Developer: Big Sir Games
Publisher: Big Sir Games
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Cosmo’s Quickstop – Review
Running the family business, for some, it’s a rite of passage, for others it’s a mandatory task bestowed upon them by their relatives. You step inside the greasy shoes of Morvin, a young feller that takes on his new intergalactic job at his uncle Cosmo’s old and run-down gas station. Use your youthful wits and bring new life to this place, while fighting against your biggest rival: Quazar’s Convenience Cube.
Story
Our story starts at Cosmo’s Quickstop. This old unprofitable run-down gas station is about to go bankrupt but it is the livelihood of your uncle Cosmo. He is getting too old to run the shop and asks for your aid to serve the customers, allowing you to earn a pretty penny. In the beginning, the shop offers a few simple necessities and as you progress through the game, the Quickstop will become one of the galaxies’ largest shops. Once the shop starts to flourish, a new competitor joins the fray. This new store is called Quazar’s Convenience Cube, and it will offer automated support for its customers. You will soon find yourself in a struggle for the shop’s survival, as well as a frantic competition as to who serves their customers best.
As the story progresses, your uncle Cosmo will speak to you on a daily basis. Most of the time this is to inform you as to what goes on behind the scenes, the new inventions he is working on, or upcoming events. The story flow is pleasant, and the gameplay will draw you in further.
Graphics
Cosmo’s Quickstop is aimed at audiences of all ages. The visuals look really child-friendly while remaining very fitting for an alien theme. Its goofy setting makes it a pleasant experience for both children and adults. Your working day takes place entirely in the shop. You’ll clearly see that the shop’s halls are worn and that the entirity of the structure can use a new lick of paint. As the store grows and becomes more popular, you will notice that the damages get fixed. We also very much liked the diversity in the visitors in the shop, making it feel like you’re truly managing a gas station in the middle of space.
Sound
The developers have tried their best to hit the right notes for each aspect of this game and even the sounds and music are amazing. Aliens will talk in their own language, adding a layer to the immersive properties of the game. The voice acting for the characters is really nicely done and sounds like a proper entertainment show (albeit for kids). A rest area wouldn’t be pleasant without some music playing for the customers, and at Cosmo’s Quickstop, there is some sweet music playing at all times. The sound effects all feel spot-on, ranging from electric surges to the gushy sounds of toilets flushing. If your clients become impatient, then you could always have some animatronics playing old country songs for some added entertainment.
Gameplay
Cosmo’s Quickstop is a management game where each amenity requires a mini-game to keep it operating or maintained. You start working at the shop when it only has a few facilities installed and over time you will unlock more and more options. You have two main styles of services: those where you need to do everything and self-service. Mastering the combination of both is essential if you want to keep the serving times low. The self-service tasks need to be tended every time they either fill up (toilet) or are empty (vending machine). Customers don’t like to wait, so you better hurry over and start assisting them in their needs. Once you are doing a job for someone, they will appreciate the service and their timers will pause. Try not to lose any customers, as competition is lurking right around the corner.
Unfortunately, uncle Cosmo hasn’t had the finances to purchase high-quality amenities. This means they tend to break down after a few days of usage. You will need to swap out these facilities to fix them after work. You’ll have to plan accordingly, as you don’t want your facilities to randomly break down during the day. Don’t worry too much though. Once you’ve saved up some money, your trusty uncle will use these funds to buy new cheap utilities, so you have some in reserve. When using facilities, they will level up after a while and this allows you to purchase upgrades for them. These upgrades make them work more efficiently or last longer before they break down. The stars to purchase these upgrades can be earned by completing the monetary goal for the day, as well as clearing extra challenges.
Your working day isn’t all about serving customers and restocking vending machines, some days also have special events planned, like a concert on a neighboring planet. This may cause a lot of people to stop at the station, overflowing your store for a whole day. These events function as boss fights and grant you new customization items upon completion. If the standard jumpsuit gets boring after a while, then you can unlock more clothes by completing challenges or story events.
The game is intended to be played by the whole family, therefore the controls have been made really simple to learn. That does not mean it will be easy to manage a busy rest area. You will juggle between the many tasks while serving customers quickly, keeping them happy. Morvin is quick on his feet and each task has the controls displayed on the lower screen. This makes it so you don’t have to worry about forgetting basic commands if you have not played the game in a while.
Conclusion
Cosmo’s Quickstop is a really fun management game where you are the manager/floor worker of an ever-growing rest area. The story progresses nicely and the growth of the store feels really organic. You will face many challenges, competition, and other extraterrestrial events during your time at your uncle’s shop. The graphics and sounds are really nice. The game just radiates friendliness and can be played by just anyone in the family. The gameplay is fun, simple, yet elaborate enough for those looking for a challenge.
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