could be something that is added at a later date.

A Real Hands On Manager

The way I manage in Supermarket Simulator is sure as hell not the experience I had with the managers at the one I worked at! In this game, you are very hands and you pretty much do every aspect that the store requires to keep on running. You can hire employees, but you will have to actually jump on a register and ring people up, clean the store and of course, keep those shelves stocked. I liked how the game makes you have a more hands on approach to running your supermarket. I would like to think that if I ever did manage a supermarket I would have been one of these hands on managers who is not scared about jumping in and helping out.

Pros:

• Organizing the stock is very relaxing and fun
• You have to be hands on with every aspect
• Watching your supermarket grow is fun
• This is one of the most relaxing and chill games I have played this year

Cons:

• As I write this, the game is in early access and needs a bit more content
• I wish that the employees and customers had a bit more personality