The quirky indie game Roadside Research is a single-player/co-op gas station simulator with a twist. You and your co-workers are aliens researching the human population while trying to evade investigation from the Men in Black (who like to show up unannounced and take special interest in your work).
You have to study the humans behaviors, anticipate their purchases, and catalog their appearances. All while running a successful business and avoiding assassination. There are oddities, upgrades, and alien investments to be made; our beginner’s tips will get you started in Roadside Research.
Roadside Research is on Early Access, so the info below is subject to change.
Don’t Be Roadkill
While it feels like this should be common sense, it’s surprisingly easy to get knocked down by a car in the full version of Roadside Research. In the demo, cars that collide with you don’t do any damage, but the developers clearly felt like this wasn’t funny enough. If you stand too far into the road when at the gas pump, a car will barrel straight into you. Causing you to die unceremoniously.
While this isn’t really an issue for you personally, as you respawn straight away, for your gas station, it could make life a bit harder, as it causes your suspicion level to increase. You end up with quite a lot of goop to clean and some very curious customers. So try to stay out of traffic as much as possible.
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Think Clean
Customers like a clean, friendly environment, but despite this fact, they like to be litter bugs themselves. Some areas you need to clean are obvious, such as the toilet and gas pump areas. They emit a green cloud when filthy, and you know it’s time to scrub the item down. However, not all the areas are obvious.
The entrance to the store, the parking lot outside, and even the cashier’s desk get dirty; it just isn’t as clear. If a customer is unhappy with the cleanliness of the gas station, but you don’t see any green clouds or flies, be sure to grab your sponge and try scrubbing these places just in case. The cashier’s desk is definitely one that you don’t notice getting filthy.
You don’t have to wait until the area is filthy to clean it. If you get a spare moment, scrub the areas down, and when you see the bubbles, you know you’re doing something.
Be Super Sneaky
Part of your job as an employee at the gas station is to photograph and catalog the customers as they visit. You’re given three things to look out for at the beginning of the day, and once you’ve unlocked the camera, you need to snap a photo of the corresponding customer without being seen.
While you need to remain unseen by the customer you’re photographing, you also need to be sneaky and not be seen by any customers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have to be the target who sees you for the gas station’s suspicion to increase; it can be anyone who witnesses your peeping.
Game Glitches
Roadside Research is in early access, so it’s normal to see some bugs or glitches. One problem you might come across is losing items when dropping them anywhere other than on their corresponding tool board.
If you take a camera, sponge, or extra products outside for easy access, don’t be surprised if you return to find them halfway across the parking lot from where you left them. If you lose something, be sure to check the wide open space for it.
Price Adjustments
You’ll notice you can adjust your product prices from the get-go, but you might be worried about annoying or angering your customers. However, if you make subtle changes, you can hike the prices of your products quite quickly.
As long as you aren’t adding ten dollars to an item straight away, customers don’t seem to have an issue with it. If you find that they do, gently lower it back down and try again.
The ‘Hypnoic Image Projector’ will help customers accept a massive price increase, but it will also raise suspicion at the gas station.
Resell Value
It can be frustrating to buy a lot of an item only to upgrade the next day and have to delete the previous ones, potentially losing money. Luckily, the developers of Roadside Research have been kind, and when you delete an item in the construction menu, you get the full amount reimbursed.
When in the construction menu, select the top-right button labeled ‘Enter Edit Mode’. This will allow you to delete items and get your money back.
Simplify Money
If you accidentally select the wrong amount of change at the cashier’s till and end up giving away free money (even if it’s only a couple of cents), you can streamline the process by unlocking and installing ATMs at the gas station.
An ATM encourages customers to use their card at the till instead of cash. This makes the checkout process much quicker (if you find the buttons a little fiddly) and can save you a lot of pennies in the long run.
Be Careful Who You Shoot
As you earn more alien points, you’ll unlock new alien technology you can purchase. While some are just to annoy your co-workers, others can be used against the customers. However, be careful around the agents coming to catch you in the act of not being a human.
If you decide to use the Laser Gun on an agent, for example, you’ll very quickly be assassinated when they wake up. While it might seem funny at the time, is it worth it if you end up as goop on the floor?
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