Anime Shop Simulator Beginners' Guide — Vook's First-Week Shop Loop

Hi, I'm Vook, a sim player who treats Anime Shop Simulator like a first-week survival tutorial — margin first, fancy card battles later.

This is a beginners' guide, not a 100% completion map. I cover the habits that stop day-one bankruptcy: pricing, bills, cleaning, thieves, and when to unlock Arcanis. Leaf pages go deeper on pricing, boosters, card battles, and achievements.

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What this game is

Shelf stocking on the surface. Under that: manual pricing, bills with due dates, customer mood from trash and stains, thieves who grab display stock if you look away, and a tcg side business once you buy the gaming table.

The players who struggle never touched the price tag, never opened the bills tab, and never swept the floor. Fix those three and the rest opens naturally — but even a perfect shop bleeds merch if you ignore thieves mid-rush.

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First hour — opening checklist

Do this once on a fresh save before you chase anything fancy.

Start menu: solo or co-op — same beginners' loop either way.

Store PC: name the shop, then use this terminal for licenses, orders, and bills all game.

1. Name the store on the computer.
2. License store — buy Otaku Forge ($275). Unlocks Sawman and Bald Justice manga.

First license: Otaku Forge bundles two manga lines — cheapest way to get sellable stock.

3. Order screen — one of each manga. Don't over-order day one.

Order screen: one of each on day one — shelf space and cash are tight.

4. Delivery / storage — pick up boxes from the delivery area.

Delivery zone: boxes land here until you carry them to the floor.

5. Place products — one SKU per shelf slot so customers can browse.

Display rule: filled shelf slots customers can actually see — empty slots don't sell.

6. Price tags — set every price above market before you open. I start Sawman $13.50, Bald Justice $15.60. Full routine: pricing guide.

Price tag: interact before opening — default tags sell at a loss.

7. Checkout — serve customers, give correct change.

Register: sales drive shop level — wrong change still counts as a served customer, but slow service stacks up.

8. End day — press N when you're ready to roll the calendar.

Warning: Default shelf prices sell at a loss. No customer should walk in until every tag is set.

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Daily loop — every workday

This is the repeating core once the first hour is done.

Step	Action	Why
1	Check bills on the computer	Pay rent and electricity when they appear, not on the due date
2	Restock / order licenses if cash allows	Empty shelves = no XP
3	Pricing pass on new stock	One sweep before opening
4	Open shop, serve checkout	Sales = shop level
5	Trash → bin, mop stains	Mood drops kill sales mid-transaction
6	Watch for thieves — catch before they leave	Stolen display stock = pure loss
7	Optional: open boosters, card battles	Second revenue line after level 5

Bills screen: I pay the moment they appear — fines are pure lost profit.

Cleaning: bin trash, mop stains near checkout — unhappy customers walk out mid-sale.

I pay bills the moment they land. Cash sitting in the account is cash I might waste on a license I don't need yet.

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Thieves — catch them before they walk out

1. During a workday, thieves spawn randomly and try to snatch valuables off your displays.
2. An alert fires — short window to respond.
3. Stop them with the baseball bat before they exit with your stock.
4. Catch 5 thieves for Attack on Thieves — achievement list.

Stay near the register during rush hours. Do not swing at normal customers — reputation crash, fewer shoppers.

Tip: Co-op splits floor watch and checkout — create a server if solo feels overwhelming.

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Co-op — split the floor

Four-player co-op uses the same loop; you just divide jobs.

Co-op lobby: one person checkout, one pricing/restock, one cleaning, one thief watch — or rotate.

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Progression gates — what level unlocks

Leveling comes from sales and service, so pricing and cleaning are your XP system.

Level	Unlock	What I do first
4	New licenses	Big Eyes → Muscular Destiny manga
5	Gaming table (furniture menu)	Gateway to Arcanis boosters and card battles
6+	Shop expansion (paid)	Save cash — not free

Mid-game terminal: new product lines unlock as you buy licenses — same PC flow as day one.

After level 5, buy booster packs and place the gaming table → booster guide.

At 6+, save for shop expansion, then customization (walls, floors, exterior).

Customization: cosmetic spend after expansion cash is saved — paint the van when prompted.

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Arcanis — beginners' intro (level 5+)

Not day-one priority. Once the gaming table is down:

Arcanis side: order booster packs, open or shelf at fixed $5, build collection and decks.

1. Order booster packs → open or shelf sealed packs ($5 fixed).
2. Collection menu — keep first copies, sell duplicates.
3. Card battles — 9-card deck, color advantage +2 power.

Battles: retail pays the bills; Arcanis pays crystals — full battle guide.

4. Tournament — 5 wins → secret shop.

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My priority order (first week)

1. Otaku Forge → stock → prices set → serve → pay bills → clean → catch thieves.
2. Level 4 → second license + extra shelves.
3. Level 5 → gaming table → boosters.
4. Level 6+ → expansion → customization.
5. Later: achievements, card leagues, max shop rank.

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Mistakes beginners make

• Opening the shop before a pricing pass.
• Ignoring bills until fines stack.
• One stain near checkout tanking mood.
• Chasing thieves late — near the exit, you already lost the item.
• Baseball-batting a normal customer.
• Jumping into Arcanis before the retail loop is stable.

Once the first week habits stick, branch into leaf guides for depth — or keep running the shop for profit only. Both are valid.