Review: Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop Can Be Calming Until Things Blow Up

I have a weird relationship with Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop. When I’m not dealing with a nuclear reactor threatening to immediately exterminate me, I find the roguelike oddly relaxing. After all, it’s a rocket repair simulation with an instruction manual for fixing every situation right in the palm of your hand. But if you hit certain scenarios, opt for a one mode over the other, or encounter a moment on the Switch during which only it suddenly stops recognizing controllers, it might feel unbearable.

Wilbur wakes up in Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop on what is presumably a planet in outer space with Uncle Chop’s titular establishment there. Droose, a person who runs the diner where customers wait, is the one to rouse Wilbur from some sort of cold sleep. Your first order of business? Dispose of the dead body of the person who used to do your job, prying the instruction manual for fixing rockets from their death grip. From there, you head to work doing odds jobs you aren’t qualified to perform to earn rent money and hopefully not die.

You are absolutely going to die. Probably a lot. But I figured you knew that coming into this review, given the nature of the genre. 

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop has two modes, which are referred to as Frantic and Focused. Frantic is a timed mode where, say, you get eight minutes and need to get as much done as possible. While I could manage that for maybe three days, the nature of the game and how many assignments you get, as well as attempting to play it with a controller, made it a bit unbearable for me. If someone’s been playing for a while, is aware of all the situations you could possibly face, and isn’t constantly checking the manual, I could see it being possible. But even once I did get comfy, I felt like Focused was the preferred option. That’s one that lets you do three jobs per day, untimed, and is a great way to get accustomed to the game and mitigate some of the stress you’ll feel when certain repair situations come up.

Regardless of which mode you select, a typical day in Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop tends to go the same. Wilbur wakes up. You clock in at the diner, then head to the phone booth. Jobs will appear, and you select one. The work order prints out, and you’ll talk to the pilot of the rocket briefly. You then need to assess each area that needs fixing. During the first two days, you’ll typically only encounter refueling and oil changes. Any repairs might be due to your own issues as you realize how not to overfill canisters. Eventually, you’ll need to flash cartridges and complete levels for entertainment units, handle maintenance of miniature planets for respiratory systems, handle VR elements, and deal with the nuclear reactor I mentioned above. All of these step-by-step processes also include using tools to open or close hatches, stopping by a store to pick up items, or using machines to fabricate parts. When a job’s done, you’re paid and tipped based on how you did and if you completed each assignment, and you might get the Omen Tokens that allow you to purchase perks that carry over to additional runs.

It is that repair process that occasionally gets in your way. Part of this could come down to proper manual usage. It’s generally pretty helpful and does include everything you need to know. But there will be times when you need to parse information in certain ways to ensure you’re doing things like fabricating a pancake part properly or entering the security system override correctly. (I found the pancake and nuclear reactor parts especially daunting!) It is a lot to take in. Time could be at a premium even if you are playing on Focused Fixing mode. It’s a lot.

The other issue is that sometimes the Switch version of Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop seemed to just… stop registering inputs? It’d happen at the strangest times, too. I could remove one fuel canister, no problem, but then when I’d press X to tab back over and start getting out the second one, I couldn’t move. If I was playing with the system docked, I’d need to actually get up and use the touch screen in handheld mode to make it work. (As a result, I ended up only playing unlocked to avoid that issue.) It didn’t happen often, but when I attempted Frantic Fixing it was the worst when that’d happen. But then, there are also some repairs that, even if the controls are working perfectly, feel like they’re much better suited to the touch screen or mouse controls.

At least the general idea, UI, and layout meant that recognizing and taking possible actions was easy in Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop. It’s a very well-designed game, in terms of appearances. Items are clearly recognizable, and the steps you need to take in the repair process are visible. The manual is a faithful recreation of them. Not to mention, this is all paired with a really great ambiance that suits the bleak, disturbing, otherworldly nature of things. The vibes are on-point as you play, fitting in with gameplay without being too distracting when you absolutely need to focus.

I’d even say it’s that presentation and concept that really sold me on Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop even when I was having trouble with certain repairs or the Frantic Fixing mode. Droose and Kyle are both great characters. I loved the commentary from the cat at the station and the pilots who would come in for repairs. Uncle Chop is a real jerk, which even made my drive to get enough rent and keep going higher. 

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop has a lot going for it, but I think a lot of your enjoyment will be based on how or where you play it. It’s a lot of fun on the Switch, but I noticed some technical issues. Frantic Fixing is a lot to deal with, especially if you’re going in playing with a controller. Focused Fixing is fantastic, though. Most everything is covered well in the manual, but nuclear meltdowns will absolutely ruin your day.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is available on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.