Here’s one of the weirder and more imaginative examples of the Roguelike genre. Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop features the concept of runs, permadeath, and permanent upgrades, only it’s based around fixing spaceships. Said crafts must have their faults diagnosed and be repaired sufficiently, using an amusingly compiled manual, all while a clock ticks. It’s very much a case of life or death – fail to cough up Uncle Chop’s rent money, and you’ll be eviscerated, ending your run. In theory, consequent runs will be easier due to newfound knowledge – unless a spanner is thrown into the works. Or if you happen to have a brain like a punctured exhaust.
We’re introduced to Wilbur, a bipedal heavily tattooed fox with multiple eyes and an exceedingly funky walk cycle. Wilbur finds himself at the mercy of Uncle Chop, who often stands before you as a colossal hologram, and now must spend his days working at the titular garage. Rent is due every three days, and Uncle Chop won’t stand for IOUs. While fixing a variety of spacecraft, the oddball Rick & Morty-esque aliens dine in the adjacent greasy spoon diner belonging to an equally greasy fowl-mouthed fry-cook. They’re your only dependable companion in this interplanetary dump, teaching you the ropes. More crucially, they can bring you back to life. This ties into the game’s narrative, based on time loops, death, and finding a sense of purpose.
A run lasts three days and sees Wilbur waking in his shack, heading to the diner to clock in, and choosing his first repair job of the day – with usually two to pick from of varying complexity. As soon as clocking in the day begins and a timer starts to tick, making this a frantic rush to fix as many ships as possible. Leaving a job unfinished come nightfall will result in a hefty penalty, so you need to gauge time and weigh up when to clock out. This is one of many, many, factors you’ll have to consider to keep the cash flowing. There is some potential to prepare for the day in advance, but it can be costly, and in some instances, prep doesn’t always pay off.
You’re best off trying to absorb as much of the manual as possible. This can be brought up at any time and is sorted by tabs. It’s nicely presented and amusingly written, with handwritten notes that give advice, and an entire page dedicated to a man who you must absolutely not serve. The manual shows how to complete simple tasks such as changing oil and recharging fuel cells – the kind of jobs you’ll mostly see starting out – before diving into recalibrating star charts, shutting off security systems, and other more elaborate procedures. Flicking through the manual is quite daunting initially, full of detailed diagrams. Some ships have entertainment decks, and so you’ll be fixing VR headsets and game consoles too, giving the chance to play brief mini-games to help diagnose broken controllers et al.
Simple jobs take around two minutes and may involve buying replacement parts or using the fluid dispenser – stocked with oil, cleanser, coffee, and…blood. You’ll need to use tools to unfasten/tighten screws, disassemble things in the right sequence, and occasionally open panels to dive into the electrics. Inventory space is limited, so you’ll need to juggle things here as well. Sometimes a fix can be as simple as replacing a bulb, while other times there can be multiple issues. Resetting security systems entails cracking a code which can be taxing, and leaving screws undone or botching a job entirely can be costly. Being presented with something new can be overwhelming too, forcing you to check the manual while the customer grows increasingly impatient. There goes Wilbur’s tip!
At nighttime things get a little weird. Well, weirder. Other oddball characters appear at certain times (remember, Wilbur is caught in a time loop) and it’s possible to make choices during dialogue, impacting future events. Even the runs have repeating instances, such as a spaceship crashing on day two. Wilbur’s basement houses a colossal creature known as Kyle who can provide permanent upgrades, while Wilbur’s shack has a computer used to purchase power tools and other items. It isn’t until much later that night becomes more involving; the early days are mostly about making rent and getting acquainted with repairs.
Everything here is nicely presented, from the fluidly animated sprites to the menus. As mentioned, it cribs from Rick & Morty quite a bit (there’s a lot of swearing, mostly of which is used to good effect) although it also reminded me of the SteamWorld franchise due to its banjo-led musical score. That, and the presence of tumbleweed. The options menu has some accessibility features, which is handy as the controls aren’t the most intuitive. At least not with a joypad, sometimes requiring two buttons to be pressed at once. It’s quite apparent that this was designed with a mouse in mind.
Most of the game’s issues extend far beyond the occasionally finicky controls, sadly. This is not a forgiving experience; minor mistakes can ruin a good thirty minutes of playtime. I spent around a week with Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, and it wasn’t until my third evening that I finally managed to pass the first rent payment milestone, learning from my mistakes and absorbing the manual along the way. Speedy, lucrative, runs can go awry the moment a new system is introduced, and the third day always provides a sizeable challenge, making for quite a stiff learning curve. Having to buy multiple new parts for a low-paying job feels like a bit of a swizz too, with no way of knowing what you’re getting yourself into. Additionally, not all the permanent upgrades are as beneficial as they seem. I opted for longer days as my first upgrade, only to find that each 30 second extension cost a significant outlay of cash that was difficult to recuperate. When I did finally start to reach new milestones though, it was incredibly rewarding, and a lot more features open over time which helps keep things fresh.
Much like the aliens that Wilbur serves, Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is an oddity. It’s delightfully warped and showcases creativity, but it’s also not something that’ll please everyone. This isn’t a chilled experience about using a manual to repair spacecraft, working late into the night; it’s about franticly fixing things while making mistakes you’ll (hopefully) learn from and crossing your fingers that no more curveballs occur before the next milestone. If you play games to relax and progress at your own pace, this isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a multifaceted experience that’s challenging yet rewarding, and particularly relish the sensation of being under pressure, this is well worth keeping in mind. This isn’t the kind of experience that’s forgotten any time soon, that’s for sure.
Beard Envy’s Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is out 5th December on PC, PS5, Xbox Series and Switch. Published by Kasedo Games.