Indie studio BslTeam has revealed the first official gameplay trailer for Shop Crush, a shop simulator that combines visual novel elements, psychological horror, and puzzle-solving. Set in the early 2000s, the game puts players behind the counter of a mysterious thrift shop where managing customers can be just as important as turning a profit.
Rather than focusing solely on buying and selling goods, Shop Crush makes its customers central to the experience. Each visitor has their own personality, preferences, purchasing habits, and hidden motives. Players will need to learn how customers behave, determine what they are looking for, negotiate prices, and decide which offers to accept or reject.
The shop’s reputation also plays an important role. Players will have to balance profitability against customer satisfaction, with poor decisions potentially damaging the business and causing customers to stop visiting. Stock management is another part of the simulation, requiring players to order new products and keep popular items available.
Beyond the shop’s day-to-day operations, Shop Crush introduces a supernatural mystery through what it calls “Literal Illusion” puzzles. Players can zoom, rotate, and drag images to uncover objects and details hidden in plain sight. Each customer has an associated illusion puzzle, with completing them gradually revealing more about their story and the secrets surrounding the shop.
The game is structured as a choice-driven visual novel with procedurally generated core gameplay. Its planned content includes 10 unique clients, five locations with their own storylines, more than 50 customer upgrade levels, and over 70 products ranging from everyday necessities to stranger items.
Players will also be able to develop relationships with customers and improve their purchasing power by leveling them up. Customer progression can affect factors such as visit frequency, average spending, and reputation. The game additionally allows players to customize customer appearances, with alien, female, and male options available.
Shop Crush is slated for an Early Access release in 2026 on PC via Steam, and players looking forward to playing it can wishlist the game right now. In addition, the developer has also revealed that the team is preparing a demo for the game, which will be available by the end of this year.
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Would you be interested in playing Shop Crush when it launches later this year, and what do you think of its gameplay? Let us know in the comments section below.
