This cozy repair sim lets you fix PSPs, Nintendo DS, flip-phones and retro tech in 2000s akihabara

tinyBuild and developer Mandragora have released a new demo for a cozy, chill repair sim game called ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs, where you get to fix old electronics, including a Nintendo DS and a PSP.

It lets players step into the shoes of an average electronics repair shop owner in Tokyo in the mid-2000s. The game guides you through relaxing, hands-on repairs of gaming consoles, mobile phones, and peripherals, alongside managing the repair shop and a branching story driven by how well you treat and serve your customers.

The game is set against the backdrop of Akihabara, and you’re supposed to calmly fix devices ranging from flip phones to gadgets you may have seen in the 2000s. Furthermore, a collaboration with Atari brings the company’s classic console lineup to the repair bench as well.

The updated demo is already available as part of Steam Next Fest and further fleshes out the gameplay with new tools and quality-of-life improvements based on player feedback.

tinyBuild stated on Steam, “The demo offers an expanded look at the pre-release version of the game and introduces new gadgets like the Atari Lynx (as part of the collaboration with Atari) and the Patento BS, which draws inspiration (but not too much inspiration) from one of the most iconic gaming handhelds. Another addition to the demo compared to the playtest build is the airbrush drawing tool, which allows players to visually customize devices—some of the community creations can be seen in the latest trailer.”

The demo has also been patched with some bug fixes, visual polish, and better controls to help the cozy repair sim feel more complete.

As expected, the core loop of the game requires you to carefully disassemble various Y2K and 2000s-era pieces of tech like the PSP, DS, mobile phones, music players, and more. The gameplay involves opening up the devices, cleaning out dust and debris, replacing faulty components, soldering connections, and reassembling everything.

Furthermore, the collaboration with Atari means you’ll get to work on 1:1 recreations of the company’s iconic lineup of retro consoles, including the Atari Lynx, Atari 2600, and Jaguar.

The full version of ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs is slated to launch on PC via Steam later on and will be playable in English. For now, the demo is free to download on Steam, giving players a chance to tinker with older hardware and see how a Japanese repair shop in Akihabara thrived in the mid-2000s.