Enshrouded, Palworld, Baldur's Gate 3, Supermarket Simulator... wait, what? That's right, a new supermarket simulation in Early Access is currently shaking up Steam's top lists, ranking in the top 5 in Germany and top 10 worldwide.
After finishing work, you come home and open a can of Coke, only to start working again, this time in front of your computer. This has been the daily routine for thousands of gamers over the past few days. But how did a single developer's simple supermarket simulation suddenly top the Steam charts and delight so many players?
A Simple and Relaxing Game: Supermarket Simulator
The Supermarket Simulator was launched in Early Access on February 20, 2024. Currently, it has over 4,600 reviews on Steam, 94 percent of which are positive. In January, a free prologue was released, which achieved a rating of 97 percent with around 500 reviews.
So what makes this Simulator so popular? It does exactly what it promises. You stock the shelves, set the prices and stand at the cash register to collect money from your customers. And while that might sound kind of boring to some of you, it is exactly what Steam users love about the game — as player "Hildegard" wrote in their review:
I work 40 hours a week in a supermarket, only to get back home and start all over again.
Great game
The activities in Supermarket Simulator are simple and repetitive, almost meditative, which makes the game perfect for relaxing. After all, you don't always need big battles and boss fights — sometimes you just want to run your own little shop. Who knows what your future career aspirations may hold? After all, one company has already recruited from the ranks of Trucking Simulator players.
More possibilities in the future
Developer "Cannias" announced a few more expansions for Supermarket Simulator on Steam. According to the roadmap, payment with credit cards, cleaning the store, hiring employees and other cities are still to come. Until then, he will work on bug fixes — after all, the simulator is still in Early Access.