Ever since I got my hands on a North American copy of Shenmue back in the year 2000, I’ve been looking for a similar hit of cozy, small-town nostalgia. In other words, I was thinking, maybe I should get another. If you know, you know.
To be fair, Sega’s Yakuza games scratch some of that itch, insofar as they spiritually carry forward the eccentric Shenmue torch, at least in terms of bizarre Japanese charm. But I wouldn’t exactly call those titles cozy, per se, unless you’re occasionally visiting in-game arcades or shops—outside of the main storyline, of course, which feels arguably less contained and homey than Shenmue.
And yes, there have been cozy games released in the interim, especially by way of the indie community (Sun Haven, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing: New Horizons), but none have totally zeroed in on the indescribable essence of why I loved Shenmue so much. That is, until I saw the trailer for upcoming retail simulation InKonbini, which seems like if Yu Suzuki set Ryo’s Dreamcast adventure solely inside a Tokyo-inspired convenience store.
I only recently stumbled across InKonbini: One Store. Many Stories., having randomly seen the Game Awards video on X. Its undeniable similarities to Shenmue immediately piqued my interest, although according to an article from Rock Paper Shotgun, founding developer of Nagai Industries Dima Shen “has been obsessed with that unassuming Tomato Convenience Store [from Shenmue] since he was a teenager,” so this déjà vu makes sense. Shen is even dressed like Ryo Hazuki in the most recent promotional footage (filmed within and just outside a Japanese konbini, or convenience store, no less) and acting like him, too.
The same article calls InKonbini “immediately charming and an absolutely shameless daydream” as well as “eerie,” citing the game’s frozen-in-time uncanny nature, a possible desperate game homage to a much older game, yet. Shenmue inception.
A potentially toxic nostalgia, I suppose, where imitation becomes a kind of lamentable sadness. Pitiable art, maybe. I haven’t played the game yet, so I can only go off these skeptical impressions, so it remains to be seen if InKonbini is more inspired-by fun or rose-tinted grasping.
For your own judgement, here’s a synopsis from the game’s Steam page:
inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories is a cozy narrative-driven simulation game about connection, nostalgia, and the quiet beauty of daily life.
Play as Makoto Hayakawa, a college student who finds herself behind the counter of a small-town convenience store in a colourful setting inspired by early 1990s Japan.
Discover joy and wonder hidden behind the daily routine of a konbini worker, explore every nook and cranny around the store, and help your customers navigate their lives in branching conversations with meaningful choices!
Much like Shenmue, the game takes place in retro Japan, but instead of happening during the 1980s, it’s the radical 1990s, dude. From what I can tell, the plot doesn’t appear to revolve around avenging your murdered father or whatever, which is a nice change of pace with less, uh, murder? The story instead deals with running the shop, meeting interesting customers and learning about their passions and plights. The focus on other people is also quite Shenmue-esque, now that I think about it. And as we know, Tom’s hot dog stand didn’t dispense glizzies on its own. We got to know the dancing man behind the dog, and that was meaningful to us lonely ‘90s kids.
ASMR is specifically mentioned on the game’s website—and not that weird prison guard roleplay stuff you stash in a hidden YouTube playlist, hopefully—so this project is aiming to be a calming one, filled with the “Japanese concept ichi-go, ichi-e (one time, one meeting) at the heart of the experience.” Publisher and developer Nagai Industries also speaks of how player choice will drive the unfolding narrative, and much of the focus will be on meaning, assumingly derived from ongoing conversations with patrons and the meditation of routine.
The initial trailer has everything: Smooth jazz, warm lighting, shelf stocking and kind locals casually coming in to buy goods. Plus, it’s raining outside while it’s cozy inside. Perfection. Interestingly enough, this is actually the particular detail that made me want to play this game the most. I’ve always found the idea of finding shelter and solace in an inviting, safe place during a storm so wildly comforting. So yeah, the vibes present are welcoming, and they hold promise of serious relaxation.
Admittedly, early criticism has me cautious about InKonbini, but being a diehard Shenmue fan, I can’t deny my tempered excitement. Even if it turns out to be an unabashed knock-off, basing an entire game around a virtual convenience store inside a piece of 25-year-old Dreamcast software, as well as real stores in Japan, could be just crazy enough to work.
InKonbini is scheduled to hit PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and Steam sometime in 2025.
