In a year that has so far seen some demanding giants like Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Oblivion Remastered, I have found myself routinely playing Car Mechanic Simulator 2021, a four-year-old sim that has you repeatedly changing the brake pads on busted vehicles and scavenging old engine parts from a nearby junkyard. So I feel a quiet delight to learn of the upcoming Car Dealer Simulator, due to release next month, which will let me not only fix up old bangers, but also sell the absolutely banjaxed pieces of trash to unsuspecting bozos. Heh heh heh. Yes. YES.
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The sim is due out May 29th. Your job is simple. “Buy low, fix up, and sell high,” says the game’s Steam blurb. You will be working at a run-down dealership (mis)managed by a country singer lookin’ fella named Little Sam. But work hard enough and you’ll take over the business. You’ll have to diagnose and fix issues with each vehicle, but you’ll also turn a blind eye to a few problems too. Put some paint over that badly corroded crossbar. They’ll never notice.
“Presenting a car to the customer requires a few tricks,” say the developers in the game’s description. “Washing, good photos, and an engaging advertisement will be your allies. Highlight the car’s strengths in your listing, but remember—every car has its hidden flaws. Customers buy with their eyes, so use the shine of the paint, a full tank, and quality photos to your advantage.”
As someone who recently bought a used car only to find that half the steering apparatus was rotten and two tires were the wrong bloody size, I am excited to relive my experience from the other dastardly perspective. This is how we build understanding. Embrace the jerk. Become the jerk. (A trick I like to do when I’m short of money in Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 is to take on a job and strip the customer’s car for parts to sell. It’s okay, I always rebuild their vehicle… Eventually.)
Car Dealer Simulator has a demo on Steam for anyone looking to give it a go. Developers Garage Monkeys previously made two related sims: Car Washer Simulator and Car Rental Simulator. Both allowing players to run reputable and respected business ventures, I’m sure.
