Case study
Shop Survivors
Escape the Sales Assault.
A survival game set in a chaotic supermarket — dodge aggressive clerks, auto-fire retail weapons, level up mid-run, and protect the budget across three stores before Midnight Mall never closes.
The challenge
Action games need readable chaos.
Vampire-survivors-style games live or die on clarity: dozens of enemies, auto-fire weapons, and upgrades competing for attention. A supermarket setting adds humor — but the combat loop still has to feel fair and readable at a glance.
Shop Survivors needed a complete run fantasy in a small package: three campaign stores, an endless mode, Game Center competition, and controller support — without drowning players in UI.
The solution
Auto-fire. Level up. Get out alive.
Players move while weapons fire automatically — Price Aura, Receipts, Barcode Laser, and Shopping Bag. Four clerk types hunt the budget. XP unlocks upgrades mid-run, and coupon lures buy breathing room.
Beat Electronics Megamart, Fashion Boutique, and Grocery Warehouse to unlock Midnight Mall — the endless survival challenge with no closing time.
- Auto-fire retail weapons with distinct combat roles
- Four clerk archetypes with different threat patterns
- Three campaign stores plus endless Midnight Mall
- Game Center leaderboards and achievements
- MFi / Made for iPhone controller support, up to 120fps
Screenshots
Gameplay from the App Store.
Outcome
A complete game loop, shipped.
Shop Survivors is live on the App Store as a paid action game — privacy-friendly with no data collected.
It was a chance to ship a full arcade fantasy end-to-end: combat feel, progression, modes, and Game Center — the same ship-complete mindset I bring to client products.
