The Walking Trade is available on Xbox Series X|S today, Oct. 26, turning routine shelf-stocking and price-setting into a fight to keep a shop open during a zombie apocalypse.
The game’s solo creator says they built it without playing a shop simulator first, drawing inspiration from RollerCoaster Tycoon and The Sims. In a developer’s Xbox Wire account of the game’s creation, the creator describes wanting the hands-on work of a shop sim with more danger than its usually relaxed format.
Players lay out the store, arrange shelves, set prices, and hire survivors to serve customers, scavenge supplies, or stand guard. Staff need to stay equipped and motivated. Crafting stations unlock medicine, weapons, tools, shop upgrades, barricades, and traps.
Zombie hordes periodically attack, forcing players to defend the store with melee weapons, firearms, or whatever they can find nearby. Their choices extend to how they treat customers, too. Players can help the community, gouge prices, or kill customers for profit, while reputation affects who shows up at the shop.
Robin gives the setup a personal touch. He arrives on the player’s second day while fleeing a zombie, becomes the first staff member, and introduces combat and team management. The character shares the name of the creator’s son. Development began in October 2024, and the PC release followed about 18 months later.
How would you keep the shop stocked and its staff safe when a raid hits? For more stories where store management meets zombie defense, stay connected with us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
