> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # An Interview with the Developer of Shop Crush - URL: https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/an-interview-with-the-developer-of-shop-crush/ - Published: 2026-08-24T15:00:49.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-24T17:27:08.000Z - Description: Little shop of horror - Author: Cat Webling - Tags: Interview, Shop Crush, Bsl, Cozy Games, Psychological Horror, Horror **I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Bohdan Sydorenko, also known as** [**@hollowlimb**](https://x.com/hollowlimb) **on social media.** Based in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the indie game studio Bsl, this game designer is the lead on [Shop Crush, a visual novel shop sim](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2961120/Shop%5FCrush/) set for release later this year. Set in the early 2000s, Shop Crush players build up a thrift shop by haggling for stock, setting prices, bargaining with customers, and fighting off shoplifters, all while exploring the mysterious stories of the products, patrons, and colleagues around them. Here's what Bohdan had to say about the game and its development. --- ### SUPERJUMP **Shop Crush blends the cozy world of a visual novel with an interesting psychological horror story about revealing the truth behind your customers and community. Tell me a little bit about the inspirations you had for this game. Where did the idea come from? What stories informed this one?** ### Bohdan The idea for the Shop Crush concept wasn't born in a day. It changed many times; in general, I can trace its path from an ironic, funny game into a mysterious, cozy game with elements of horror. I personally tend to write imaginary stories, and I don't like realism all that much, at least when the details of the setting are the main USP (Unique Selling Point) of the content. I like things to be fictional and, in some ways, holistic. So the universe of Shop Crush came from the desire to make players feel a specific experience - trading weird items with weird clients. At first, I put in funny items like "expired yogurt" or a "book of bad jokes," and I expected most of the fun to come from these combinations. The clients had also been invented as strict opposites - somebody is really greedy, someone is controlling, someone is just unsatisfied all the time. ![The thrift store, a run-down shop with some broken pipes, cracks, and what might be blood stains.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/Shop-Crush-store.jpg) Shop Crush. Source: Bsl. What I did not expect was that during playtests, players tended to accept the characters, their tastes, and their actions not as caricatures, but rather very seriously, which was unexpected to me. I noticed that they became deeply focused on the clients' personas, their history, and almost their true selves. That's when I figured we should take it further and understand what this game must really be all about. But what complements depth better than mystery? It is one of the strongest motivators a writer can include in a plot. I chose mystery, but as I said, I like to write "fictional" worlds and holistic stories, so I thought it should not be a detective game or a classic horror story, but something deeper, more personal, and more complex - psychological horror instead. Therefore, questions like "Why am I running this shop?" "Who are these people?", or "What actually makes sense in this game?" are now more of a plot vehicle than a distraction. Influentially, I have to say that the Reigns series has had a great influence on this game, as well as Coffee Talk and VA-11 Hall-A. Also Papers, Please. And many other narrative-heavy games. Story-wise, I like the Twin Peaks series a lot, but I'm not sure we have a true Twin Peaks kind of game; maybe some elements are similar. ### SUPERJUMP **It seems to me that shop management games have become increasingly popular in recent years. Why do you think that is? What sets Shop Crush apart from other games in this genre?** ### Bohdan I think it's because shop management games have a distinct set of mechanics that are accompanied by a strong playing fantasy. Before Shop Sims became a separate genre, there were Life Sims; in general, these are games where the focus is on some aspect of one's life - you can be a car mechanic, a trader, a bureaucrat, a judge, whatever. Now I see a division between purely mechanical "realistic" sims, like various "Supermarket Simulator"-type games, and "fantasy shop games." I think one is driven by pure simulation fantasy, and the other by playing a role or living somebody's life. Our game is definitely about "living somebody's life"; it is a narrative game with simulation elements. But it's also not just narrative. In Shop Crush, trading with customers is a unique, unpredictable part of the gameplay. It is, as I said, on the one hand, very choice-driven, but players also have to balance their interest in the clients with the reality of the market. Not to mention that we also have a unique illusions mechanic. ![A red alien smiles at the player from a room with blue curtain walls, various clutter including a political podium, a picture of a lizard person, a chess piece, and a graph with alien writing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/Shop-Crush-alien.png) Shop Crush. Source: Bsl. ### SUPERJUMP **The art style for this game is great fun, reminding me of some early 2000s games and shows, which I suppose is appropriate given the setting. Did you do the art yourself? What inspired this style? Are there any character designs or settings that you're particularly proud of?** ### Bohdan Yes, all the art is made by us. It was very hard for us to find the right art style. It had to feel like the 2000s, where everything I remember was plastic, highly consumeristic, and unnatural at times, but also more "honest," simple, and fun. I don't know. That's why I always had to focus on the details first - what things the characters wear, how they live their daily lives, what their routines are, and what their emotions would be like. We had many iterations with the art, and we are still not done. At first, the characters were less shaded, and the game style itself was closer to minimalism. Right now, we aim more towards translating certain emotions during the game, and these emotions are: 1) nostalgia, 2) carefree-ness, and 3) playfulness. But since our game is psychological horror, we also introduce coldness, rationality, and some sort of determinism into the mix. And I think it's this contrast that makes the setting work more nowadays. It's not just nostalgic - it is a fragile world that is beautiful, but ends very, very soon. And that is what resonates with me. Our team right now has three artists, with more people having worked with us previously. I am very happy with our current lineup, where we have Polina as a character artist, Maria as an environment artist, and Stanislav as a background artist. I do creative direction, but only in terms of design, as I am not an artist myself - I am a designer. I am happy to direct the scenes, but not the people's artwork. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c0/e7/c0e78dd7-e7af-4603-8ab9-09f05cab06f3/content/images/2026/08/image-16.png) Shop Crush. Source: Bsl. ### SUPERJUMP **Where can people find more information about Shop Crush and your studio?** ### Bohdan The main source of information is our Steam page. I am also very active on social media: Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Just search for me by @hollowlimb or [@shopcrush](https://hollowlimb.itch.io/shopcrush)! **Shop Crush will be available later this year on* [**Steam*](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2961120/Shop%5FCrush/) *Early Access.*