If you're into life sim games like Animal Crossing but wish there was more of a retro twist to the proceedings, then I've got the perfect game for you. ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs has all the makings of one of the most relaxing titles I've ever had the privilege of covering here at Retro Dodo, giving gamers the chance to take a look at the inner workings of old tech, repair and clean them up for customers, and make some game cash while they're at it.
I'm all about cozy games - I can't wait for Pokopia to come out in a few months time, and games where I can just kick back and do very little are sometimes a welcoming reward after a long day of straining my brain while writing.
I played Coffee Talk a couple of years ago, and while it undoubtedly had the potential to be relaxing, it didn't really grip me. ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs from developers Mandragora and publishers tinybuild, on the other hand, gets me looking at the gubbins of PS1 and Atari consoles, taking apart PSPs, and cleaning up old Nokia phones for the virtual customers that come by my shop.
Repair nostalgic consoles, talk with your customers and run your own restoring store in 2000’s Japan 💛#wishlistwednesday #cozygame pic.twitter.com/f9TJ9crUmv
— ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs (@restorygame) January 29, 2026
Talk to customers, liaise with your landlord, buy parts, clean up goods, repair tech, and hopefully make a profit at the end of it all. It's an interactive title and a first step into the world of console repairing. And yes, from friends of mine who do repair consoles, removing the dirt seems to be a large part of the job!
And yes, it hasn't gone unnoticed that the game's title 'ReStory' is a play on words of 'restore'. That's my kind of humour, right there.
The game is scheduled for release later this year, but there's currently a Play Test happening right now on Steam if you want to jump in and check it out!
