Running the store yourself
Supermarket Simulator is a first-person management game where you do the work by hand. You order stock from an in-game computer, unpack it in the storage room, and place products on shelves, fridges, and freezers. At the till you scan items and take cash or card payments. Between customers you set prices, watch what sells, and buy goods when market prices dip so you can resell at a margin that keeps shoppers happy. The store layout is yours to arrange: where products sit, how the aisles run, and how easy the shop is to move through. You also handle the unglamorous parts — cleaning the floor, taking out the trash, polishing windows — and you can personalize the place with new floors, wall paint, and category signs.
Playing with friends
The game supports online co-op for up to four players working in the same store in real time. That means one person can be behind the till while another stocks shelves, someone else handles online orders and deliveries, and a fourth drives the truck or sets prices. Orders placed online get packed by hand and delivered by you rather than a courier, and you can also drive out to local markets around town to hunt for better deals than the online supplier offers. With everyone splitting the workload, the routine tasks that feel slow solo — unpacking, shelving, cleaning — turn into a shared shift.
What to know before starting
The store grows over time: profits get reinvested into expanding the physical space, upgrading interiors, and adapting to what customers want. Shoplifters are part of the challenge, so you have security cameras, alarm sensors, and the option to hire guards to keep stock from walking out. You can also hire staff to help run the place. The game is in Early Access, so expect it to still be in development. It's tagged as a chill, realistic simulation rather than a fast-paced one — success comes from steady pricing, tidy shelves, and keeping the checkout line moving.