Thrifty Business Review

Developed and published by Spellgarden Games (which released Sticky Business and Ritual of Raven), Thrifty Business is a laid-back shop management sim. There are no timers, no angry customers, no penalties — just fun and thrifting.

Thrifty Business starts off with the protagonist buying the shop from an older lady who serves as a tutorial for everything that players will be doing in the game. With some sprinkled comedy here and there, Ingrid showcases how to open the shop, buy boxes, open them, and even set up the furniture and decoration around the upcoming store. 

Just like in Sticky Business, there are a handful of customers who will become regulars and unveil their story to the player as the game progresses, immediately offering something to do while the store is open. It was so intertwined with the gameplay loop that I never had to go out of my way to unravel their narratives: it just happened naturally while I ran my shop (which I named Goblita’s Shack).

These arcs culminate in a cute snapshot of the customer, and they touch on a variety of subjects. Without spoiling, some of them touch on loss, others on the relationship between a parent and their grown-up kids — there's a nice mix of everything, and it never becomes too serious.

While I very much enjoyed this in Sticky Business because I would get a glimpse of people's lives, this time, it felt a bit out of place. I think it has to do with the fact that my character is forced into social situations that I wouldn’t normally engage with and even doing things by their own autonomy (such as reading a book suggested in the book club), creating an odd dissonance between being the protagonist and just playing one.

It's not a huge problem, and I opted to create a custom character — someone who would fit the part better (with hints of me here and there, such as their love for all things spooky).

Whenever I wasn't interacting with the regulars, I was busy trying to spruce up my shop — one that begins small and humble but ends up being three whole storeys big! Thankfully, for those who enjoy smaller spaces (such as my wife, who feels they're cosier), it’s not an obligation to expand. 

In fact, Thrifty Business is so laid-back that it never forces anything at all! It was a true no-stress experience, as I could be distracted and not realise there was a line of customers ready to pay and nothing bad happened when I did.

This even goes beyond not having pressure from customers: item prices don’t even have to be set! It’s just buying the boxes from the phone, unpacking them, and spreading the items across the shop. As someone who has previously skipped out on shopkeeping titles because I thought they were too anxiety-inducing, I can appreciate how great that is, especially for newcomers, who might want to dip their toes into the genre but think it might be too overwhelming.

Though none of this truly surprises me: Spellgarden Games has a style that stands out in their titles, as they're colourful, wholesome, and welcoming to every walk of life. It's one of the reasons why I'm always happy to see a new entry by them, especially because they're so LGBTQ+ friendly. This attitude was present throughout everything from the writing and characters to the gameplay and graphics; it's a welcoming game that works as a great safe space.

As items arrive, the game encourages to pack them together to increase the bonus received get at the end of the day. By doing this, I became much more familiar with what objects were available and was able to visualise how I'd plan out my thrift shop's ultimate form.

I was worried that clumping up items by the same category might make the lack of variety more evident... but I was wrong. There are numerous objects to sell, and Spellgarden Games remedied the possible monotonous repetition by also offering some of them in different colours. I was still getting new items by the ninth hour of playing it!

Aside from their uniqueness, I was also worried there might be too few categories, but I was pleased that, by the end, when I had bought everything, I had enough to fill the whole shop. I also liked so many of them personally that my "Violet's Recommendation" section (which I made up just to have my favourite items at the forefront) had to be expanded by the end.

That being said, I did feel like Thrifty Business was a tad lacking when it came to customisation and decoration. Although there are various sets of themed furniture to unlock by using the community points accrued by opening the shop, they felt lacking.

I originally had planned on making a full gothic store, but the items were barely enough for the beginning room. Since the Witch’s Attic set was so dark, I also couldn’t pair it up with the others as easily. Even some of the items within it, like the wallpaper and flooring, didn’t feel that they matched too well with each other colour-wise.

As I grew fond of my shop, I was sad that I couldn't decorate it more. This was doubly true when I began unpacking some of my favourite items, wishing I could use them as permanent things to make the space more appealing.

Eventually, I decided I'd have to become more creative about what I did with my store, which birthed a new way of enjoying Thrifty Business. I segmented each area by theme: Violet's favourites, children's items, kitchen and home stuff, and millennial. By doing this, the themed sets available would get more use, and I'd have a challenge to utilise as much of each as I could.

I also allocated one of my inventory tabs to store my favourite items. Sure, they weren't displayed or seen by the customer, but it felt nice to keep some things to myself, like little mementoes of my time running my thrift store.

While I also felt that the character customisation was severely limiting and lacking (especially in comparison to some of the customers' looks), I understand why: Spellgarden Games added it right before release. Players wanted a shopkeeper they could outfit, and so the team listened to the demo feedback. If anything, the ability to change it at all is a plus in my eyes!

The last small complaint I have about the gameplay is the trash that the customers bring in throughout the day. It made me sad to see the areas I had worked so hard to spruce up for them be trashed by bottles, newspapers, and what-have-yous; in a game so full of love and positivity, seeing human waste ruin things was a tad dissonant.

Thrifty Business has a lot of heart, making it a terrific title to pick up and wind down to. The characters are charming, the variety of items is great, and the laid-back, no-stress experience is something that has been rare in the genre for many years. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, then I can't recommend the title more!