Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop can be calming until things explode

I have a weird relationship with Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop. When I’m not dealing with a nuclear reactor that threatens to immediately exterminate me, I find the roguelike strangely relaxing. After all, this is a rocket repair simulation with an instruction manual to solve every situation in the palm of your hand. But if you encounter certain scenarios, opt for one mode over another, or experience a moment on the Switch during which only it suddenly stops recognizing controllers, it can feel unbearable.

Wilbur wakes up Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop on what is presumably a planet in space with Uncle Chop’s titular establishment there. Droose, the person who runs the restaurant where the customers wait, is the one who wakes Wilbur from a sort of cold sleep. Your first order of business? Discard the corpse of the person who was doing your job by removing the instruction manual for repairing the rockets from their death grip. From there, you work your way to work doing odd jobs you’re not qualified for to earn rent money and hopefully not die.

You will absolutely die. Probably a lot. But I thought you knew that going into this review, given the nature of the genre.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop has two modes, called Frantic and Focused. Frantic is a timed mode where, say, you have eight minutes and need to do as much as possible. While I could handle this for maybe three days, the nature of the game and the number of missions you get, as well as trying to play it with a controller, made it a bit unbearable for me. If someone has been playing for a while, is aware of all the situations you might face, and isn’t constantly checking the manual, I could see this being possible. But even once I got comfortable, it felt like Focused was the preferred option. It’s one that lets you complete three tasks a day, with no timing, and is a great way to get used to the game and alleviate some of the stress you’ll feel when certain repair situations arise.

Regardless of which mode you select, a typical day Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop tends to play out the same way. Wilbur wakes up. You clock in at the restaurant, then head towards the phone booth. The tasks will appear and you will select one. The work order prints and you will briefly speak to the rocket pilot. You then need to assess each area that needs to be corrected. During the first two days, you will usually only encounter refueling and oil changes. Any repairs may be due to your own problems, because you know how not to overfill the cans. Eventually you will need to flash cartridges and complete levels for entertainment units, manage maintenance of miniature planets for breathing systems, manage VR elements, and manage the nuclear reactor I mentioned above. All of these step-by-step processes also include using tools to open or close hatches, stopping at a store to retrieve items, or using machines to make parts. When a job is completed, you get paid and tipped based on how well you did it and whether you completed each mission, and you might get the Omen Tokens which allow you to purchase perks that are reflected in additional races.

It’s this repair process that sometimes bothers you. Part of this could be due to proper manual usage. It’s generally very helpful and includes everything you need to know. But there will be times when you need to analyze information in certain ways to make sure you’re doing things like making a pancake part correctly or entering the security system replacement correctly. (I found the pancakes and nuclear reactor parts particularly intimidating!) That’s a lot to take in. Time can run out even if you play in Focused Fixation mode. It’s a lot.

The other problem is that sometimes the Switch version of Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop seemed to just… stop recording entries? It also happened at the strangest times. I could remove one fuel can, no problem, but when I pressed X to go back and start removing the second one, I couldn’t move. If I played with the system docked, I would have to get up and use the touchscreen in handheld mode to operate it. (As a result, I ended up only playing in unlocked mode to avoid this problem.) This didn’t happen often, but when I tried Frantic Fixing, it was the worst when it happened. But there are also a few fixes that, while the controls work perfectly, seem much better suited to touchscreen or mouse controls.

At least the general idea, user interface and layout meant it was easy to recognize and take possible actions. Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop. It’s a very well designed game, appearance-wise. The elements are clearly recognizable and the steps to follow in the repair process are visible. The manual is a faithful reconstruction. Not to mention, it’s all coupled with a really good vibe that suits the dark, eerie, and supernatural nature of things. The vibrations are there while you play, integrating into the gameplay without being too distracting when you absolutely need to concentrate.

I would even say that it was this presentation and this concept that really convinced me Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop even when I had problems with certain repairs or Frantic Fixing mode. Both Droose and Kyle are excellent characters. I loved the comments from the cat at the station and the pilots who came in for repairs. Uncle Chop is a real jerk, which is why I even got enough rent and kept going up.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop has a lot going for it, but I think a lot of your enjoyment will depend on how and where you play it. It’s a lot of fun on Switch, but I noticed a few technical issues. Frantic Fixing is a plot to manage, especially if you play with a controller. However, the targeted correction is fantastic. Almost everything is explained well in the manual, but nuclear meltdowns will absolutely ruin your day.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is available on Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X and PC.

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