ReStory Brings Retro Nostalgia To Electronics Repair Simulation - Preview

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As I have mentioned previously, I love simulators, especially when there's a good balance of detail to them. PowerWash Simulator is a great one, though it can feel a little too long sometimes when trying to clean every nook and cranny of a level, but I have recently come to enjoy those more relaxing shop managers. I have been playing a good chunk of Trash Goblin, where we take in objects, clean them up for customers, and sell them for money. It has been quite relaxing, and I have been enjoying my time with it.

However, there's something about ReStory that stands apart from other similar games. You run a small electronics shop in the mid-2000s in Tokyo, where we will take clients and repair their electronics. We will have to take them apart, clean their parts, and put them back together again. From this, we will make money, buy new licenses and tools to repair devices with, and pay our rent. I had a chance to try the game's demo out ahead of its release, and I was immediately convinced this is a game I need to add to my library.

I adore the aesthetic of ReStory, and it is going to be the main reason I fell in love with the game. The vibrant color scheme and the character portrait designs both invoke a retro vibe that doesn't get old, but it's the time period and devices we will work with that won me over the most. I loved working with these devices reminiscent of the ones I grew up with, like Motorola Phones, Tamagotchis, and PSPs, and even ATARI consoles. Being able to work on these devices made me feel nostalgic, and they worked really well with the game's overall aesthetic.

The actual gameplay feels like a nice balance of complex and streamlined. Each device will need to be fully taken apart, cleaned, and put back together. We can also buy cheap second-hand devices on our dated Internet computer for extra parts of each of these if we need new working parts. And yes, I did spring for the 1MB internet speed for 1,500 yen. Customers will walk up to our shop on their own and drop off devices, or we can accept orders through our email, so it will feel like there's always something to do. It's a relaxing, chill time, and I was head over heels for it.

I did get a little lost when putting devices back together, with me forgetting the right combination of parts to put back first a couple of times, and some of the screws we have to take out are a little small, but it isn't unplayable. And with this being a demo/playtest, I am sure the experience will only get better. The core is what I wanted to check out, though, and developer Mandragora is crushing it so far.

I also appreciate how we can interact with our desk. We can only have one electronic on our mat in front of us, so we will need to move them to the side to work on other projects or get new parts. To do this, we have some freedom of placement on our desk. We can move boxes around, put them on shelves, and just place them wherever we want to. This extends to anything, like clocks or lights, so decorating looks like there will be some freedom for customization.

I checked the game out on the Steam Deck, and while it does play decently well, there are some areas it could improve. The game will stick around 40-50 FPS most of the time, but for whatever reason, the screws themselves will tank performance. Once you unscrew and remove the parts that were screwed in, framerate comes right back up to the 50s, so it's a little odd. However, the game does support 1280x800 resolutions, so I am hopeful this will be supported at release.

Ultimately, it's going to be very hard for me not to recommend this game once it releases. I loved taking apart these electronics that I grew up with, and I found the aesthetic and vibe enchanting. I love the setting choice and the balance of in-depth and relaxed mechanics to keep myself enjoying every moment. It also shows a lot of promise on the Steam Deck, and while it needs some work for the full release, there are still some ways to go.

ReStory can be wishlisted ahead of its 2026 release, and you can try it out for yourself right now via the Steam Playtest! Just join in from their store page and try it for yourself. It will only be open for a limited time, though, so get in and try it while you can.

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