Retro Rewind – A Love Letter to the VHS Era

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• DEVELOPER: Blood Pact Studios
• PUBLISHER: Blood Pact Studios
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Management / Simulation
• RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2026
• STARTING PRICE: 19,90€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Retro Rewind is a management simulation game that places you in the heart of an early 90s video rental store, filled with nostalgia. I have to say, I was deeply impressed by how engaging and fun the game is. From the moment I stepped into the game, I felt drawn in by the charm of arranging tapes, serving customers, and watching my store grow.

However, the more I played, unlocking new levels and expanding my shop, the more I realized that Retro Rewind lacked a certain ambition. By ambition, I mean that it feels like it could have so much more content. If it had launched in early access, I would have understood, but now, at full price and full release, I really hope the developers don’t stop here.

In any case, if you’re someone who fondly remembers the days of Blockbuster and late-90s VHS rentals, this game will be a joy for you. Even though I’m quite young, I never really experienced that era firsthand, and Retro Rewind became a perfect time capsule adventure for me. It allowed me to step into a world I’d only heard about, and even though it could be bigger, it’s still a really special experience.

Familiar, Focused, Fun

Retro Rewind is what you would expect from a lot of simulation games in that genre, where the core loop remains familiar throughout the entire playthrough. Here, you manage the daily operations of a video rental store: buying movies, restocking shelves, interacting with customers, and managing your cash flow. The game is quite easy to pick up, never overwhelming you with too many tasks at once; it really mirrors a typical day in the life of a store clerk, filled with busy work that never quite feels dull.

I found the systems intuitive and engaging; there’s a surprising depth in how you organize your inventory. You have different movie genres like romance, drama, sci-fi, Christmas, and more, and it’s crucial to arrange them strategically, so I, for example, separated each genre into its own section, adding shelves and decorations to create a personalized layout. Another nice touch is that, although you handle most of the busy work, the game doesn’t let you set prices yourself.

While this isn’t a major flaw, I do wish we had more control, especially over special editions, so that we could add more value to rare finds. What really sets the game apart is its interaction with customers. You can handle late fees, decide whether to forgive or charge them, and the game automates much of the back-end, like returning, rewinding tapes, or flagging broken ones. In this way, the game balances a sense of realism with a smooth flow, letting you focus on the bigger picture while the daily grind falls neatly into place.

Another important mechanic is your phone. You’ll receive calls to rent out specific movies, handle prank callers, or accept donations for your store, but that’s about the extent of it. I wish the interactions were deeper, perhaps calls from VIPs who could help the business or opportunities to sign partnerships. Currently, the game lacks a reputation system or any metric to show how attractive your store actually is to customers.

What Lies Behind the Store

Retro Rewind also has a dynamic seasonal effects and events. Each day in the game brings something new: a new movie release, new season, a themed event like a meteor shower that spikes customer interest in sci-fi, or a festival that drives demand for drama films. The weekdays tend to be calmer, but come Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the store is filled, with dynamic shifts in traffic and sales. I also loved how the game tasks you with taking pamphlets outside, sharing them with passersby, a simple mechanic, but it’s fun to see how people react, whether they rush in or just ignore you.

Still, I do wish this aspect had more scope. You’re mostly just walking around the same small storefront, and it does feel a bit limited. That said, what the game excels at is the freedom it gives you in rearranging your store. You’re not boxed into a rigid layout since there’s a huge variety of decorations and expansions.

Beyond just movies, you unlock things like a popcorn stands. While I wouldn’t say the game has endless replay value, it has this pull that makes you want to come back to the same save, carefully growing your store over time. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s even a hidden black market behind your shop where you can grab adult movies or rare movies.

When it comes to experience and overall content, Retro Rewind is a remarkably smooth game to navigate. The menus are clean and uncluttered, and every item you buy lands neatly in your garage, ready for quick placement in your store. It’s easy to get around, with a flow that never overwhelmed me, no crashes, no hiccups, just a dependable, well-polished experience. But where the game falters is in the sheer amount of content.

The Unfinished Shelf

Currently, there are about 20 levels, each unlocking something new: a movie genre, a decorative item, or a small addition like a popcorn stand. But beyond this, the progression feels slow and repetitive. Once you’ve hit level 10, it’s as though the game has already shown you most of what it has to offer. For instance, you get your first employee by level 6, which is a huge help, but the second one only unlocks at level 20, by then, you’ve already grown the store a massive amount.

This is where the game really lacks ambition; it sticks to this simple formula of unlocking items, but never pushes you to interact with special editions or broken tapes in a meaningful way. Customers rarely leave if they aren’t checked out, so the sense of urgency or dynamism is also missing. It’s also a shame that employees, while effective, can’t pick up misplaced movies or correct the shelves.

The shelf system itself is also too rigid, you can adjust some decorations, but the shelves all look largely the same. In short, Retro Rewind has a solid foundation, but it never truly evolves past its core loop, leaving a sense that the game’s scope, despite its charm, remains disappointingly narrow.

I can’t lie, Retro Rewind is still a genuinely enjoyable experience. It’s not a tense or fast-paced game, it’s a calm, relaxing journey where you slowly build your store from the ground up. I did run into a few small bugs, like when I tried to place snacks on a shelf, customers awkwardly clipped through me or when customers keep bumping into each other and are getting stuck, but these never ruined the fun. In fact, the slightly eerie character models add uniqueness since they stare just a bit too intensely, but it helps the game’s playful vibe.

The Final Verdict

I really hope the developers don’t stop here. The potential is enormous, this game leans so heavily on a solid concept and a nostalgic mood, and with more updates, maybe mod support or big content drops, this could get even bigger. I’m confident that, with ongoing development, whether it’s a few big content drops or a focus on expanding customer interactions, this game could be a true standout. It’s already decent enough, but it just needs a few more layers to break free from that mid-game monoty and keep you coming back.

Retro Rewind perfectly scratches that itch for anyone who wants to run their own video rental store: it’s simple, engaging, and incredibly relaxing once you get into the groove. What’s key is that this game leans hard on its retro vibe, and it does it well. Still, I stand by my point that it needs more ambition. The game feels like it’s already at its peak halfway through, and even though it launched as a full release, it really deserves more. I hope, given its overwhelmingly positive reception, that the developers keep building on it.

Review is based on a copy I purchased