Sometimes when I go into a game with certain expectations of what it is going to be like, I’m left so completely dumbfounded by the absolute journey the title has put me through when I put it down for the first time. “Computer Repair Shop,” developed and published by Turkish studio Cheesecake DEV, was one of these journeys. You’d think a game with a title like “Computer Repair Shop” would be a cosy little game where you fix computers for your clients and upgrade your shop or apartment or tools. This game is NOT that game.

In Computer Repair Shop, a game with no real storyline or plot, I found myself waking up in a small room I rent for $50.00 per night in the back of a Hostel. As I left my small bedroom, I came face to face with the Hostel owner who told me that I look cute when I’m sleeping. I got out of there quickly and made my way to where the tutorial questline needed me, my new Computer Repair Shop.

Alas, it was full of squatters who were ready to throw hands, so I headed around the corner to meet up with an old friend, “Steroid Man”, who offered to sell me a baseball bat and his assistance to get rid of the squatters in my shop. I agreed, and new weapon in hand, we headed back to the shop. Upon entry, Steroid Man IMMEDIATELY gets punched once and dies, but I felt in my soul that I had to avenge him. I got rid of the squatters, reclaimed my territory, and immediately got to work getting my shop ready for its first sketchy customers.

My shop is commonly known for fixing computer parts, upgrading computers, and selling new computers. Here, I can help you get your PC up to scratch to play the biggest games: “Toss A Coin Sim,” “Read Dead Guy,” and “Fort Fort,” or repair your graphics card with my state-of-the-art machinery.

Orders come in by a courier service (I assume – I never saw the event, just heard the doorbell) with a sticky note attached to the PC Case detailing what the customer wants. Sometimes after resting back at the hostel, these sticky notes were deleted, and so you’d work on a PC and think you’d done everything requested, but you’d end up sending it back and get the error “Customer Computer Not Working” and lose your income for that machine. You can also lose income by receiving a bill if a machine is stolen from the front of your shop as well, so make sure you keep an ear out and bring it straight into the back room for safekeeping.

I can also overclock your CPU or RAM to get more bang for your buck, but it can be weirdly tedious work. Even if the success right is high, it will still likely fail. I tried to overclock a CPU with a success rate of 85% and it still failed. Overclocking parts in a virtual world isn’t in my future.

Lesser-known services include selling bootleg cracked copies of games, injecting viruses into your computer, or even stealing all the money from your bank account to fund your other hobbies. Not only can I run a computer shop, but I can also run a RobotXHuman “Gentleman’s Club,” enter underground robot fights with my upgradeable robots, enter the “Backrooms” inspired backroom that I was too scared to go in, or simply buy supplies to care for the resident street cat, Fatfield.

I needed to keep an eye on my energy though, because if I fall asleep outside the Hostel, I am guaranteed to be robbed of a good portion of my “hard-earned” cash. I would love to have seen an option to buy an apartment or something so I don’t have to spend $50.00 to rest every night or to even SAVE THE GAME because resting is the only way you can save your progress.

The graphics, though not fantastic, add to the charm of the game. It’s a dark environment where you can imagine what it smells like and how thick the air is – it’s disgusting. The massive flies and NPC Robbers skulking around as you try to collect your drone-delivered parts order just add to the experience.

There’s no backing track to the game, but you do get the aforementioned “delivery doorbell,” the noise of buzzing flies, and the footsteps of the pedestrians outside your shop and all noises were of pretty good quality. Let the record show, the “Scream” virus noise got me EVERY TIME because it reminds me of certain car-driving-in-the-valley jump scares circa 2007 (if you know, you know). The only music I found was in the menu and when using a Key Generator for PC Operating Systems. I’m certain that 4 out of 5 voices in this game are AI-generated or something, but the strange robotic voices of the post office woman, and the Hostel owner just add to the environment in such a way that it just makes sense.

To summarise, Computer Repair Shop is WILD, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. It has so many memes and pop culture references I found hilarious. The gameplay itself is ridiculous and wild but I enjoyed it and the darker environment in the game. The only gripes I had were the game actively sabotaging my orders by deleting the sticky notes and having to pay to save the game, but it was still so much fun, and I’ll be playing more of it.

Written by: Emily France