Store It! Review (PC)

In the face of competence, I’m an idiot—a clumsy fool who doesn’t know their cardboard box from their crate. But in the face of a paying customer, I’m a cool, slick entrepreneur—a robot who knows how to handle the goods without breaking prized possessions. If I’m alone, then I’m doing one of two things: exploring the neighborhood in search of treasured secrets, or using a gravity gun to transform the humble roots of a small backyard container into a booming storage hub for the local townsfolk. Whatever it is that I’m doing, it’s rare that I find myself doing nothing at all, for in Store It! there is always something for me to accomplish—a job to complete, an area to upgrade, or a neighborly place to explore. Usually, though, it’s to do with breaking family heirlooms. Again, blame the lack of competence.

At first, I thought Store It! would be about as fun as a bar of soap in a sock puppet. The concept was, I don’t know, too basic—bag-and-tag, sort of basic. In my mind, the idea of stacking items in a backyard shed was a novel one, and a shameless attempt to steal just a few hours of your time before vanishing into the wilderness of Steam’s gaping hole of shovelware indies. But I was wrong. As it turned out, it had a lot more to offer than a simple shovel-and-stack loop; it had colorful characters, customizable features, a small but detailed world, and, above all, a gravity mechanic that made the simple act of launching possessions into oblivion stupidly entertaining. That, funnily, was more than enough to keep me hooked for longer than I would like to admit. Go figure.

If the Shoe Fits

Store It! isn’t just about arranging furniture and other personal items to fit into a storage space. Well, it is, but the game itself also makes a habit of making it so that your attention is spread across multiple jobs, with the latter section of your career involving tasks like exploring the neighborhood, adding decor to your workspace, and implementing minor but important changes to enhance your workflow and business model. For the most part, though, the game is as described: a first-person storage-centric simulation game in which players build and manage their own facilities. It’s a simple setup, and it doesn’t exactly overcomplicate the process with unnecessary add-ons or shameless filler. But it’s what it does with that simple setup that makes it an easy one to recommend.

Store It! is very much one of those sorts of games that you could quite easily switch off to whilst slugging through the thick of its built-in jobs. It isn’t a mentally taxing game by any stretch, nor is it one that slaps you on the wrist for failing to make ends meet. That said, as with most chore core simulators that foster “satisfaction” levels with their in-game customer base, Store It! does present something of a challenge for you to overcome. Well, I say challenge when really I mean, doing all in your power to not destroy private possessions with your trusty gravity gun. That’s a whole other story, and one that, quite frankly, I could spend hours talking about. But I’ll spare you the headache and secondhand embarrassment.

The More, the Merrier

At the heart of all of this is a satisfying gameplay loop that, while not overly exciting or the least bit perfect, has a tremendous amount of depth in its job list. In addition to the wealth of cosmetics and building upgrades that you can harbor, there are also folks to befriend and receive gifts from, tailorable items to mold and implement in your workspace, and above all, a ridiculously entertaining physics-based control system that allows you the flexibility to wreak havoc on a multitude of levels and create an environment that’s both unique and surprisingly rewarding to build upon.

There are, of course, a few issues that dampen the overall experience here, mind you. Visually, the game often struggles to capture an airtight composition, with certain items clipping through walls and other items failing to manifest at all. A couple of minor issues to pick at, though nothing particularly game-breaking or fundamentally flawed, thankfully.

While there are a couple of loose ends that could do with a little extra tightening here, the breadth of the IP itself is a good indicator that it will achieve a lot of things with the right amount of effort and support. Is it a perfect game? No — but it is a great deal of fun to work through, especially if you’re looking for a way to unwind after a long day. Maybe that’s enough. It is for me, anyway.

Verdict

Store It! envelopes a lot more than it states on the tin, with a few hidden extras there to give it that oomph and something for fledgling entrepreneurs to write home about. Unlike your bog-standard business sim, Store It! makes a genuine effort to breach the usual trappings and short-sighted expectations in order to latch onto something with more substance—a move that culminates in a surprisingly lofty experience that just so happens to bring more than what you bargain for. With a slew of jobs to participate in, locations to unearth, and a sizable portfolio of potential upgrades to earn, it makes it so that, despite the physical act of arranging items being conceptually dull, there’s joy to be found in even the smallest chores.

To make your decision that much easier to make, I’ll leave you with this: if quirky business simulation games are to your liking, then Store It! ought to make for a quality choice the next time you’re looking to scratch that itch and jump into the art of renovation and build ‘em up projects. It’s quick, lighthearted, and above all, stupidly fun to play. Again, it won’t change your life, but it ought to give you something to chuckle about whilst you bide your time for that next endeavor.