THE BACKLOG

Backlog: clear the mountain of cartridges!

Alone in the shop after closing

The shutters are down at a used-game shop. Games and consoles that were appraised but never shelved are piled across the floor. Your job is to put every last one back on the right shelf. Clear the floor and the exit door opens. What waits beyond it depends on how you tidied.

Just one thing to do

Pick it up. Read the label. Put it on the shelf for that console. No timer, no game over.
There are 20 fictional retro consoles, and their cartridges, discs and boxes all come in different shapes and sizes. Match the label on a game to the sign above a shelf, and you'll know where it goes. Shelves that are out of order light up, so when in doubt, follow the glow.

The more you tidy, the faster you get

There are two skill tracks.

• Grows with every game you shelve: carry more at once, bundle copies of the same game, reach farther, and toss games straight onto shelves
  
• Grows each time you fill a section with a single title: matching titles glow, the right shelf lights up, and copies of the same game come to you

Go for volume, or finish one section at a time. How you play changes the way the shop comes together.

Tidy up with up to 3 friends

Join the same shop and split the work. Toss games to each other, and coordinate with pings, emotes and chat. Everyone hears the same song on the in-store radio, and you can change the station at the register.

A plaza floating in the night sky

Head to the Plaza from the title screen to reach a lobby floating in the night sky, where up to 34 players who speak your language can hang out. Take a break on the sofas and benches, cast a fishing line into the clouds below, roast marshmallows over the campfire, or set off fireworks. Change the song on the jukebox and line up in front of the backdrop for a group photo. Hit it off with someone? Form a party and head out to tidy together. You can also open a plaza just for your friends, or one for invited players only.

Small rewards at the bottom of the pile

100-yen coins turn up under the games. Collect three, give the capsule machine by the register a turn, and get one of 20 monster figures. Each one goes on display in the showcase at the register.

Your tidying, on record

Every title you collect is added to the Game Catalog. Compare clear times with friends and players around the world, and save a sped-up video of the shop coming together. Unlocking Steam achievements also unlocks new hats and effects for your character.

What's in the game at launch

There are two places to play. The Studio is a short run you can finish in one sitting, and the Shop floor is the real job. A tutorial teaches you the controls and skills. The Warehouse and the Room are coming in a post-launch update. The game saves automatically, so you can stop and pick up again anytime.