Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator review: Simpler times

Retro Rewind is pure nostalgic goodness for anyone reminiscent of the era of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.

When I started playing Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator, I had a vision like the critic at the end of Ratatoulie. I saw my younger self with my dad, walking the lanes of Hollywood video looking for good movies to rent for the weekend. I remembered the oddly-patterned carpet, I could see the rows of movie covers, and I could hear my dad trying to charm his way out of paying late fees. It’s a game that scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had.

Movie lover’s paradise

Retro Rewind begins with your character opening a humble video rental store. Immediately, the customization jumped out at me. I quickly envisioned what my version of such a business would look like: I changed the name, edited the sign on my building, put in a new carpet, and painted the walls purple. Then, it was time for the movies.

In my office, I used the computer to order bundles of movies, which were broken down into genres. Retro Rewind uses a pool of existing key terms and art assets that are procedurally generated into movie titles. It’s a system that yields films like “Knockout Spaceman,” “The Toadstool’s Damnation,” and “Picnic with my Robot.” There are also the not-so-subtle nods to real-world classics like “Bad Dreams on Mel Road” and “Hell Hotel.”

The procurement and organization of movies on its own is hilarious and satisfying. Streaming to my friends in Discord, we laughed at all of the silly movie titles, and I loved organizing shelves based on genres, and then painting each shelf to match the movie cases it held. Each movie generates a unique SKU that can be shared with other players or used to create posters based on films. It made my store feel unique to me as I fulfilled the dream of running my own movie rental business.

Be kind, rewind

Once you open for business, Retro Rewind becomes a proper business sim. Customers come in and pick movies from the shelves and bring them to the checkout counter. It’s your job to scan their movies, take their cash, and give them back change. When customers return a movie late or broken, you have the option to charge them or waive the fee. Some customers will call ahead to reserve movies, or ask you to pick out a flick that’s suited to their taste. Like any thriving small business owner, you’ll come to recognize your regulars.

As the days go on, you’ll earn cash that can be used to order more movies, buy more shelves, and upgrade your shop with snacks, drinks, and more storage space. When customers return movies, you’ll need to devote time to processing returns and putting them back on shelves. That’s essentially the gameplay loop, and it’s a great one. Most of my sessions ended with “one more night” as I became obsessed with creating the ultimate video store.

Retro Rewind cleverly takes a page out of Stardew Valley’s book with a season-based calendar that has unique events that influence business. Is there a science convention in town? Sci-fi movie rentals are going up 50 percent on that day. Whenever there was a new movie release, I excitedly ordered enough copies to earn myself a promotional standee to place in the shop. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I ended my shift by visiting the Tape Dealer to grab some adult films and discounted movies.

Building a better business

Long-term progression in Retro Rewind is strictly linear: as you earn experience and level up, you’ll unlock new movie genres, concessions, and the ability to hire staff. There’s always something cool around the corner, but I wish there was a more freeform way to customize my business. There’s a lot to unlock, but it would’ve been nice if I could allocate my resources to unlocking the things I wanted first.

I also found that as time went on, the customer interactions grew stale. It only took a handful of hours for me to read all the variations of “I don’t want to pay the late fee” and “Hey, could you help me find a movie that fits X and Y criteria?” It doesn’t help that the customers are pretty lenient when it comes to waiting. There’s no real sense of urgency, even when you’ve got a long line of people waiting. The stress element that drives gameplay forward in a lot of management sims isn’t really present here. But, I think that’s by design.

A blockbuster

Retro Rewind was clearly crafted by people who yearn for the days of going to physically pick out a movie to watch alongside other people. There’s even an in-game TV that can be programmed to play video files from your computer (I ran a 2-hour video of 80s and 90s movie trailers and Blockbuster commercials).

In an increasingly digital world, I find myself longing for the days of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. Unfortunately, I don’t think those days will ever come back, but Retro Rewind is a fulfilling trip down memory lane.

Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator is available now on Steam for $19.90. 

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Review for
Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator
8
Pros

• Nostalgia distilled
• Addictive gameplay loop
• Hilarious movie titles and posters
• Long live physical media

Cons

• Shallow customer interactions
• Core loop can grow stale