After weeks of hype and impressive marketing campaigns, Discounty has finally launched. Unfortunately, I found that the game felt more like an early access release than a complete experience.
The biggest issue with Discounty isn’t what it does wrong, it’s what it simply doesn’t do at all. Core features you’d expect from a shop management game or a narrative simulation game are absent, and this disappointment is felt all the more because of the way the game was marketed.
Limited Player Agency
The story unfolds around your character regardless of how you play, and this removes any sense of personal investment or replay value. This is a flaw that makes the entire experience feel almost pointless. No matter what you do or choose, it doesn’t end up affecting or changing anything in the world or narrative.
Empty World Design (And Design In General)
The town feels hastily constructed and just…empty. NPCs are scarce, interactions are minimal, and the world lacks the lived-in quality that makes games like Stardew Valley or even Potion Permit seem alive. It’s as if the developers placed the buildings but forgot to populate them with life.
Technical Issues
- Inexcusable bugs: I spent an entire in-game day stuck in a tree and couldn’t reset or load a previous save because the game only saves at night
- Performance problems: There are widespread reports of FPS issues on Nintendo Switch and issues with NPC movement
- Unpolished UI: Menus and interfaces feel rough and lack visual contrast
Underwhelming Gameplay Mechanics
While Discounty’s pixel art style is undeniably charming, the graphics can’t mask the underlying lack of substance. The core shop mechanics are fine, but they still seem like they were based on the foundation of an idea for a game rather than the complete experience.
Play Or Pass?
✅ Play if you specifically want a brief, linear shop management experience with little complexity and don’t mind paying for a few hours of gameplay.
❌ Pass if you expect modern features from modern games, want meaningful gameplay depth, or value getting a lot of your money’s worth from game purchases.
Final Thoughts
Discounty feels like a concept that was released before it was ready. The foundation is there, but the lack of content and meaning behind the narrative makes this hard to recommend. There is just an overall static and unchanging feeling, lacking the natural progression cycles that keep players engaged long-term.
In my opinion, games like Moonlighter and Supermarket Simulator are much better alternatives if you are looking for a shop management game.
