Discountyis a supermarket tycoon withStardew-like community features and a focus on relationships and building. More than just another community farming sim with a special theme, however,Discountymanaged to subvert my expectations and capture my interest in a genre that has otherwise grown rather stale for me. For die-hard fans of this genre, as well as those who have been looking for something fresh,Discountyis sure to impress.
Discountyopens with our player-customized protagonist taking a bus ride to the small, far-out-of-the-way town of Bloomkest, a less-than-booming fishing village where your aunt has been having trouble running her supermarket. As you explain to your nosy bus driver, you’ve come in to help her make the business a success, taking the struggling corner store and hopefully turning it into something to be proud of.
If you’ve played any games in this genre, popularized byStardew ValleyandHarvest Moon, this introduction should feel pretty familiar. A newcomer comes to a small town with hopes of saving some failing family business, making friends among the locals along the way.Discounty, however, does things a little bit differently, and I’m not just talking about a supermarket coat of paint.
If there is one word you can use to describe games in this genre, it would be wholesome. Games likeStardew ValleyandFields of Mistriaappeal to audiences not only for their farming simulator mechanics but for their social element and the overall friendly, relaxing atmosphere they foster. I would argue that it’s definitely the latter more than the former that attracts players to these games, as the actual sim mechanics are basic at best when compared to other titles more dedicated to the tycoonizing aspects of running a farm or business.
While these elements are the main selling point of games in this genre, I also feel personally like it’s the biggest turnoff to these games. While there is certainly an element of genre in games likeStardew Valley, there’s an overwhelmingly friendly, neighborly overture to everything, like you’ve entered a cottage-core Mister Rogers’ neighborhood. It’s certainly a satirical oversimplification of life and adult relationships, admittedly one that may be attractive to some players, when you can easily mold into a new and yet incredibly friendly community, and the simple gift of a daisy can be the first step toward a future marriage.
Discountyis different. While the game doesn’t feel quite like a parody of the genre, nor does it feel like it’s going out of its way to make some kind of message, the social aspect is far less steeped in this idea of community. NPCs don’t always give you the time of day, nor do they want to talk to you at all, and others are wary of you moving into town in the first place. Others are your outright enemies, and when a conversation does bring up a character’s problems, they feel shockingly real and not something that can really be fixed or even addressed by stocking more bread in your grocery store.
I think the biggest part ofDiscountythat seems to separate the game from this community-building fantasy so often seen in the genre is that you really aren’t there for the community at all. From the beginning, your focus is on your family-owned grocery store, not the well-being of the town itself. When you aren’t working at the store, your interaction with the community is very heavily steered toward bettering the store and your personal success. Tasks to help other townsfolk are usually done in an attempt to secure some kind of trade deal to increase your profits.
The game can even outright make you feel as though you are an incursion on the neighborhood. Throughout the playthrough, your store will grow, and oftentimes, seeking the success or profits of your burgeoning megastore is not to the benefit of everyone in the town. Even moments very early in the story can make you feel as though you, and by greater extension, your aunt who runs the store, are far more interested in profits than the community as a whole.
Overall, the tone ofDiscounty, while not being incredibly dark and perhaps not going quite as far in the direction it was headed as I would have liked, is an incredible change of pace compared to other games in the genre.
Mechanically speaking,Discountyplays as something betweenSupermarket SimulatorandStardew Valley. Each day begins with the management of your growing store, which involves stocking shelves and ordering supplies, cleaning the store, and managing both floor space and product to attract customers. You then check customers out in a minigame that combines management and timing to achieve better customer satisfaction; it’s highly reminiscent of the aforementionedSupermarket Simulator, with a lot of the core mechanics present here.
As I touched on before, there is a social element to the game akin toStardew Valleythat mostly takes place after your store closes for the day. Again, this takes a pretty unique focus on your store itself, with most conversations or side quests done to better your store and not really executed in the overall interest of some sense of community. The game strikes a balance between its social element and the actual store bits, with a bit more of a focus on running the store than anything else. The story present between your life as a new citizen in the town and the owner of a rapidly expanding supermarket is one of complex morality, complicated relations with the locals, and is overall an incredibly refreshing take on the genre as a whole.
The Final Word
Discountywas a surprise, a refreshing mix-up on a familiar genre that adds a lot of depth and complexity to a genre that was starting to feel a bit stale. Somewhere betweenStardew ValleyandSupermarket Simulator, I highly recommend giving this gem a try.
Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review ofDiscounty. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on ourGame Reviewspage!Discountyis available onSteam,Xbox,PlayStation, andNintendo Switch.
