An Engaging Alternative to Video Store Closures: Experience VHS Rentals in the World of Video Games
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, if you are among those who remember the lights going out at Blockbuster stores, two new video games now offer a strange yet fascinating path forward: running your very own VHS rental shop.
In March, two independent studios released job-simulation games built around almost identical premises. Retro Rewind quickly achieved unexpected success on Steam, selling over 100,000 copies in less than a week. Slightly earlier, Rewind 99 launched with the same concept; it remains in Early Access with more limited feedback, while a full release is expected by 2028.
This strange coincidence becomes even more interesting with a third title, Video Store Simulator, set to enter the market soon. Such a trend suggests that this niche idea may gradually evolve into an independent movement or subculture.
These three games fall into a category of interactive media where the primary focus is not complex storytelling, but the relaxing pleasure of building and managing an organized system. Much like Powerwash Simulator or Bus Simulator, this genre allows players to immerse themselves in a specific profession, experiencing a steady sense of satisfaction through incremental improvement. Managing a digital video store follows this path, offering a blend of nostalgia and order.
In Retro Rewind and Rewind 99, players must stock shelves, monitor inventory, recommend films to customers, and eventually curate a shop that reflects their own cinematic taste. The primary difference lies in their atmosphere: Retro Rewind offers a warm, nostalgic glow, while Rewind 99 pursues a busier, more exaggerated aesthetic. One stays closer to preserving the vibe of the past, while the other takes a more playful, chaotic approach.
This concept has arguably been missing for a long time. Physical media, from floppy disks to CDs, has been present in video games for years. Titles like Resident Evil used tapes and documents to build their horror atmosphere, while games like Five Nights at Freddy’s allowed for interaction with retro interfaces in a digital format. Consequently, video games have managed to create a more tangible relationship with these media types—something many films have yet to master.
On the other hand, adapting video games into cinema has often been a challenge. Many such adaptations fail to translate the core essence of the game, becoming mere simplified versions. However, these VHS store simulators do not just reference movies; they reconstruct the experience of discovery and selection. This approach reverses the usual “game-to-film” pipeline, creating a shared sense of connection between the audience and the medium that had largely been lost.
The VHS revival was already underway offline. Specialty stores like Vidiots in Los Angeles or Scarecrow Video in Seattle have regained attention by offering experiences that streaming services lack. These locations attract audiences through curated selections, the sense of rarity, and the social experience of browsing shelves. For Gen Z, the primary draw is this experiential nature, which these games have successfully recreated. While online access to films is effortless, holding a physical movie and making a definitive choice is a human, nostalgic experience that scrolling through Netflix or Tubi cannot replace.
Simultaneously, the look and feel of VHS is becoming attractive to independent filmmakers once again. The horror film I Have Proof is set to be shot entirely on VHS-C. Director James Cullen Bressack described this choice as an attempt to achieve “texture, imperfection, and immediacy” rather than an overly polished image.
Ultimately, while Retro Rewind and Rewind 99 may not be massive, big-budget projects, and the economic model of rental stores no longer exists as it once did, the interest in physical media continues to grow and redefine itself. In 2026, storytelling enthusiasts are not just consumers of VHS culture; they are reviving this space as a nostalgic sanctuary that was once thought lost.
