Supermarket horror simulator Hellmart is now available and developer Gaze In Games has promised console ports will be coming later this year.
Hellmart’s goal is holding a dark mirror up to the working conditions of retail workers. The game sympathies are thankfully with the retail workers instead of the privileged Karens who harass workers for every little thing. Head on over to Steam to pick up Hellmart if it sounds like something you might be interested in.
One of the NPC’s in Hellmart is even named Karen and acts exactly as one might expect. One thing that becomes clear as you play the demo of Hellmart is how expendable you are to the boss, mirroring the push by corporations to replace their workers with self-checkout machines and AI to avoid paying them, as well as the push to abolish the minimum wage.
While Hellmart is the team’s first official game, some of the people behind it are the same developers of zoo-horror game Zoochosis, so there is an added layer of hype for Hellmart.
Read below for an extended look at Hellmart’s features and its launch trailer:
Supermarket simulator meets horror. You’re a clerk at a 24-hour convenience store. During the day – serve customers and hit your sales goals. At night – beware of strange clients. Try to survive 7 days in the Far North.
DAYTIME — ALMOST A NORMAL STORE
- Hit your daily sales quota
- restock shelves
- Keep the store and surrounding area clean
- Work the register
- DON’T BE RUDE TO CUSTOMERS
IN THE EVENING — evil awakens. Get ready for its visit:
- Watch the generator
- Barricade the doors
- Check the security cams
- Buy supplies
- Upgrade the store to survive
- DON’T LET EVIL GET IN
AT NIGHT – The Nightmare Begins.
- Interact with late-night customers
- Evil will try to trick you
- Decide who to let in and who to leave to their fate
- Your life depends on your actions
- DON’T STEP OUTSIDE
Key Features
- A blend of supermarket simulator and horror.
- Strange customers and situations add variety to each playthrough.
- Three different endings that depend on your choices.
- Your actions matter: the fates of your customers depend on the decisions you make throughout the game.
