Service with a Shotgun Forces Players to Expertly Split Their Attention Between Greeting Customers and Zombie Hunting

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I first loaded up Service with a Shotgun from developer Nolyn Vansyckle. It’s a visual novel set during a zombie apocalypse but also features gunfighting and basebuilding to defend against incoming zombie hordes. It’s something with an intriguing enough concept that I was drawn in quickly and found it incredibly entertaining. 

In the game, you play as a guy who was just hired at a gas station with the number one goal of keeping zombies out of the shop. That, and listening to customers, getting to know them, and getting paid are your main focuses. It seems easy enough until you start playing and are forced to multitask, keeping track of the conversation you’re having while also moving outside the shop to take down zombies. 

And killing zombies isn’t as simple as a button click, they’ll take multiple shots to kill and, the more you progress, the more powerful enemies you’ll encounter. You’ll also have to buy ammo, upgrades and more to keep the undead at bay. At the end of your workday, you’ll also be able to buy some defenses - traps, barricades, etc. - and place them outside the shop to slow them down. 

Service with a Shotgun is a masterclass in multitasking. Just when you think you’ve mastered its gameplay loop, it throws something new at you, adding to the amount of focus you must commit to the game. There are even some surprises in there that are best left unspoiled. 

While the game is called a visual novel, its story isn’t the strongest, but its gameplay makes it well worth the three to four hour run time. The surprises are exciting and the progression of difficulty is very well paced. Not to mention the game’s soundtrack is brilliant. 

You can grab Service with a Shotgun on Steam now.