Hellmart: A Supermarket of Horror

In this post I want to talk about a small indie horror game called Hellmart. Basically it’s a supermarket simulator but with horror aspect to it. After trying to play Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I don’t play horror games but this one may be something that I’m willing to try.

The Plot

You find a job at a chain supermarket called Hellmart in a remote location and get on the bus there. The place is in a very rundown state but at least half of it is working as intended, so your boss, who calls you through a phone booth from time to time, tells you that it’s enough to run it. So, for the next game week you will live in a small room on the side, stock shelves, serve customers and… well, protect the shop at night from some strange skinned monster with a very long arm who tries to get inside.

This is not that specific monster, but the one who presents the game and welcomes you in the menu.

The Characters

The protagonist is not as important in this matter as the customers that you serve. You are the player and a newcomer to this weird place while they are the common folk who know this place.

The majority of the customers are rather friendly to you, they may chat and reveal some lore if you are polite to them. However, I have to highlight some… special cases.

The Boozer

He is a guy who comes to your liqueur section and drinks without paying you. He may not reveal much of the story to you but will definitely be an annoyance to deal with.

The Thief

He will try to shoplift from time to time but is very chill when you catch him and doesn’t cause much trouble. You may even get a chance to save him during one of your night shifts.

The Karen

A very loud and demanding woman. She will ask for discounts and complain about everything but that’s the extend of the troubles she brings. Unlike a mad (or drugged) guy who will act as a screamer twice, at least she doesn’t make you clean up after her.

The Granny

A very interesting old woman. She’s got two special interactions. During the first one she forgets about someone she was searching for with her knife. During the second one, she threatens to kill you. A charming lady, I’d say.

There are a few other special characters like the mad guy I mentioned earlier or the Tiny Bob, a very tall young man. They truly leave an impression but not as grand as the ones I’ve described above.

The Atmosphere

Now, allow me a different approach with this section.

Imagine you were just accepted to a job as a supermarket manager in a rather remote location. It’s snowy and bitter wind is lashing you face as you wait for the bus to get to your new home for the next week. You are freezing and start to try and warm yourself a bit as you wait and, finally the buss comes. You enter, buy a ticket and get inside. There are a few people on the bus, all looking weary of you although not saying a single word. There are no free double seats, only next to someone. You try to sit on the first free one but the person next to the window is moving his hand over it. They don’t want you near them. The same with the second, the third, the fourth, until you nearly reach the end where one strange guy in a hood, which is obscuring his whole face, doesn’t object you sitting near. You finally sit down.

The road is long, you look around and suddenly find out that the man beside you has vanished. As you marvel at the unexpected disappearance of your companion, the bus enters a long tunnel. The lights are passing you quickly as if you’ve entered some portal and, then, the tunnel and as abruptly as it began. You look at the snowy hills and woods around you wondering if anyone is even living nearby. Finally, the bus stops before a big building in a middle of a small clearing. On the top of the building there is a neon sign saying “Hellmart”. You look at the rundown structure with suspicion but walk out of the bus and towards the shop.

As you near Hellmark you hear a phone ringing. The ringing does not come from the inside, though. It comes from the booth phone on the right side of the building. You observe critically the phone but cannot comprehend how it can receive calls. You glance back at the bus stop, but the bus is gone. You are now stranded here. You cautiously pick up the phone and hear a person speaking. it’s your boss for this week. He is cheerful and encourages you to do your best. yet you feel that something is not right with this place. It’s too quiet here, too isolated from civilization to be needed by anyone. Yet, you agreed to this position, so you listen to the instructions and thank your boss for the cheering.

He told you to get into the shop and get a pager with instructions there, you do exactly that. After hanging up the phone you get to the backyard and see the door of the shop boarded up. You wonder why did anyone need to board up a door in this solitary place but you brush off your suspicions as measures against theft. As you take down the boards and throw them to the ground next to you, you notice the warehouse door. It’s not boarded like the shop…

You shake your head to clear it from invasive thoughts and get into the shop. The air is stuffed, chill, and full of dust specs. You step on the floor and the acho goes across the empty hall. You feel alone. No, not just alone. You feel unprotected… and unaware. But what one should be aware of in a supermarket? You shrug away those intrusive thoughts again as you make your way to the register to pick up the pager.

And this is how you start Hellmart. I did like the atmosphere in this game a lot. It was done exceptionally well for a horror indie game which doesn’t seem to specifically aim to a story narrative. The ambiant still was given enough details to evoke certain feelings.

The Gameplay

Gameplay can be separated into two section: the day shift and the night shift. While the former acts like the game is a simple supermarket simulator but with some strange customers and events here and there, the latter is a hide and seek horror game where you have to search for anomalies and defend the shop from a monster with very long hands.

In more detail, the supermarket management part is exactly like one would expect with an ocasional evident screamer from day to day. New products appear every day, you stock shelves, serve customers, clean the dirt and that’s it.

As for the night shift, I like that the game introduced different mechanics in a span of multiple nights. On the first one you are introduced to customers occasionally coming and you are to choose which one is real and which one is a doppelganger. It should be said that only special customers that talk to you may come at night because you can only guess whether the night guest is real or fake by their behaviour and misspellings in their speech. Then, you are introduced to the anomalies which you need to find before they overwhelm the shop. Finally, you are introduced to the monster which, if you are quick enough, you will see only hands of. Then, the night may have all three occurrences.

Final Thoughts

I don’t usually like horror games like this but it was a pleasant exception. Hellmart balances dreary atmosphere and tension well without feeling too overwhelming. My main complain is the screamers. They looked too cheap and predictable for me to care and to an extend even lessened the horror effect for me. It was akin to an annoying glitch in a game which hinders your progress rather than an intentional tool to further the plot or create an feeling of danger.

All in all, I found it amusing. It’s not something you would want to replay after you’ve reached all endings but it’s a fun game to play. I guess, I liked that it provides time for the player to breath between the tense nights. This unwinding period made the pacing feel dynamic.

Pictures from: https://steamdb.info/app/3762550/screenshots/