Summary
- Launching on XBOX Series X|S Today.
- How I built a shop sim without ever playing one, and added zombies.
- The real life origin story of the character of Robin.
The Walking Trade is out today on XBOX Series X|S. It’s a store management game set in a zombie apocalypse: you stock the shelves, set your prices, and serve the survivors who come through the door, then pick up a weapon when zombies raid the place. I made it on my own, and I made it without ever playing a shop simulator.
Starting From the Bottom
I grew up on tycoon games in the early 2000s. RollerCoaster Tycoon and The Sims were my favorites, and what stayed with me was the first time I played each of them without cheat codes (sacrilegious, I know). With no shortcut to easy money, both games gave me the feeling of starting from the bottom and building something from nothing. I wanted The Walking Trade to give you that same feeling.
Years later, I watched shop simulators take off. Traditional tycoon games work at the macro scale, while shop simulators stay with the day-to-day: the shelf that needs restocking, the customer waiting to pay. That depth intrigued me. But they are, by design, incredibly chill experiences, and the game I wanted to play had risk and danger in it. So instead of playing them, I built the shop simulator I’d want to play.
A Shop Worth Defending
I hadn’t seen a shop simulator really add combat, and a post-apocalyptic world seemed like the perfect way to marry the two mechanically. A shop full of supplies is exactly the kind of place that needs defending.
In The Walking Trade, you design the layout of your store, decide what goes on which shelf, and choose what to charge. Then periodically zombie hordes arrive, and you defend it all with melee weapons, firearms, or whatever is within reach. Once unlocked, the crafting station lets you make medicine, weapons, tools, and upgrades for the shop, along with defenses and traps to hold the zombies back. You can hire survivors to serve customers, scavenge for supplies, or stand guard, and it’s up to you to keep them equipped and motivated.
How you trade is your call too. You can help the community around you, or you can price gouge or murder customers for profit. Your reputation decides who comes knocking.
A Survivor Named Robin
I started work on The Walking Trade in October 2024. I was about to be laid off from my job as a software developer at an indie game publisher, and my wife and I had just found out we were expecting our first child. Around 18 months later, the game was released on PC.
On your second day in the game, a survivor named Robin runs to your store, fleeing a zombie. He becomes your first member of staff, and his arrival is how the game introduces both combat and managing your team. Robin is also my son’s name.
After the PC release, I watched players on YouTube and Twitch go out of their way to keep Robin alive for their entire playthrough. It was touching to see people genuinely care about him.
The Walking Trade launches on XBOX Series X|S today. Build your shop up from nothing, decide what kind of shopkeeper you want to be, and please keep Robin alive.
The Walking Trade
PlayWay S.A.
$11.99
$10.79
The Walking Trade is a quirky, action-packed zombie apocalypse store management game where chaos and commerce collide!
Design your shop, balancing space, aesthetics, and functionality. Organize shelves, set prices, and ensure customers leave happy – or at least alive.
Customers aren’t your only problem – zombies invade! Wield melee weapons, firearms, or whatever you can find to defend your shop during raids and hordes.
Hire survivors to scavenge supplies, serve customers, or guard the shop. Keep them equipped and motivated to reap the rewards.
Unlock crafting stations to create weapons, tools, and shop upgrades. Build barricades, storage units, and even makeshift traps to keep zombies at bay.
Be a benevolent shopkeeper or an opportunistic overlord. Help the community, price gouge, or even sabotage settlements for profit. Your reputation determines who comes knocking.
In The Walking Trade, every decision shapes your survival. Build, fight, and thrive in the apocalypse—your way!
The post The Walking Trade: How I Built a Shop Simulator Without Ever Playing One appeared first on XBOX Wire.