Indie publisher tinyBuild and developer Mandragora have officially announced that ReStory, the highly anticipated, cosy electronics repair simulator set in Y2K-era Japan, will launch on PC via Steam this summer.
If you’ve been looking for a new gaming obsession that perfectly blends tactile, satisfying gameplay with a heavy dose of turn-of-the-millennium nostalgia, this is one to put on your radar.
Check out the official Steam Next Fest trailer below to see the game’s distinct aesthetic in action:
Turn-of-the-Millennium Tinkering
ReStory transports players back to the mid-2000s, placing you in charge of a quaint, easygoing tech repair shop nestled in an urban Japanese setting. The core gameplay revolves around the strangely therapeutic process of bringing vintage electronics back to life.
You will spend your days carefully unscrewing, cleaning, soldering, and reassembling a massive variety of nostalgic gadgets from the era, including:
- Retro Gaming Gear: Take apart classic video game consoles and handhelds. Thanks to an official partnership with Atari, you’ll even get to restore licensed hardware like the Atari 2600 and Jaguar.
- Millennial Tech: Fix up classic flip phones, chunky digital cameras, portable music players, home appliances, and virtual pets.
- The Hunt for Parts: Need a specific component to finish a job? Boot up a beautifully recreated, old-school, in-game web browser to scour the internet for rare spare parts.
Deep Customisation and Branching Stories
It isn’t just about turning screws and clearing out dust bunnies. ReStory weaves a rich, non-linear narrative into your daily workflow. Every piece of tech brought into your shop belongs to a unique customer with their own background.
As you interact with a memorable cast of characters, the choices you make will directly influence a branching storyline. You might find yourself uncovering secrets hidden on a former gangster’s old mobile phone, or helping a lovestruck student figure out how to approach their crush.
Additionally, the developers have introduced an airbrush drawing tool and custom colour palettes, allowing you to completely repaint and customise hardware to create one-of-a-kind tech skins before handing them back to your clients.
Play the Steam Next Fest Demo Right Now
The game has already built massive momentum ahead of its release, amassing over 400,000 wishlists and welcoming more than 300,000 players during its initial playtest phases.
If you don’t want to wait until the official summer launch window to get your hands dirty, a brand-new, expanded demo is live right now as part of Steam Next Fest. The demo features a first look at the new customisation tools as well as the “Patento BS”—a new in-game handheld gadget heavily inspired by one of gaming’s most legendary dual-screen portables.
Head over to the ReStory Steam Store Page to download the demo and add it to your wishlist today.
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