‘NIGHT OF THE CONSUMERS’ is a Descent Into Retail Horror

NIGHT OF THE CONSUMERS tasks you with stocking shelves and avoiding some extremely persistent shoppers, doing anything you can to keep your job.

You’ve almost made it to the end of your first day on the job at a store. Still, the shelves need to be stocked and faced out before you can hope to go home for the day. Also, there’s still a bunch of people roaming the aisles, all on the lookout for those last-minute purchases before they go home. Do they care that you;re supposed to be done for the day soon? Do they care if they make a mess in as they meander the store? Do they care if they trample you under their feet as they scramble for a bottle of cola? Not really.

This results in a terrifying dash through the aisles as you struggle to keep the shelves filled with product so that your boss doesn’t fire you, but also avoid the customers who will rip you apart for the boxes in your arms. These folks are in a big hurry, too. Such a hurry that it will be difficult not to panic as a toothless grandma lopes toward you, arms outstretched. The sheer speed of the customers and the challenge of filling shelves definitely makes for a frightening game.

NIGHT OF THE CONSUMERS may be a little too on the nose given the current quarantines and viral outbreaks, creating a fear that could be a little too real should the public give in to panic any time soon. It’s a sharp horror title, but with reality as it is, perhaps it should give us pause to think about the poor retail clerks who are still showing up for work while many of us huddle up at home.

NIGHT OF THE CONSUMERS is available now on itch.io.

About The Author

Joel Couture

Joel has been covering indie games for various sites including IndieGames.com, Siliconera, Gamasutra, Warp Door, CG Magazine, and more over the past seven years, and has written book-length studies on Undertale and P.T.. Joel is constantly on the lookout for digital experiences that push the boundaries of what games can be, and seeks to delve into the creative process, meanings, and emotion labor that goes into the work of artists worldwide.

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