Discounty
If a cozy shop sim and a story-driven mystery shared a shopping cart, Discounty would be what they brought home.
Sometimes simulation games are like desserts. Just because tiramisu, chocolate cake, and brownies are all in the same food category, doesn't mean they are the same, or even similar. The same can be said about simulation games. Sure, they might have specific aspects or mechanics in common, but you could pick up title after title all tagged "management sim" and have completely different experiences.
This is the case with Discounty. Labeled by its developers as a "narrative driven management sim", it's a game that satisfies the urge to build, manage, and grow a business. Where this title stands out is that it explicitly puts the story first. Prospective players of games like these have to keep that in mind when encountering these worlds. Story first, gameplay second
UX (Control Feel & User Experience)
I did give the game a fair shake on controller, and it seemed to work without issue. My personal preference is for a traditional mouse and keyboard, so that's what I ended up playing on. Unless the game specifically is designed otherwise, I'm sticking with my tried and true input. Overall the game feels very smooth and natural. There aren't any weird keybinds, no confusing menus, and the gameplay is very straightforward. It is also available on the switch and the user reviews have all been wonderfully positive.
When running around town, completing tasks, and chatting with townsfolk, you aren't distracted by cluttered screen real estate. There isn't a bunch of unnecessary information, but it's all accessible with a simple button click. The only time you truly have a management-style HUD is when the store is open and you are actively running it. Even then, it keeps your screen decluttered, neat, tidy, and easy to read.
Gameplay Progression
The game begins with you arriving to visit your aunt who operates a rather rundown storefront. As you wander around, you realize this while place has seen better days. The more you progress the story through tasks and dialogue, the more you start to find out why.
Without giving too much away, you encounter a few entrepreneurs, some older folk who are set in their ways, and your cutthroat aunt who's always putting business first. The overall pacing of the game and the story is excellent. You are never rushed, and any time you find yourself in a dialogue scene, the game time pauses entirely. Any time a game has story based aspects it wants you to give your attention, it should always do the player the courtesy of giving them time to enjoy and process it.
Not everyone enjoyed the amount of content or gameplay progression though. Some even stating that the game was too short and didn't have much to offer. Others even chimed in saying the game felt hollow an unfinished. I didn't find this to be true, but could understand why some people would feel this way. That's why I started this off by reminding everyone that this game focuses more on the story than the gameplay. Sure, the story might be short and cute compared to other games where it's long and drawn out, but that seems to be a design choice. Most people said they played the story straight through and finished it in less than a month. Personally I find that to be a good amount of gameplay; not every title is meant to have the same longevity or lifespan comparable to that of Stardew Valley or Sims 4. I think it's completely reasonable to have a game with a finite lifespan and story and call it a day.
Immersion
In the gaming or hobbyist space, often times this word can get thrown around so much it feels like it begins to lose its meaning. Being immersed in something, especially a game, means to involve oneself deeply in a particular activity or interest. To me, an immediate sign of this is simply losing track of time in the real world. Because Discounty is not overly complicated, cluttered, or distracting, the feeling of being fully submerged sets in early and immediately. You can simply focus on running, decorating, and organizing the shop, or you can keep uncovering more of the story along the way.
There are many aspects to successful game immersion such as emotional engagement, compelling storytelling, and intuitive gameplay mechanics. In my experience, Discounty checked all of these boxes. Whether it measure up to other similar titles, players have just one question to ask themselves "is it enough?".
Stability and Performance
This category is always the easiest to define: does it run well or not? For Discounty, the answer is largely yes, but it'll take a little more digging to figure out exactly why.
Across roughly 15 hours of playtime, I never once encountered a crash, failed launch, or corrupted save file. The game runs very smoothly both on mid and high-tier systems, with consistent frame rates and minimal load times, even during busier shop sequences. The autosave feature works seamlessly, and transitions between indoor and outdoor areas are practically instantaneous, which helps keep the flow of gameplay uninterrupted. Sometimes when all you want to do is focus on a story and let yourself get immersed into a game, the last thing you need are lengthy loading screens leaving you reaching for your phone to scroll TikTok.
One thing Discounty deserves credit for is its optimization. Many management or simulation games tend to get bogged down by bloated save files and growing memory demands over time, but this one remains lightweight and stable throughout. Even on the Nintendo Switch, players have reported it running quite smoothly, with only occasional frame pacing issues, which is impressive given the hardware limitations. The developers have also been very responsive since launch, releasing hotfixes to address reported bugs and small quality-of-life improvements. It's a good sign when a studio not only acknowledges player feedback, but actively follows through to make good on it.
Overall, I would say it performs admirably across platforms. It's stable, polished, and reliable, which is exactly what you want from a management sim that asks you to spend hours tweaking your store for the perfect setup.
Value for Price
At full price the game is $19.99 USD / $27.70 CAD / €17.04 Euro. It was released on August 21, 2025. Before I get to if the game is worth the investment, let's take a look at what the community had to say, despite whether it was overall a good or bad review.
Not an "early access" title
Gets monotonous too quickly
Cute little story game
Decent story writing
Great game mechanics despite minor bugs
Audience wants more of the story
Like many games or forms of entertainment, the audience said "we like it, but…", which is perfectly understandable. Overall we're not mad, upset, or unhappy with the product as it is, we just wish there was more. To me, when people long for more of something, in spite of any criticism that might follow, it's because it really was that good. Ultimately, I would say that I'm not sure the $20 price tag is justifiable, but if you can get a key or get it on sale for about $15, I find that more reasonable. I think the goal here very well meets how it was executed, so I was pleased with how it turned out and kept my attention all at once. Overall I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a relaxed supermarket game with a fun story.
Final Thoughts
Discounty is a refreshing reminder that not every simulation game needs to sprawl endlessly to leave an impression. It's a short, story-first experience wrapped in the comfort wrapper of a management sim. With part shopkeeping, part slice-of-life storytelling. The gameplay being simple and smooth, the controls intuitive, and the town feeling alive without being overwhelming makes this a must-add to any collection. Though the current price tag might seem a bit high, finding this title on sale or with a key could make it absolutely worth your time. It's a title that will welcome you with open arms, inviting you to slow down and enjoy the natural rhythm of smalltown business.
Joystick Score: 4/5
If you need me, I'll be busy stocking shelves and eavesdropping on town gossip.