Retro Rewind: Video Store Simulator Review

Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator is exactly what it says on the tin, a video store simulator developed and published by Blood Pact Studios.

Be kind, rewind!

I still remember video rental stores (before they were all shut down, thanks to streaming and stuff). I used to head to them every week with my dad to rent out movies… where I would almost constantly get Max Keeble’s Big Move. Man, I could’ve gotten more videogames, but for some reason, my kid self would get that movie in particular. So, why not relive that nostalgic time where things were easier (and cheaper… and without AI…) with a title that suddenly released as a full game, instead of in Early Access, as is typical for this genre.

We didn’t get a review code or anything; I paid out of my own pocket. I’m doing this because I love this game a lot, and I want others to know more about it too!

Blockbuster, eat your heart out!

It’s 1990, the height of the rental video era, and you’re now the proud owner of one such store. Starting off with a small area and a handful of cash, you’ll be working hard to turn it into the place to be for the latest and greatest movies.

You can definitely tell that the developers know exactly what a ‘90s video store used to look like, with neon lights, garish carpet patterns, and plenty of not-copyright-infringing pop culture references. The people, though, kind of look like the NPCs from Schedule I, which can be a little off-putting to some.

Hey! I found Wally! Waldo? Whatever, found him.

Still, despite the small area you’re allowed to explore, I didn’t find it repetitive or boring, especially on special days, which change the plaza or feature something unique, like having people in hockey masks scattered throughout the store, creepily observing you as you work on Friday the 13th. It’s really cool and made me check out whatever little easter eggs the developers hid away. I won’t spoil any more of them; you’ll just have to find it out yourself.

But that’s enough about that, let’s get some videos to rent out. You can either purchase tapes from your computer (which are instantly delivered, so not realistic) or from a shady dealer who not only has (most likely pirated) films for cheap, but also adult videos for the more spicy customers. The dealer is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and only after 9 PM, which I keep forgetting, considering new movies and events tend to happen on those days. There are noises that indicate when something needs attention, like the beep of someone returning videos or the sound of the phone ringing, which I did like.

I have to admit, that geniunely freaked me out.

Once you have some videos, it’s time to put them on shelves so that customers can take them to the checkout counter… but be careful how you deal with customers. Sure, some of them are nice enough to accept paying fees, but others might get so mad, you’ll lose a sale! A minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but they’ll shove their stuff away, forcing you to clean up.

You’ll also have to manage all the return videos that get dropped off either during work hours or during the night, making sure they’re all scanned back into the system and put on display to be rented again. However, some tapes can be reserved for someone to pick up later, broken and need to be thrown away, or rewound (I named my store “Be Kind, Rewind”! Come on!).

You know, before I unlocked the private room, I kept the Adult videos next to the Kids shelf.

This isn’t my favourite task, to be honest. Since you can only hold up to 10 tapes at a time, and the return box holds way more than that, you’ll have to constantly run back and forth between the desk and the shelves to stock everything. You can hire someone to help, but they aren’t as efficient as you, even with the best possible employee.

Videos aren’t the only thing you can sell, though. No, videogame rentals aren’t implemented yet, but you can stock snacks and drinks in your store, as well as provide arcade machines for customers to sink quarters into. You can also unlock equipment that will allow you to serve popcorn, slushies, and cotton candy at checkout for a little extra profit.

It's a miracle I made a store that isn't completely disorganised.

And that’s pretty much it: serve the customers, manage returns, and keep your place profitable. After two hours, you’ve basically seen everything the game has to offer. All the other unlocks you get via levelling up are just new genres to stock your store with; it just takes longer to stock your shelves. The only real big unlock is at Level 20, the max level, where you get the ability to hire a second employee. Still, there’s a sort of… cosiness to its simplicity. Nothing extremely complicated or anything, it just feels nice to play, maybe on a peaceful rainy day.

If I had a real issue, well… for some reason, the mouse isn’t locked to the game, even if it was on fullscreen. My cursor would constantly go off-screen and I would accidentally open programs I didn’t want. It was really annoying, and I thought this wouldn’t be an issue.

Check out the special events!

I really liked Retro Rewind: Video Store Simulator, and I’m glad to have bitten the bullet to get it. While it’s not the most complicated game to play, it doesn’t need any more bells and whistles. It’s fun and relaxing all on its own. Getting all the achievements should take you around 20 hours, with the hardest one being to own 1000 videos.

In addition, there’s more stuff coming in future updates like a storage area, controller support, and videogame rentals. I look forward to its updates… because I completed the game already and I want more.