inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories Review (Xbox Series X|S & PC)

inKONBINI surprised me in more ways than one. In the initial stages of the journey, I figured that it wouldn’t delve much deeper than a textbook shopkeeping sim. But then, after flipping the sign and inviting the world into the nineties-themed store, it became clear to me that inKONBINI wasn’t just an imitation of a bog-standard piece of shovelware; it was an experience with heart—a game that had a lot more to give than a monotonous routine and a handful of emotionless interactions between consumers. The organic dialogue invited me in, and in it kept me going through the night, and then the next night, and then the night after that.

At its heart, inKONBINI is a bit like Coffee Talk with a third-person perspective and a collection of standard shopkeeping elements—a spectrum that broadly fits the style of a traditional stack-and-serve sim. For the most part, it’s about enjoying the brief moments that you share with customers during the twilight shift at a local store, and then chronicling your experiences in a little notebook. And if you aren’t reflecting on the little things in life with strangers, then you’re stocking the shelves, aiding customers with their shopping lists, or counting change and printing receipts at the counter. Ordinary cashier business, really, but with a harsher emphasis on the customer service aspect of the job.

inKONBINI follows a fairly similar approach to chore core simulation as most games of its kind, with an old business, a letter from a relative, and a notebook that frequently reminds you to complete specific tasks in order to elevate the storefront. In inKONBINI, though, you don’t fill the boots of a voiceless character without a soul; you assume control over a young girl who, after taking on the role as a shopkeeper at her aunt’s store, decides to build on the simple things that come with the daily routine, like witnessing the break of a new dawn with an elderly gentleman, or finding that ideal brand of cat food to make someone’s day. Or, for better or worse, accidentally storing the bread in the wrong compartment, which in itself is enough to make various individuals chuckle.

With most shopkeeping sims, you learn to switch off and follow a dotted line. Yet, with inKONBINI, you have a unique perspective on the world and an ability to make otherwise mundane tasks a little more enjoyable for the average workaholic. For example, before you begin each day, you have certain requests to fulfill, as well as notes to consider before opening the store. If it’s due to be a warmer day, then you might need to stock additional cans of soda, or if a customer asks you to keep a spare item, then you may need to find a perfect spot to store it for when they return. The point is, everything that you do here is backed by some form of moral obligation to the public. Thus, you don’t have blank canvases to scoot through the door; you have people who have their own agendas, preferences, and of course, stories. And as the curator of groceries and baked goods, it falls to you to provide a service to the public, even if said service requires you to discuss horoscopes with strangers at five o’clock in the morning.

The word cozy certainly gets thrown around a lot in this day and age, and for good reason, too. inKONBINI, in all honesty, is deserving of such a moniker, mainly due to the fact that, as a game, it leans on all of the right strands: the lo-fi ambiance; the wholesome interactions; the lightweight gameplay mechanics; and the soothing energy that radiates through the night shift. Suffice it to say, inKONBINI has just about everything that you could ask for — and then some. And, as a result of that, it isn’t a game that you need to be well versed with to understand. Thanks to its built-in tutorials and notebook integrations, most of the tasks that you onboard are often spelled out for you.

With lightweight stock management tasks and choice-driven sprees to keep you busy, inKONBINI is a great way to indulge in the cozier side of shopkeeping. There are no armies of bargain-hunting consumers, and there are no trends to keep tabs on. A customer walks in, browses the aisles, and occasionally asks you to assist them with their shopping list. On occasion, you add your two cents to their story, either by asking questions, offering advice, or sharing a moment with someone special before jotting it all down in your notebook. The shift ends, and you return to do it all over again, only with more people, more stories, and a greater understanding of how their minds tick.

inKONBINI is, above all else, an intimate experience that rejects the traditional and, let’s face it, dull parts of shopkeeping and, with a sprinkle of local Japanese charm, focuses on short-term relationships with local consumers. It’s a little slow I’ll admit, and it does take some getting used to, more so if you’re unfamiliar with Japanese produce and the local terminology. That said, inKONBINI is a one-of-a-kind shopkeeping sim with some genuinely creative ideas of its own. It’s also a game that you can quite easily slip in and out of, too, similar to, say, Animal Crossing.

Of course, if you dislike games that include a lot of text and drawn-out activities, then you might struggle to sink your teeth into this local store. Given that it lines its shelves with dialogue, heartfelt conversations, and episodic chapters, it isn’t a game that you would neutrally turn toward to scratch an itch for generic business management duties. However, inKONBINI runs a lot deeper than what most business sims have to offer, in that it adds a personal touch to the routine. It’s slow, but it’s also as cozy as it is inviting.

Verdict

inKONBINI sugarcoats a traditionally repetitive form of shopkeeping with an intimate touch and a wholesome Japanese aesthetic that waxes the best of local culture with a deeply rooted narrative that touches on the lives and routines of genuine people. While it doesn’t have much gameplay to offer outside of the usual stock-taking duties and customer interaction portions, it does provide a lovable setting with some fascinating stories. And at the end of the day, that’s sort of what it strives to capture.

If you can gloss over the language barrier and learn to wax poetic with eccentric characters from all walks of life, then you should be able to enjoy inKONBINI for the simple delights that it brings to the counter. Again, it might not boast an in-depth business model, and it might fall short on its general shopkeeping duties. That said, it keeps to its promise and delivers a story that you want to unravel. That isn’t something that you see all that often, to be fair.