Something you see a lot in cozy games is a scenario where you move to a small island or a rustic neighborhood, then use your farm or shop to revitalize it, bringing new life to a sweet but neglected little town. Those vibes are definitely present in supermarket management sim Discounty… at least at first.
In Discounty you’ve been summoned to the quiet little harbor town of Blomkest by your aunt to take over a run-down grocery store. You’ll have to clean the place up, stock your shelves, make deals with local manufacturers, keep your customers happy while getting to know them, and grow your dumpy shop into a beautiful and efficient store. Sounds great!
Watch On
But there’s something else going on in the Discounty trailer revealed today at Wholesome Direct today. The act of becoming a successful businessperson is seasoned with a dash of capitalist dystopia.
“By opening a Discounty franchise, you can transform the most unassuming small town into an attractive regional business hub,” says the upbeat narrator, using the soulless corpo-speak we’ve heard a thousand times in press releases and earnings calls. I get the feeling that opening a charming little discount grocery store is just the first rung on the ruthless ladder of capitalism, and not everyone in this little town wants to see you grow your business into a competition-crushing empire.
“You won’t settle for good enough, will you?” the narrator continues before the trailer goes completely off the rails, showing protesters picketing outside your Discounty store, toxic waste polluting a river, and black smoke billowing from an industrial chimney. Are you saving this cute little town, or destroying it?
I’m always up for a new shop sim, and I love the idea of there being repercussions to success, because there always are. It’s also nice to see an idyllic little town showing its darker side, because there always is one. Discounty is coming to PC sometime next year.