Repair shop simulator ReStory will finally let me live out my dream of being an electronic tinkerer without having to destroy my own belongings first
As much as I love tinkering, taking any sort of electronic apart is my worst nightmare. I just know the second I do, all the tiny screws will go missing and I'll be left with something far more broken than it was in the first place. Fortunately, thanks to the reveal of shop simulator ReStory during the Wholesome Snack showcase, I no longer have to worry about trying to mend my own belongings and can instead take responsibility for mending others' belongings.
In the premiere trailer for ReStory, we get a first glimpse at what life would be like running a repair shop in early 2000s Tokyo. Each day, customers will rock up and require your skills when it comes to their rundown electronics, and it's your job to fix them. This will involve taking them apart, cleaning them up, diagnosing and mending the issue before giving them back.
These repairs look incredibly in-depth as well. It's not just a case of giving everything a good dust after you've taken its screws out; you really have to get into every nook and cranny. From the few examples we've seen in the trailer, each item you mend feels like an intricate puzzle. You'll have to snap a tonne of individual pieces back together while rotating the device, giving everything a good clean as you go and rooting through a box of electronic scrap to find any missing parts you might need.
Throughout ReStory, you'll mend everything from an Atari to a Tamagotchi, alongside old mobile phones and larger games consoles. The trailer doesn't give everything away, but it looks like there will be plenty of variation to keep you busy. Plus, while you're taking things apart and repairing them, you may unravel a few secrets to help out your customers. It's surprisingly easy to lose things amongst your electronics, it turns out. According to the trailer, these instances could "change someone's life" as well.
After all, it's not just about fixing what's broken, either. The more time you spend working alongside your customers, the more you learn about them. Their life story, their attachment to the device they need fixed, all sorts of tales will unravel while you work. This is one of the major selling points of simulators like this for me, as the characters really help deepen your connection with the game.
Currently we only have a 2026 release window for ReStory, so a realm of repairs could be a ways off yet. In the meantime, I wouldn't advise you to try to repair any of your old handheld consoles. Maybe wait until you can practise virtually before tearing into your poor, decades-old PSP.