So I Tried… Supermarket Together

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time the GameGrin Grincast crew tried our hand at running a store in Supermarket Together.

What I thought it was

I’ve seen a lot of different simulator titles coming out lately, among which was Supermarket Simulator. Using my one remaining brain cell, I deduced that Supermarket Together would be much the same, with players running their own little market, choosing what to sell, stocking shelves and dealing with unruly customers. I was a bit unsure how the multiplayer aspect would come into play, as I’d imagine running a shop would be a breeze with a gang of responsible adults.

What it actually is

Like almost always in these So I Tried… articles, I was on the money and way off simultaneously! The base gameplay was, surprise surprise, very similar to what I had seen in Supermarket Simulator. You buy stuff to sell, restock shelves, set prices, and operate the till (having to do actual maths, which I found unfair). Each shift would run into the evening, with changes to market prices coming daily, in addition to new additions to the gameplay. Stocking the shelves was weirdly satisfying and we had a great time trying to keep our green-bean-obsessed clientele happy.

Then we found the broom. This seemingly innocent household tool turned a somewhat hectic multiplayer supermarket simulator into a battle of wit and cunning, as said tool turned out to be a weapon of unforetold power. With a mighty flick, the wielder could knock down any malicious hopper trying to scarper with a packet of frozen pizza, stopping the thief in their tracks. However, to our (my) amusement, it could also be used to knock down your fellow clerks! So the Broom Wars began and any focus on running a successful store was lost to time.

Will I keep playing

We had a great time running the GameCast store, though I admit it may have been the company more than the game itself. There is nothing wrong at all with Supermarket Together, but I fear it’s just not for me. Running the till was fine and messing with our prices was fun, but I do believe a big factor in the blooming of the Broom Wars was the lack of stuff to do for a four-player party. If I were to go back to a similar title, I’d probably fly solo with Supermarket Simulator… though I’d most certainly miss the broom.