How to play
Collect everything on your shopping list, avoid buying extras, stay on budget and reach checkout before time runs out. New here? Start with the guided tutorial from the title screen.
Controls
| Action | Phone | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Walk | Drag the stick (bottom left) | WASD or arrow keys |
| Grab an item | Stand nearby and press Pick up, or tap it on the shelf | Stand next to it, E or Space |
| Take the budget brand | Press and hold the item | B |
| Shoo a kid, thief or promoter | Tap them | F |
| Put an item back | Tap it in your list or cart | R (last item) or click the cart row |
| Pick up a dropped item | Stand nearby and press Pick up, or tap it on the floor | E |
| Check out | Stand in checkout and tap it | E in checkout |
| Continue / back | On-screen buttons | Enter / Esc |
On a phone, turn it sideways to play. Tap List to read your groceries and cart at a comfortable size, or to remove items with large buttons. The game pauses while the list is open.
Worlds and progress
Earn at least one star on a level to unlock the next. A zero-star trip needs another try. Your total stars open new worlds; use the arrows beside the level grid, or Q/E, to browse them.
Each world has themed groceries, from Easter chocolate eggs to Pandemic toilet rolls. Read the list carefully: holiday treats can be required shopping, not unwanted junk.
Shopping smart
- Pick a visit time. Morning, afternoon and evening trade crowds against time and stock. Evening shelves can sell out, but a budget substitute still counts.
- Watch your budget. Budget brands are cheaper, and some regular brands go on sale for a while.
- Read the shelf signs. Look-alikes such as choc milk are easy to grab by mistake. In later levels some items are on the wrong shelf; a store tip tells you where.
- Answer your phone. Calls can add items to your list, and they also raise your budget.
Obstacles
- Kids sneak junk into your cart. Shoo them when they get close.
- Promoters pitch samples. Say no before the timer runs out or the sample lands in your cart.
- Cart thieves follow you and steal items. Shoo them away.
- Charging trolleys on higher levels are fatal. Move out of the red warning lane before the shopper charges.
- Rude employees drain sanity when you get too close. Give them space.
- Statiegeld: some lists require bottle returns. Use E or tap the machine near the bottom of the store. If broken, shop while its repair timer runs, then return before checkout.
- Banana peels and cleaning robots knock you over and spill an item. Pick it back up.
- Crowds slow you down and wear down your sanity. If it runs out you move slowly for a moment.
Checkout
Choose the cashier queue or self-checkout. At self-checkout you scan each item yourself. Skipping a scan makes your bill cheaper, but if a random inspection finds an unpaid item you fail the level on the spot. Scanning something twice just gets refunded if you're inspected. Extra items cost points, so check your cart before you pay.
Play Pixel Mart