Discounty Reviews
If you want a charming, easy-to-follow game about managing a supermarket, and don’t mind if the story isn’t the most engaging, then this is a fantastic pick and I definitely recommend this. If you want super complex storefront mechanics or need a deep, well-developed plot, then you might find this one underwhelming.
The capitalist drive to achieve even greater profit is a compelling loop in Discounty, but the narrative around that cycle muddies things.
Discounty is a solid addition to the Switch's healthy stable of cosy sims. These games feel right at home on a console you can take anywhere, with a bite-sized day cycle that works just as well for long sessions as it does for quick breaks. Growing your supermarket is a deep and satisfying experience, but getting involved in your customers lives can be a bit shallow. But, most importantly, Discounty manages the impossible task of making retail work fun and relaxing, and that's a feat in itself.
Discounty is the right type of cozy game that you can get completely lost inside for a few days. It thrives in the "Just one more day" zone and has an addictive loop that feels good as a distraction from the real world.
Discounty just misses the mark for me as a cosy game. While actually running the supermarket can be pretty enjoyable, it's wrapped up with frustrating busy work, NPCs who are so routinely annoying and unpleasant. It's like moving into the town where Hot Fuzz is set: something is off; people are weird and standoffish; and I just want to go home.
Discounty isn’t trying to be a sprawling life simulator, and that’s exactly why it works. It focuses on shopkeeping and small-town charm, and in those areas it succeeds. The store management loop is fun, the characters are memorable, and the atmosphere is cozy in a way that few games pull off.
It doesn’t do anything that'll have you absolutely amazed, but the time you spend getting to know your surroundings here will be a worthy venture as your store expands and gets more products.
As management sims go, Discounty has the perfect balance of job tasks to make the game challenging and downtime to keep the game relaxing and cozy. The style is adorable, your character is customizable, the dialogue is funny, and the story is entertaining.
Discounty is a fantastic life sim that offers something unique to fans who think they've seen it all. Just don't get stuck inside any freezers.
Discounty from developer Crinkle Cut Games is an addictive and ever-expanding cozy game experience. It has enough quests, activities, and grocery store madness to keep you occupied while you take a break from Stardew.
While its spoofing of the management sim lacks bite and its cast of characters is a tad thin, Discounty is otherwise an interesting debut title. Rearranging and optimising the layout of its titular supermarket is simple but unnervingly satisfying, and its daily loop makes for an addictive trip down the pixelated produce aisle, even if I can't help but be disappointed by the ambition its story lost along the way.
Beneath the charming pixel art lies a story full of moral complexity and underlying tension, as you navigate your aunt's ruthless ambitions and the townsfolk's simmering frustrations. It's a game that turns a mundane 9-5 routine into something strangely addictive, and one that will keep players coming back day after day. Though it shares familiar elements with well known titles, Discounty stakes its own claim, showing just how fresh and surprising a cosy life sim can be.
For the right person I am sure Discounty would be a satisfying package as is, but it falls short in a lot of areas that otherwise have great potential.
Addictive and fun
My hesitation is that I think it's about halfway there between being a fun indie shop sim and being an indie game with a message, and I wish they could have pushed their narrative just a bit further to be more memorable. Discounty is still worth playing, but it makes me want to see what the developers can do next. While the ideas and the gameplay are there, there's some untapped potential as well.
Discounty is a mostly fun and simple shop sim with an intriguing air of mystery around your purpose for moving to Blomkest. 💰
Discounty isn’t trying to reinvent the management sim genre, but it doesn’t need to. It knows exactly what it wants to be: a cozy, addictive, and surprisingly deep game about running your own small-town discount store. From the satisfying daily routines to the playful chaos of a busy day, from the charming townsfolk to the rewarding progression, it all comes together into a package that kept me grinning the whole way through.
Discounty is one of those games where you can easily lose a few hours just by repeating the supermarket mechanics. I have adored this game, from the start of my time with it and I’ll continue to enjoy it even after writing this review. I’m always looking to up my stats. Discounty gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
The game can get pretty challenging as you balance more tasks, and it can feel slow at times. But it’s a solid game for fans of this genre and an easy way to casually pass a few hours.
With modest expectations come the greatest surprises, and Doscounty proves just that. If you thought this was just another simple small supermarket simulator, you’d be wrong – while it carries the full DNA of such games, this title offers far more than you might expect.
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