Discounty Review: Pros, Cons, and Impressions of the Supermarket Cozy Game

Discounty is a supermarket management simulator that combines the daily tasks of stocking shelves and handling registers with the life of a small town.

You arrive in Blomkest to take over your aunt’s store, gradually expanding it, negotiating with local traders, and winning over customers.

The game balances the warmth of cozy sims with a touch of social commentary, as you ultimately represent a large retail chain reshaping the community’s way of life.

Technical Information

Developed by Crinkle Cut Games and published by PQube, the game is available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and PC, with a free demo on all platforms.

A typical playthrough lasts around 40 in-game days (or three chapters), though players who enjoy detailed management can easily spend much more time with it.

Watch the official trailer:

Story and Atmosphere

At first glance, Discounty feels cozy, but it hides a more complex backdrop. The story places you at the center of an economic shift in Blomkest: a chain supermarket opening in a small town, disrupting routines and reshaping the lives of its residents.

This contrast is compelling. On one side, there is the enjoyable routine of stocking shelves and serving customers. On the other, there is subtle commentary on consumerism, endless growth, and the impact of big corporations on local communities.

The game only skims the surface of this commentary. It hints at these themes but rarely goes deeper. Still, this layer helps distinguish Discounty from other games in the genre.

The Town of Blomkest

Blomkest may be small, but it is full of personality. The town is divided into four main areas: downtown, the farm, the forest, and the harbor, each with its own characters, atmosphere, and stories.

The sound of waves at the harbor, the mysterious air of the forest, the rural calm of the farm... all help create the sense of a living place, even if at times the content feels underused.

Some locations suggest greater depth but are not fully utilized in the campaign. This can be frustrating, as the world feels like it has space for more stories than the game provides.

Even so, Blomkest works well as a setting, with friendly characters, small dramas, and a charm that supports the cozy atmosphere.

One nice touch is the recycling center. It may be a bit tedious to use, but its inclusion is important. It serves as a gentle reminder that we too might take our own boxes and clutter to recycling now and then.

Gameplay

Managing the supermarket is the heart of the game. You open at 9 a.m., restock products, serve customers, and take care of cleaning, storage, and negotiations. Days pass quickly, and it’s easy to fall into the “just one more day” loop before realizing hours have flown by.

Each expansion brings new challenges and products, along with opportunities to work with local producers. You have plenty of freedom to rearrange shelves, decorate, and design your dream shop, even though aesthetics do not provide gameplay advantages. (This could be improved... what if different decorations granted bonuses?)

There are also optional challenges that reward points for store upgrades and add variety to daily routines.

Not everything works smoothly. In later stages, the routine can become tiring. Long, unskippable daily reports break the flow, and some bugs—such as customers getting stuck in aisles or forming chaotic checkout lines—can be disruptive.

The micromanagement systems are clever, but sometimes the lack of polish prevents the fun from lasting until the end.

Audio and Visuals

The pixel art style is charming, with detailed environments that change as the story progresses. Each part of the town has its own identity, and while the graphics are simple, the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The characters are undeniably cute.

The audio is equally strong. The soundtrack and sound effects create the sensation of being in a real supermarket. The sound of the cash register, in particular, is surprisingly satisfying.

Interface and Controls

This is where Discounty divides opinion. The point-of-sale system (cash register) is surprisingly fun for some players and frustrating for others.

Manually entering prices with the directional pad and buttons gives the process a tactile quality, especially on PlayStation’s DualSense controller, where adaptive triggers enhance the experience. It turns a repetitive task into something playful.

Personally, I did not enjoy the calculator-style register. Moving across the “numpad” with the analog stick often caused me to enter the wrong number, especially on diagonals. When the store got busier, this became frustrating.

There are also usability issues. The same button is used to interact with customers, items, and objects, which causes confusion in tight areas.

The daily report, as mentioned, cannot be skipped. And some design choices, like being unable to store extra shelves and having to throw them away, make management more restrictive than it should be.

Accessibility

One highlight is that the game already supports 11 languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, and even Danish. For an indie release, this level of localization is impressive and makes the game accessible to a much wider audience.

- Satisfying gameplay loop with steady progression.

- Charming pixel art style.

- Fun and tactile cash register system.

- Cozy atmosphere with touches of social critique.

- Available on multiple platforms with a free demo.

- 11 language options.

- The story does not fully explore its social themes.

- Daily reports cannot be skipped.

- Some bugs disrupt gameplay.

- Town content feels underused, with areas and quests left idle.

- The pace can feel tiring in the later stages.

Discounty takes an activity that may seem mundane (running a supermarket!) and turns it into something cozy and engaging. The game has charm, clever ideas, and a gameplay loop that can keep you hooked for hours. At the same time, it struggles with technical issues and design flaws, and it does not fully embrace the social commentary that could have made it stand out.

Overall, I would recommend Discounty to players who enjoy creative, cozy simulators, even with a few rough edges.

It is fun, unique, and relaxing for most of the experience. However, if you are looking for a deeper game without technical frustrations, it might be better to wait for future updates or perhaps the next title from this promising studio.

And if you enjoy cozy simulation games as much as I do, I also recommend this Tiny Bookshop review. See you in the next article!