Have you ever wanted to own a store and repair old 2000s electronics? Did you hope it would be in Japan? If that’s been your lifelong dream, then you’re in luck! ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs by
Mandragora has finally landed on the Steam store.
Fix this nokia knock-off? No problem!
Gameplay
ReStory takes cosy and amplifies it to the next level with simple gameplay that’s easy to pass the time with. You’ve just opened up your own electronics cleaning and restoration store. Things start off pretty simple, with only a small number of electronics that you can work on. Flip phones, tamagotchi rip offs and game controllers are how you make all of your money in the early game. Like with many shop simulator games, you unlock additional electronics by making enough money to buy licences.
Making money is easy. You have people coming directly to your store who you interact with regularly, as well as online orders that are accessible via your computer. With the online orders, you have three days to complete them before the game considers them as ‘failures’. With the earlier items that you clean and fix, you can take on a high number of orders at once and get them done in a short space of time to immediately start buying upgrades. Upgrades come in a couple of different forms. One of them being equipment upgrades such as additional brushes, paint tools and air canisters to make cleaning easier. As mentioned, you can also buy licences, which will increase the skills you have and the types of products that you can work on.
Buying a licence is the first main ‘quest’ that the game gives you. However, ReStory excels at never making you feel like you have to do something. I made enough money in the first few days to buy the new licence but was so lost in just enjoying the game that I stuck with fixing and cleaning the same four products for much longer than necessary. It’s a testament to how good the gameplay is, even with its simple approach, because even in the very first stages of the game you never feel like you’re lagging behind.
Getting to know your neighbours
There’s a pretty decent cast of side characters whom you can befriend. From people upstairs who communicate via bucket to the postman telling you about buying a limited edition phone that isn’t so limited. There are a few choices when talking to the characters that will decide how they interact with you and also what happens away from the window of your repair shop. As odd as some of them are, they feel based in reality, making it easy to get attached to them.
Graphics & Audio
ReStory keeps realistic visuals packaged in a nice cartoonish art style. The electronics are easily identifiable and really play with nostalgia whilst the surrounding art style keeps things cosy. The interface never feels too cluttered or overwhelming, which is something I was worried about because of how many parts the different consoles and phones have. The ASMR audio is also super cosy and calming. As mentioned, everything feels like it is at the perfect level. It never feels like there’s too much going on or that there is too much on the screen. Mandragora have done a really good job of creating a balance between the two without being to the detriment of the game.
Longevity
ReStory does a very good job of keeping players engaged even when there’s not a lot going on. In the early stages of the game, there isn’t a vast array of things to do, but that never felt detrimental to the gameplay. Even if you aren’t looking for a story game, you can ignore all of that in favour of just cleaning and fixing consoles. I’ve really enjoyed every minute of this game so far, and I definitely plan on going even further to find even more 2000s electronics to fix up.
Final Thoughts
ReStory is a cosy game that takes cosy to the next level. It’s easy to get into, and it’s easy to pass the time with. It creates that itch where you spend your day thinking about it and can’t wait to get back to it. Giving ReStory the Platinum Thumb Culture Award was an easy decision to make. I’ll be playing this game for the foreseeable future, and I’m sure I’ll keep going back to it as my fallback game when I can’t decide what to play.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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