An untitled grocery store simulation game.

The player acts as a grocery store owner and is tasked with designing, building, and managing the store. Underpinning the player’s creativity will be an agent-based simulation of Shoppers shopping and Staff stocking shelves, working checkout for customers, and other duties.

How will the game work?

Store Floorplan

Draw and paint a store’s floorplan.

Walls & Doors

Walls are sketched on a grid and doors placed in them, much like in The Sims.

Aisles

Shelf space is painted on the shopping floor and shelves are procedurally generated and built given the shelf’s type.

Stock

Staff stocks shelves for customers to browse and pick from.

• Aisles
• Shelves
  • Refrigeration
  • Shelves
• Departments
  • Customer Service
    • General Service
  • In-Store Coffee Shop, think Starbucks, et al.
  • In-Store Bank Branch
  • Frozen/Refrigerated Foods
  • Deli, QSR
  • Meat & Seafood
  • Pharmacy

Premium Stock Space

• End-caps
• In-Aisle Displays
• Impulse buys
  • Checkout fridges, shelves, and end-caps

Return Unpurchased/Misplaced Stock

Shoppers often misplace, can’t afford, or don’t buy items. Staff will return stock to its assigned place.

Checkout

Shoppers will purchase picked stock.

• Staffed
• Self-Checkout

Parking Lot

A parking area is painted outside the store. Parking spaces and thoroughfares connecting to street entrance(s) are procedurally generated.

Agents

Agent-based simulation of people doing their business around in the player’s store.

Shoppers

• Individuals
• Groups
  • Friends
  • Families

Family Mechanics

Sometimes children run off, away from their parents. Parents can look around for their kids or report them missing to Customer Service and a PA announcement can be made.

Staff

• Cashiers
• Self Check-Out Attendant
• Baggers
• Cart Return
• Stockers
• Janitors
• Security

Feedback

These are mostly preliminary ideas. I keep having lots of ideas for things to add to the game, but I don’t want to bog myself down too much upfront. Gotta keep SMART goals!

Let me know what you think and what you’d like to see in the game.