Baba Records

What is Baba Records?

Baba Records is a single-player simulation about a small Istanbul record shop and the dealer who runs it. Aziz Üsküdar has one aim: make the shop famous enough to earn a place at the biggest record fair in Utrecht. The calendar gives him 60 days, so every purchase, price, and display choice feeds a countdown toward that invitation.

The shop sits in a city with centuries of musical history, and the stock is built around records from many genres, pressings, and conditions. The work is commercial rather than abstract: buy records carefully, work out what they are worth, set prices, and keep shelves full for the customers who walk in. A free browser demo covers the first five days; the full game costs $1.99.

How to play

Play begins with the shop's survival. Records come from dealers around Istanbul, and each purchase needs a judgment about genre, pressing, and condition before it can be priced for the shelf. Collectors look for rarities, while casual shoppers chase familiar hits; punks, rap fans, metalheads, and goths each want something different, so the stock mix matters as much as the asking price.

The buying network expands to auctions and travel. Auction lots arrive from Athens, London, Mumbai, Saigon, Ankara, and Izmir, and their outcomes are unpredictable. A Dead Man's Crate sends Aziz to a collector's home to grab up to six records within a 30-second window, then haggle with the family. The Record Mafia, the landlord, a stand at the town square Records Sale, artist signings, and Vinyl Magazine coverage all push the 60-day race forward.

Controls

Shop control is expressed through commercial decisions. The player sets prices, decides which records stay on the shelves, and chooses how to respond to the customers who arrive. Those choices connect directly to the 60-day goal: a shop that fills shelves with the wrong records or prices them badly will struggle to build fame for Utrecht.

Several situations add tighter decision windows. A Dead Man's Crate allows up to six records to be gathered in 30 seconds before the haggling begins with the family. Auction lots require bids, and dealers, family members, and other shop visitors create negotiations around the stock. Decoration is another form of control because different décor attracts different kinds of customers. A stand at the town square Records Sale is another chance to put stock in front of buyers, and the shop's direction is shaped by pricing, stocking, bidding, haggling, and presentation.

Tips for your first run

The 60-day limit rewards a clear routine. Start with the shop's cash flow: buy records at prices that leave room for profit, then price them for the customers most likely to want them. Rarities suit collectors, while hits suit casual shoppers, and the subcultural groups each have their own preferences. A shelf full of one type of record limits the shop's appeal.

Use the city's dealers for gossip and stock, but treat auctions as a separate risk. Lots from Athens, London, Mumbai, Saigon, Ankara, and Izmir can be unpredictable, so bidding needs discipline. The Dead Man's Crate is a short, sharp opportunity: six records in 30 seconds, followed by a haggle with the family. Keep the landlord satisfied and watch for the Record Mafia while building fame.

• Protect the 60-day deadline by tracking how each purchase supports the Utrecht invitation.
• Stock for collectors, casual shoppers, punks, rap fans, metalheads, and goths rather than one audience.
• Use décor deliberately; different decoration attracts different customer types.
• Sell enough records by an artist to open the chance of a signing and Vinyl Magazine coverage.
• Take the town square Records Sale stand when it can move stock and raise the shop's profile.

Content and replayability

Baba Records packs a lot of shop life into a 60-day frame. The record pool spans genres, pressings, and conditions, so pricing is not a single formula. Customers divide into collectors, casual shoppers, punks, rap fans, metalheads, and goths, and each group gives the shelves a different purpose. The buying side stretches beyond Istanbul through auctions in Athens, London, Mumbai, Saigon, Ankara, and Izmir.

Events keep the routine from becoming static. A Dead Man's Crate creates a 30-second collection dash and a family negotiation. The Record Mafia and the landlord add pressure, while a town square Records Sale stand offers another way to reach buyers. Artist signings and Vinyl Magazine coverage turn strong sales into reputation. Decoration changes which customers the shop attracts, so two shops can develop different identities within the same 60-day structure. The artist names, albums, records, and brands are fictional parodies, which keeps the collecting theme intact without relying on real catalogues.

Presentation and performance

Baba Records uses retro pixel art to frame an Istanbul shop full of records, customers, and street-level dealings. The setting leans on the city's centuries of musical history, with hidden gems and a dealer culture built around gossip, auctions, and the search for the right pressing. The opening jingle is an 8-bit arrangement of Üsküdar'a Gider İken, a traditional Istanbul folk tune, and the background music was made with Suno.

The release covers HTML5, Windows, and macOS. A free browser demo runs the first five days, while one purchase includes the Windows 10/11 64-bit installer or portable build and a macOS 13 or later version for Apple Silicon or Intel. The HTML edition opens locally in a browser, with Chrome or Edge recommended, and saves are kept in browser storage; clearing browser data deletes them. The build is unsigned, so the first launch may show a system warning. The small indie team credits Panic with game design, Peach with art direction, and notes the use of AI tools in code and asset work from its own creative direction.

Who should play it

Baba Records is aimed at players who enjoy shop management, pricing decisions, and collecting records. The 60-day race to Utrecht gives the simulation a clear goal, while the mix of collectors, casual shoppers, and subcultural customers gives each sale a bit of character. The retro pixel-art look and music theme strengthen that appeal.

The free browser demo is the natural starting point because it covers the first five days and asks for no purchase. Players who want the full run can buy the game for $1.99 and continue toward the Utrecht invitation. The game is single-player and built around buying, pricing, haggling, decorating, and reputation. Anyone intrigued by record dealers, Istanbul's musical history, auctions, or the Dead Man's Crate mechanic has a clear reason to try the demo first.