ReStory hits a beautiful sweet spot between the intricate precision of simulation games and cozy retro vibes. Dropping you into mid-2000s Tokyo to run a small electronics repair store, it’s a nostalgia fest filled with loving nods to iconic products from the era, tasking you with salvaging broken goods and bringing them back to life. Having racked up an impressive 700,000 Steam wishlists prior to its launch this week, things were looking good for indie dev Mandragora and publisher tinyBuild – and within just 12 hours of going on sale, it had already recouped its full development budget.
If you’ve ever attempted to pull apart a controller, replace the screen on a handheld console, or even swap out a phone battery, you’ll immediately be tickled by what ReStory brings to the table. It’s the period setting that really makes this particular newcomer stand out in a veritable sea of other robust repair and cleaning sims. Its stylized characters bring in all manner of electronics for you to fix, and you’ll need to carefully prise them open, clean them up, and find the right parts online to get them back in working order.
Along with a licensed selection of classic Atari devices, there are plenty of familiar designs with obvious inspirations, from ‘Pokia’ mobile phones to the ‘Nony PMP’ handheld games console and plastic guitar controllers. Everything fits neatly into stuff you’d encounter in the 2000s, with tasks that require you to apply aesthetic customizations to match customer requests, and even occasional options to branch the narrative based on the choices you make. “Will you report on a disturbing find inside a former gangster’s phone,” Mandragora asks, “or help a lovestruck student confess to his crush?”
Clearly, ReStory has already found its audience, because Mandragora confirms that it’s sold 100,000 copies in its first day. Publisher tinyBuild’s CEO Alex Nichiporchik confirms via LinkedIn that the game “made its budget back within 12 hours, and currently sits at over $1 million gross.” It’s currently at a player count peak of more than 17,000 active users and counting, and Steam reviews sit at an incredible 97% positive – the highest for the studio to date.
ReStory is out now on Steam, with a 10% launch discount meaning you’ll pay just $17.99 / £13.49 if you buy it by Thursday August 20. Grab it here if you’re looking to sink into some retro repairs.
“We’re completely blown away,” Mandragora says of the response. “Whilst you’ve been hitting records for us, we’ve already been working on the first update to address your feedback and bugs you’ve encountered (this should be live very soon).” Among the issues currently on its list are the inventory not working in competition mode, trouble disassembling the ‘IDM device,’ and the mail tab button not displaying when new emails are waiting.