Thrifty Business by Spellgarden Games is not explicitly framed as an ‘ecogame’ – neither by players nor the developers – but it has some interesting characteristics for climate communication and sustainable behavior as it revisits the recently popularized shopkeeper simulation (sub) genre1 but focuses instead on topics like community care and material circularity. Rather than hyper-capitalist optimization and supply-chain logistics, players are meant to experience the quiet joy of running a localized second-hand shop and, thus, experimenting with degrowth lifestyle.
Rather than treating used goods as junk or a sub-par alternative to new products, the game frames second-hand items as ‘treasures’ having a history and subcultural identity that becomes more and more coveted in contemporary (youth) culture.
The gameplay works with the appeal of ‘random rewards’ and plays into nostalgia as players purchase themed bulk ‘mystery boxes’ of donations ranging from retro electronics to crafting objects, old VHS players, fanny packs, and vintage patterned sweaters. On that note, the game foregrounds curation rather than accumulation/hoarding as a central gameplay principle and ‘agential mode’2. Players design their own shop layouts; by curating cohesive thematic corners, they don’t just earn cash but gather community points. This reframes thrifting as an act of creative expression and archiving rather than bargain hunting.
In Thrifty Business, second-hand commerce is fundamentally relational rather than transactional; as the player manages the storefront, it takes up a prominent position and can be interpreted as a virtual ‘third space’, i.e. a site of community engagement and exchange. The narrative centers on a cast of 13 recurring local customers. They send requests for specific used items that solve personal dilemmas or spark memories, i.e. have a more than purely utilitarian purpose. Upon expanding the shop, players can use an in-game calendar to host neighborhood events like book clubs, crafting circles, or queer mixers. These gatherings demonstrate how the community space can facilitate care and – albeit implicitly – practice alternatives to consumerism that can inspire or complement ecological identity.
From an ecogames or environmental communication perspective, Thrifty Business provides a gameplay framework for “quiet sustainability”3 practices. It eschews heavy-handed didacticism or any explicit climate references but can contribute to cultivating sustainable values rather than attempting short-term persuasion. The economic loop in the game is entirely closed: the inventory relies solely on the redistribution, appreciation, and re-use of commodities that already exist in the world.
By implementing but also subtly reframing parts of an established economic simulation game genre, the shop simulator, Thrifty Business rejects capitalist gameplay tropes; there are no strict timers, financial penalties or pressure from dissatisfied customers. Success depends on listening, care and aesthetic sensibilities.
- See e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/ShouldIbuythisgame/comments/1ew7jy8/looking_for_simulator_games_where_you_own_a_shop/. ↩︎
- See e.g. Nguyen, C. Thi. 2020. Games: Agency As Art. Oxford University Press. ↩︎
- See Jehlička, Petr, and Lucie Sovová. 2025. “Quiet Sustainability.” In Vocabulary for Sustainable Consumption and Lifestyles, 1st ed., by Lewis Akenji, Philip J. Vergragt, Halina Szejnwald Brown, Thomas S. J. Smith, and Laura Maria Wallnöfer. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003584056-16. ↩︎