Hello folks! As the game is about to release, I want to share some tips and tricks that might help you if you decide to try your best at being a cashier at your local Żopka.
Inevitably, after the fairly easy first days in the store, you will hit around the third week where the truly chaotic "Żopka-ing" begins, where every bit of help will matter (or, you know, it might matter even before that). So check below how you can make your life in Which Sausage, Mate? easier.
Not everything ends with a happy ending, sometimes it ends in a Żopka.
To begin with, my general tip: invest in store upgrades when possible. Reaching Day 30 on Tier 1 store wage will be very difficult (your wage is tied to the store Tier), and certain upgrades, such as the cash register or security mirrors/CCTV, will save your time and money - cash register upgrades increase the chance of card payments (no change counting), and a better security system will quickly make the costs back by preventing thievery in your store.
Why should a cashier invest in the store? But Sir, you are a 'co-owner' after all!
At the start of every day, you have a chance of finding a couple of coins and banknotes around the store. Look around and collect them, a loose tenner can help quite a bit at the beginning. You also get a bonus for quick service (paid at the end of the day), and can save a couple of pennies when giving out change - everyone will be fine if you 'owe them a penny'. Or two.
Money waiting to be picked up from the floor. Literally.
Which Sausage, Mate? has no difficulty levels, but isn't a game designed to be frustrating. If you fail on your first attempt (or second, or third...), don't worry - you are not wasting your time, just in the process of unlocking new endings.
Even bad endings (such as getting fired, bankrupt or arrested) will give you a small NewGame+ bonus to activate when starting a new game. These 10 unlockable bonuses can change quite a bit how the game plays:
Fired: Citation penalties reduced by 33% (but -50 zł starting money)
Arrested: Corruption/bribe profits doubled
Tragedy: Family expenses reduced by 25%
Escape: +200 zł starting money
Traitor: Store upgrades cost 50% less
Revolutionary: +10 zł bonus per unpacked delivery box
Model Employee: Wage increased by 25%
King of Żobka: Per-customer transaction bonus increased by 23%
Żobka Emperor: Start with all first-level store upgrades
Legend (Unlocked after unlocking all others): Start the game in Cyber-Żopka
Every ending reward can be toggled on and off from the main menu before starting a new game, so you can tailor your gameplay experience however you want.
The Monkey in the picture is not part of the bonuses. Please refrain from clicking on Monkey.
But let's say you've tried, and you still don't like some mechanics of the game, making you curse me over and over for implementing them the way they are. Got you covered too - just start a new game, and look around the store and street.
There will be many hidden (or not) objects that can be collected to gain a special perk. Some will be available from Day 1, others will progressively appear as the story of the game unfolds. Some items require collecting other items to appear, many can be obtained only by finding them on special customers and rare random events.
There are over 100 collectible items, each one granting a small (or not) bonus that can affect the gameplay mechanics - or just do something silly. Just to give you a quick example of some effects:
Free store upgrades
More patient customers
Increased wage and tips
Fewer clients ordering hot-dogs
All bonuses doubled after 8PM
Auto-scanning documents and coupons
Every customer now has a Proboscis Monkey nose
More time to prepare hot-dogs or give out change
You can 'owe' two pennies when giving out change
Removing last citation, or avoiding getting the next one
...and many more. Don't count on finding them all in a single playthrough though. I made sure some are really well hidden or obtainable only by clicking on very rare events/customers.
Żopkamaxxing
Still failing? What do you think this is, some Dark Sausage, Mate? Fine. Just go to the main menu and load the game. The game auto-saves every day. If you really can't finish the game as a hardcore Żopka cashier, just load the day you want to repeat, or directly restart it from the main menu after failing.
It's a single player game. It's up to you how you want to enjoy it, and what rules you want to apply to the gameplay.
Oh and by the way, the keys on the cash register are not just decoration. I've heard from well-informed sources there is a hidden page in the Rulebook with a little note that contains some numbers, but it also happens I know one personally - 2077. Try pressing it on the cash register numpad (or your keyboard numpad), and see what happens. Just make sure to adjust your clocks after.
And to think i could have release this as DLC...
Now go and grill some sausages, the customers are waiting! Cheers and have fun!