The final week of May on Steam saw a flurry of new releases grabbing the spotlight. The highly anticipated life sim 'Paralives' arrived to a 'Very Positive' reception, while the retro-inspired indie title 'Mina the Hollower' drew quite the crowd. Among these, the one that caught our eye for its sheer audacity is the repair shop simulation, 'Cheap Car Repair'.

Set in a remote, dusty village in 1990s Poland, the title says it all. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to patch up client vehicles as cheaply and lazily as possible. Why this obsession with being a tight-fisted mechanic? Because every penny saved is a penny towards fixing your own wreck of a car, which is currently little more than a pile of scrap.

You start the game with a rudimentary tutorial involving basic rust removal. Ordinarily, removing rust requires a meticulous process: sanding it down with precision, applying filler (putty) to the exposed areas, and carefully layering paint that matches the vehicle’s original colour to avoid any unsightly drips.

But let's be honest, that sounds like far too much effort, doesn't it? Our protagonist simply takes a circular grinder to the surface with reckless abandon. It’s so aggressive that it doesn't just strip the rust—it strips the entire finish down to the bare, gleaming metal. Once that's 'done', you just spray-paint the surface. Since high-end clear coats are clearly off the budget, a quick buff with a polishing grinder is good enough to make it look 'close enough'.

If you’re a petrolhead, this probably makes your heart race for all the wrong reasons. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. What’s the most vital resource for fixing your own car? Spare parts. And where’s the easiest place to source them? Someone else's car, of course.

In a brilliant twist, 'Cheap Car Repair' features a 'Sloppiness' meter. To complete a job, you need this meter to reach at least the yellow zone—green is even better. It mimics the mechanics found in other shop simulators, but here, 'Sloppiness' is not just a stat; it’s a lifestyle choice.

Take, for instance, a clueless client; their green bar for 'Sloppiness' is quite generous. This means you can swipe a part or two, and they’ll likely pay up without batting an eye. This is your golden opportunity to hoard parts and keep your costs at rock bottom. Need to top up the fuel? Go ahead and dilute it 50/50 with water. Will the car break down? Probably, but then they'll come back for more repairs, won't they? It’s a win-win.

Of course, pulling this stunt on a client who knows their way around an engine might just result in a rather violent confrontation. You have to read the room and pick your targets carefully. In truth, our lead character is a bit of a scoundrel from the jump—skimming electricity from the neighbours and sneaking into their sheds to scavenge parts. It’s a masterclass in extreme, criminal penny-pinching.

Beneath the mischief, there’s a surprisingly solid simulation engine that forces you to putty panels and unscrew components one by one. Once you've finished your own repairs, you’re free to drive around the village and explore. There are even shops where you can stock up on materials and spares.

Cheap Car Repair currently sits at a 'Very Positive' (91% positive) rating on Steam. User reviews are glowing: "It perfectly captures the vibe of 90s Poland and local workshop culture," one says, while another notes, "I’m not sure why there’s a system for selling wood, running people over, or robbing neighbours, but it’s a riot." Others add, "The cycle of being broke and fixing cars with absolute jank is both tragic and hilarious," and, "It’s perfect, as long as the customer doesn’t notice."