My favorite D&D character I have ever created was an Aasimar named Daffodil. She was the stereotypical bard whose magic came from telling terrible jokes. In her backstory, she was a shopkeeper. Daffodil sold many “home goods,” think “Live, Laugh, Love” signs, and the like. This was made possible through her magical nesting dolls that spewed out a foot of junk upon opening. I wanted to relive that experience and went searching for a life sim. Through that research, I found Discounty.
Discounty’s Story
The player’s story begins when their aunt calls them to Blomkest. It is a rundown harbor town, and the residents are slowly starting to move away. Upon reaching Blomkest, the aunt puts players in charge of the only supermarket in the village. It is up to the player to rebuild this Discounty branch, unite the town, and profit. However, it is never as simple as we think. If players expand their shop too much, the locals may revolt. So, it is up to the player to either create a quaint shop or become the JoJa of this realm.
Features Unique to Discounty
- Take orders from customers.
- Help your customers fulfill their grocery lists.
- Keep up with tasks.
- The store needs to be stocked with merchandise, clean and organized.
- Timely ring-up customers to keep them happy.
- Design your shop.
- Rearrange shelves to help with the flow of the store.
- Entice more sales with decorations.
- Sell local products.
- Work with the townsfolk to sell their wares.
- Players can make deals to sell these items.
- Make friends with NPCs.
- When players are not working, they can make friends with NPCs.
- They can also make enemies!
- And much more!
Thoughts on Discounty
For the unaware, I adore pixel graphics. I am a huge sucker for anything cute and pixelated. Therefore, when I first found this title, I knew I had to dig a little deeper. After watching the trailer on Steam, I found myself drawn to the landscape. I am unsure if players will be able to explore this. However, the trees and a body of water we see when we first get to Blomkest are inviting.
Aside from the cute graphics, the trailer also showed some gameplay. This title looks similar to Moonlighter but with more socializing. Instead of dungeon crawling for your goods, you need to work with the town to sell quality products. This is an element that I did not know I wanted. Sure, it is neat to wack enemies with a sword. However, I like the idea of having to talk to Granny Betty from down the road to sell her honey. Working with the townsfolk to make the village a better place to live is appealing.
In conclusion, Discounty is a game I can get behind. The story is unique and engaging. I am also curious to see how customizable the storefront is. This could be fun to share with the community behind this game. Similar to how Stardew Valley fans share their farms online, it would be neat to see other shops. Ultimately, I am stoked to see where this game leads.
Odds & Ends
Discounty has no release date but can be wishlisted on Steam. More information on this title can also be found on its Twitter page. If you want to live out your shopkeeper fantasies today, I recommend checking out this article on Moonlighter.
