In this Blind Box Shop Simulator preview, I spent around three hours managing my own collectible store in Akihabara, and I’ve come away genuinely excited for the full release. Blind Box Shop Simulator is currently in development at NovaraGames and is available on Steam through the Early Access Creator Program.
This early build is clearly unfinished. There are visual glitches and a few immersion breaks. Even so, the core gameplay loop already feels dangerously addictive. For fans of cosy management games and shop simulators, this is one to watch.
A Cosy Shop in Akihabara
Blind Box Shop Simulator is, in a nutshell, a game where you manage and customise a blind box shop in Akihabara. The moment I stepped outside my humble little store, I felt drawn into the bustle around me and eager to be part of this world. Inside, the shop initially felt a bit plain and detached, but as I gradually earned more money and store experience, I started to turn it into something I was genuinely proud of. Even in this limited demo, the full version’s unlocks sit there teasing you from the menus.
If, like me, you are someone who enjoys cosy management games, you probably already have a rough idea of what to expect here. What surprised me, though, was how much fun it is to actually open the blind boxes yourself, then decide whether to display your favourite pulls or sell them on for a profit. It gives you all the excitement of opening boxes without spending real money. That is a win win for me.
Learning the Ropes
Starting the game fresh, I was dropped outside my store with a short tutorial to follow. I quickly named it Respawning and was introduced to the basics of buying products, all handled through a trusty in game tablet. Deliveries turn up by the kerb outside in sealed boxes, which you pick up, open, and then stack neatly on the shelves. I was not hugely bothered by the shelf stacking itself, and there is a lot of back and forth as the bin for the packaging is outside, but it does help sell the feeling of actually running a little shop.
With my shelves freshly stocked, I opened the doors and eagerly waited for my first customers. The tutorial walks you through three different payment types, with one customer paying by cash, one by card, and one by QR code. QR code payments are not exactly standard on every British high street, but in a modern Akihabara setting it fits and adds to the sense that you are running a real shop in the middle of a busy district.
Afterwards I was instructed to grab some boxes from the shelves and open them. Each box bursts into colour to show how rare the statue inside is, and you can rotate the physical model to really admire what you have unboxed. As my collection grew, I could either keep my favourite pieces or put them up for sale by placing them on a special stand.
The Core Gameplay Loop
This is pretty much the core loop of the game. It is slow but exciting and a little bit chaotic. You replenish stock, open boxes, and serve customers. After some progression, these jobs can be partially automated. You can hire someone to stay behind the till, or have them focus on keeping the shelves topped up.
I eventually unlocked the ability to broadcast my unboxings, and was very quickly able to automate this process too. While I enjoyed this aspect and was always excited to open more boxes, especially when I pulled an ultra rare figure worth $9,999, the NPC I had to hand this item to was just blindly staring at me. It broke the immersion a little in what should have been a really hype moment.
Visuals and Performance So Far
The preview build was played through Steam, and the demo is now available for download if you want to check it out yourself. Performance wise, I did not run into any real issues. It ran smoothly at 1440p for me, even after I bought the maximum upgrade for my store size, and performance did not take a hit.
One thing that does stand out, though, is a clear LOD (Level of Detail) issue. If you are far away from characters, your customers will start to clip through their clothes, leaving them in some unintentionally revealing situations. It is funny at first, but it definitely needs tightening up.
Sound and Atmosphere
The sounds in the game so far fit the cosy shop vibe. There are catchy little jingles playing, dings from the cash register, and the sound of tearing open a box is very satisfying. At the moment, though, the music can be a little jarring. It seems to be playing from a single source in the store, so when you are constantly sprinting in and out, the way it fades and shifts can become slightly distorted and a bit harsh on the ears.
Looking Ahead
Even in this early state, Blind Box Shop Simulator already feels dangerously moreish. The loop of stocking shelves, opening boxes, and chasing rare pulls is simple but effective. Automation adds a welcome layer of progression, and the promise of future unlocks gives you a reason to keep pushing.
What makes it exciting is how expandable the idea feels. More figure sets, bigger store upgrades, deeper customisation, and smarter staff systems could easily turn this from a pleasant time sink into something genuinely special. The foundations are there. It just needs polish and scale.
It is clearly not finished. Visual glitches, LOD issues, and small immersion breaks still need attention. However, none of these problems undermine the core experience. At its heart, this is a satisfying and cleverly designed management loop.
If you enjoy cosy management games with a collectible twist, this is one to watch. The demo is available now on Steam, and I will definitely be keeping a close eye on how Blind Box Shop Simulator evolves ahead of full release.