Gas Station Simulator is wacky but I can’t stop playing it

I love games that give me stressful dreams. Something about being on the verge of death or just getting punched in the face, I find all very motivating, in a kind of Marie Kondo “I love the mess.” When the stakes at the table feel high, I can reward my lizard brain with each newly completed task. I get stuck in a relentless wave of these little to-do things, and I’ll sit glued to the computer for hours on end, like the time played Frostpunk until 3 am.

Gas station simulator is a fever dream that mixes these stressful management elements with retro graphics and an arcade minigame feel. Its appearance and animation are pretty horrible, and the individual elements of the game don’t necessarily make it a fun game on its own. There are also only a handful of NPC types that start recycling early in my game. But I’ve sunk hours in Gas station simulator Regardless, practically glued to my computer chair with the desire to do “just one more task.”

The game is, in most cases, about managing a gas station. But it is also much more.

Gas station simulator It opens with a “gift” from your uncle: a decrepit gas station called the Dust Bowl (yay!) on the side of the Route 66 highway. It comes complete with rotting boards, fly-infested trash cans, and no power. But wait! There is also no gas, no shelves, and the bathroom does not have a working toilet. Plus, the floor is covered in dirt and your customers will constantly track it throughout your convenience store during their visits.

Image: Drago Entertainment

From there, it’s your job to renovate and manage this repair house. You’ll start by cleaning up the trash and adding a new coat of paint. It will order gas, pump that gas, stock your shelves, scan the items at the checkout line, and take out the trash. The game increases in intensity quickly and you are soon faced with expansion issues. Eventually, you can buy new areas, like a repair shop, that increase profits but add more work.

All in all, each of these little tasks in Gas station simulator is a vaguely stressful minigame that looks like it could create a repeat injury. Selling items from the store requires playing a minigame in which you move a conveyor belt, grab an item, run it through the scanner, and then drop it into a basket. Scan without hassle and you will get a tip – if you mess up, you will lose money. Every penny counts, thanks to the game’s darkest, pocket-sized subplot; Let’s say your uncle’s “gift” came with some conditions.

It’s a lot to keep track of. Pump, scan, sweep, paint. Answer the mysterious calls from the pay phone on the corner. Revitalize the gas station, or else. Every now and then, the contractor’s menacing son, Dennis, shows up to ruin your plans by spray painting “Dennis RuleZ” and “you suck” and the occasional angel-winged penis on the side of your gas station. People throw garbage on the ground. Who is that stranger approaching you with a baseball bat?

Image: Drago Entertainment

There comes a point where it’s too much for one person, but you still can’t hire any employees. And you only have 12 hours left to repay that loan! Fortunately, paying customers are arriving and the lines are getting longer. For one thing, these customers don’t seem to mind waiting while you try to get it all done. On the other hand, if someone does it Getting mad waiting, I found a useful hack that involves hoisting someone’s car into the elevator at the repair shop to keep them from drifting away. Take it as you like.

I’m still in the early days of the game, but from what I’ve seen on YouTube, it just gets more chaotic. Why am I still playing? Short answer: I have to keep expanding my gas station. Long answer: I’m hooked on the game’s unpredictable and seedy narrative twists and the need to beat all of my minigame high scores while keeping my customers (somewhat) happy.