Retro Rewind Video Store Simulator Guide

Understanding the game’s systems thoroughly is critical to success. Managing the store step-by-step ensures smooth operations, allowing you to build a thriving video rental empire without missing key tasks or features.

Basics

Flyers play a crucial role in attracting customers. You can carry up to five at a time and must hand them directly to people outside. Positive reactions bring them inside, while negative ones mean missed opportunities. Be careful—if you throw a flyer instead of handing it over, that person will ignore you while nearby.

If you see someone holding a tape already, there’s no need to approach—they’re returning it. Flyers that get stuck near the exits can’t be retrieved but vanish after reloading, so placement matters.

Returns System

Movie returns happen regularly. You’ll hear a beep and notice a red light above the return station when a customer is returning a tape.

You can pick up to ten tapes before scanning. Post-scan, five possible outcomes affect how you handle the tape:

Normal return: Restock on shelves
Rewind needed: Use rewind machine, wait briefly, then remove tape
Late return: Receives a late fee notification
Broken tape: Dispose under the popcorn machine
Reserved tape: Place on reserved shelves

Even if staff are assigned to the return station, these audio and visual alerts remain essential for keeping track.

Recommendations and Pickups

Customers often seek recommendations at the counter near the return station, indicated by a specific sound and icon above their head.

They usually request genres, but some want specific qualities like OLD, GOOD CRITIC, or BAD CRITIC. Using these tags helps tailor suggestions accurately.

If you can’t fulfill a recommendation request, the customer simply continues browsing without penalty.

Reserved movies are also picked up here. Retrieve tapes from the reserved shelf and hand them over; customers then proceed to checkout or browse for more.

Telephone System

The ringing phone delivers various call types that impact your store:

Spam calls with random inquiries
Reservation requests to accept or decline
Customer tips for good recommendations
Movie donations directly added to storage

New Releases

New releases debut on specific days and can be bought in bulk. Purchasing five or more grants a free standee to boost visibility.

They remain popular for seven days, so placing these on special new release shelves maximizes their rental potential. After a week, they lose their popularity boost but remain rentable.

Bootlegger

The bootlegger makes appearances every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 PM behind the store, offering discounted movies.

A note near the loading bay signals his presence. His selection includes five discounted titles, typically with one or two adult movies.

You can purchase any or all available bootleg movies and stock them immediately on shelves.

Machines

Machines enhance customer experience and boost revenue through concessions.

Slushy Machine

The first machine you unlock. Customers request specific slushy flavors shown by icons. Prepare cups with the requested flavors—using all flavors for rainbow requests.

Popcorn Machine

Popcorn flows into the hopper; tilt and scoop it to fill bags, each holding two scoops for serving customers.

Cotton Candy Machine

Unlocks later as a second concession option, expanding your snack offerings.

Ending the Day

At day’s end, review your store’s financials carefully, looking at revenue and expenses before moving on.

Revenue
Expenses

Confirming your totals leads to advancing the in-game day.

Daily Statistics

Daily tracked stats give insight into your store’s performance, including:

Movies rented and returned
Customers served
Requests and reservations fulfilled
Concession sales

Income streams such as:

Rentals
Movie sales
Snacks
Concessions

And expenses including staff wages keep you aware of profitability.

Catalog System

The catalog is your hub for stocking the store with movies, snacks, equipment, and more.

Shelves

Thin Movie Shelves come in three sizes:

4 rows hold 12 items for $75
5 rows hold 15 items, $100 (level 1 required)
6 rows hold 18 items, $150 (level 1 required)

Standard Movie Shelves offer larger capacity:

4 rows hold 20 items, $125 (level 1)
5 rows hold 25 items, $175 (level 1)
6 rows hold 30 items, $210 (level 1)

New Release Shelves specialize in current titles:

4 rows hold 20 items, $140 (level 1)
5 rows hold 25 items, $190 (level 1)
6 rows hold 30 items, $225

Decorations

Decorations unlock progressively at various levels, for example at 1, 3, 5, and beyond. These items like frames, signs, and banners add atmosphere and potentially impact customer interest.

Each decoration has its cost and unlock requirements, allowing customization that suits your style and store theme.

Equipment

Equipment pieces unlock at higher levels, bringing functionalities such as snack shelves, televisions, clearance bins, refrigerators, candy dispensers, and arcade machines.

These make the store more engaging and provide additional revenue streams.

Snack shelf
Television
Clearance bin
Refrigerator
Candy dispensers
Arcade machines

Stations

Key stations unlock as your store grows:

Level 2 unlocks the Slushy machine
Level 8 adds the Popcorn machine
Level 12 enables the Cotton candy machine

Computer System

The in-game computer is essential for managing inventory and marketing. Its features include:

Desktop shows store info and day count
New section for buying new releases
Market displays rotating movie options with details
Data lists all movies, showing rarity and rentals
Black Market lets you search movies by SKU at premium prices

Candy Shelves and Snacks

Candy shelves have four rows with eight items each, totaling 32 slots. You assign one product per row; mixing products in a single row isn’t possible.

Each snack’s fixed cost and price ensure predictable profit margins, simplifying financial planning.

Each item has a fixed cost and selling price, creating consistent profit margins.

Tasks

There are 18 tasks that reward both money and XP upon completion, encouraging varied store activities.

Overall rewards amount to 1800 money and 1800 XP.

Example task categories include:

Completing the first day
Reaching specific revenue milestones
Concession sales
Hiring staff
Store expansion
Movie collection completion

Each task ties directly to achievements that track your progress and mastery.

Each task also has an achievement.

Seasons

The game cycles through four 28-day seasons, each introducing rental and sales boosts that affect genre popularity and snack demand.

Fall boosts drama, sci-fi, action, horror rentals, and chocolate bar sales
Winter boosts romance, holiday, drama, and sci-fi rentals
Spring and Summer follow with unspecified events
The cycle resets after 112 days

Store Unlocks by Level

Leveling up progressively unlocks essential store features such as:

Shelves (level 1)
Slushy machine (level 2)
New genres at multiple levels
Staff hires at levels 6 and 20
Equipment and arcade machines later

Store Expansions

Six expansion zones, unlocked through payments, enlarge your store and add amenities like ceiling TVs:

B for 1000 currency
F for 750 currency
A for 1250 currency
C for 2500 currency
E for 1500 currency

Expanding your footprint creates room for more products and customer comfort improvements.

Store Customization

Customization tools include:

SKU inspection for inventory clarity
Move mode to rearrange items
Design mode for aesthetic adjustments

Employees

Staff hiring unlocks at level 6, allowing up to two employees who help run the store more efficiently.

Their skill categories vary from slow to fast, affecting task completion times.

Fast
Good
Average
Slow

Trait diversity adds depth to personnel management, including:

Loyal
Complaint Handler
Runner
Strong Bladder
Strong Immune System

Movies

Movie collections appear organized by genre and tagged based on quality or age, aiding decisions when making recommendations.

Tags such as GOOD, BAD, OLD, and UNKNOWN clarify which titles best fit customer requests.

Adult Movies

Me Time With My Octopus – BAD
Sweaty Octopus Action – UNKNOWN
The Plant, My Prisoner – UNKNOWN

Drama Movies

Breakfast in Miami – BAD
Dr. Lane’s Chosen Heart – GOOD
Knockout Dinosaur – UNKNOWN
Letting Our Body Part Go – UNKNOWN
Lonely Cash – BAD | OLD
Midnight Trophy Drive – GOOD
Sad Bull Dreams – UNKNOWN
Sausage Gone With the Wind – GOOD
The Angry Music – UNKNOWN
The Ape on the Bridge – GOOD
The Big Toe’s Long Way Home – UNKNOWN
The Gnome on the Bridge – GOOD
The Inmate’s Long Way Home – UNKNOWN
The King’s Heart – BAD | OLD
The Lord in the Streets – GOOD
The Mammal Walks Alone – UNKNOWN
The Neighborhood Boat – GOOD
The Race Car Strategy – OLD
The Wizard’s Last Round – GOOD
Tim, John and The Bathtub – GOOD

Retro Rewind Video Store Simulator Guide