Preview – Rewind 99

I’m a millennial, so of course I’m nostalgic about video rentals. I could wax poetic about them. How streaming just doesn’t feel as meaningful, and everybody orders everything online these days, so despite having the other side of the planet at our fingertips, the world keeps getting smaller. And maybe there’s some merit to some of it, but the more likely explanation is that I’m getting old.

But I’m not the only one getting old, so at least I can join in the nostalgia of others. Rewind 99 is sort of like those retail simulators that exploded in the wake of games like Gas Station Simulator and Supermarket Simulator. It’s a genre that I feel is over-represented, but also one that provides something for everybody. And Rewind 99 might be exactly the game for me.

THE SMELL OF POPCORN BUTTER

The demo only lets you loose for two days to establish your rental store, which is enough to get a feel for what it’s all about. On the surface, it really isn’t much different than Supermarket Simulator. You place shelves, you put stuff on the shelves, customers pick them up and take them to the register where you take their money.

It is rental, however, so the movies do come back to you. Sometimes they are kind and rewind, other times you have to use the rewinder yourself. I’m not sure how the rental period really works or if there will be late fees. Or, for that matter, if you have to make angry calls to customers who refuse to return a video.

“VIP” customers, who are essentially just customers who have unique names, have preferences for genre, so you have to keep a range stocked. You can recommend movies, but since the number of movies are limited right now, you don’t have many choices to throw at them. Again, this has a bit of a question mark over it. Will some of the movies suck? Do some customers like sucky movies? If I put horror movies next to animated films, will the spooky covers traumatize children?

You gain XP for every exchange, and as you rise in the ranks, you get more choices of films and fixtures. As I mentioned, you only get two days, so you’ll probably only make it to rank 6 or 7, which allows you to hire employees.

BE KIND, DAMN YOU

And, frankly, at a surface level, there isn’t much that differentiates Rewind 99 from Supermarket Simulator. However, it really knows what it’s shooting for. Rather than a generic city like the one in Super Market Simulator, Rewind 99 is set in a neon-soaked area with diverse regions. Like an ennui simulator such as The Coin Game, you can practically feel the summer air as you step out of your store. It really takes me back.

Right now, I haven’t found much to do outside of searching for knick-knacks like N64 cartridges. Which, you know, is rad. It looks like there will be things like crane machines in the future. The pier has skee-ball tables and other games that are merely for show, at least at the moment. I know I’d really enjoy leaving the shop in the hands of employees for the evening and heading out to win some dumb prizes. Maybe one day.

But, speaking of the atmosphere, I appreciate that the art in the game appears to be modelled in-house. A lot of the retail simulator games hitting storefronts make heavy use of asset store props. There’s nothing wrong with a dev buying assets, but it often leads to ugly, bland visuals with barely perceptibly clashing styles. A lot in Rewind 99 seems somewhat hastily modelled, but at least it looks more-or-less unified. At least, I think so. I couldn’t find credits within the game. Maybe it all comes from one really bizarre asset pack.

GOOD TIMES

There’s also a heaping helping of jank. Some of the interactions just feel clunky at the moment. Not entirely unexpected, since it’s a demo, and I think the plan is to start the game off in Early Access. A wise move.

Still, even if what is presented in the demo isn’t quite up to game’s potential, I am salivating. I want it now. I need to create my ideal Blockbuster video.

I need to take a breath. The demo for Rewind 99 shows a fabulous groundwork upon which a terrific game can be built. Even walking around the game’s world, I discovered interesting, but incomplete ideas. I have, in my mind, an idea of how far this can be taken, and now I’m curious how far the devs feel like going. I’ll be watching, that’s for sure. Watching hungrily.

You can try out the demo yourself as part of the February 2026 Steam Next Fest.