The “video game stores” account on Twitter, a.k.a @storesfromvidya (opens in new tab), is another solid example of the game aesthetics accounts that have been popping up on my feed more and more these past few years. This one regularly shares screenshots from gaming’s best shops, stores, vendors, merchants, hawkers, wheelers, dealers, and, of course, peddlers, all in an attempt to tickle your pleasure center as you scroll.
Relive fond memories of offloading all your potions of barkskin after committing what could uncharitably be misconstrued as a war crime against a bunch of goblins living in a dirty cave. Get that bite-sized hit of recognition-based good brain chemicals in-between the worst posts you have ever seen. Here’s just a few of my favorites from the account’s brief time online:
Deus Ex pottery shop
Pottery Shop in Hong Kong [Deus Ex] pic.twitter.com/OZTZtkbbeiAugust 1, 2022
This is the one that first caught my attention. The Hong Kong portion of the original Deus Ex might be my favorite part of the game, a multilayered urban environment that makes for one of the best hubs I’ve ever seen in an RPG. @storesfromvidya captured a charming little stall from Hong Kong’s market, one you can’t even patronize, but it still adds to the area’s unbeatable ambiance. I just hope you can forgive the voice acting there—it’s uh, kinda racist.
Marcus TK Hodgson’s bookstore, The Witcher 3
Books and Scrolls [The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt] pic.twitter.com/3Kw5vidAuHJuly 30, 2022
Here we observe the deceptively cozy and inviting lair of Marcus TK Hodgson, infamous Gwent card shark (opens in new tab) and inconsistently-voiced side quest giver. I don’t think I ever bought a single book here. I just threw down some Gwent with a man who does not play fair and collected some DLC/Witcher 1 saved game quest rewards.
Assassin’s Creed 2 tailor
tailor from Assassin’s Creed 2 pic.twitter.com/HP9GpV1zYOJuly 8, 2022
These little stalls from Assassin’s Creed 2 were such a missed opportunity. They look cozy, folksy, and Italian enough, but talk to their blank-faced proprietors and you get whisked off to this goopy, abstract, Animus-themed menu to buy armor and weapons for Ezio. Boo!
It hasn’t been very long, but @storesfromvidya has already touched on some real mercantile excellence with their account. Be sure to drop them a follow for more commerce, deals, and vital economic activity from our favorite little digital small business owners.