MR. RECORDS at Summer Game Fest

I checked out MR. RECORDS by Wired Productions at Summer Game Fest, and I haven’t rooted for an old man this much since watching Up. You play as George, a dapperly dressed gentleman, who is finally going after his dream of opening a record shop. That immediately resonated with me because I’m in my late 30s and started diving into games journalism only a few years ago. I got invested and can’t wait to play the full game to find out what finally gave George the push to chase his dreams.

Feel Good Hit of the Summer

The MR. RECORDS demo starts off with a phone call between George and his friend Paul. They banter back and forth a bit; the vibe is like two old dudes who have known each other their whole lives. I’m jumping ahead a little bit, but here’s one thing that sold me on this game. After a successful day one, George recaps things with Paul. Paul suggests that George needs to get with the times a bit more and listen to more modern music. I was expecting something like that scene from King of the Hill, where Hank Hill listens to Bobby’s music. Instead, George grabs a record, approaches it with a completely open mind, and does a nice little write-up.

Each day begins with George opening up his shop, the titular MR. RECORDS. You chat with each customer a bit and try to find the perfect record based on the clues they give. Now, when it comes to music, I associate specific memories with so many different songs and records. I’ve got a tattoo by The Hold Steady. So it was another little flourish that adds so much when George starts to geek out and adds an interesting tidbit about each record. Each one was super plausible; he has an anecdote about how a bassist tripped over a cord, bonked into an instrument, and the band decided to add it in.

George Has Quite the Imagination

Whenever George listens to a record, he starts to zone out, and that’s where one of the core gameplay elements comes in. He ends up in some trippy dreamscapes where you’ll run, dodge, slide, and kick. I was immediately pleased that all of those little things are on beat. The scoring ties into how much you’re able to sell each record for. If you do well enough, you unlock a hard mode, which I have to imagine means you can make more money, but I wanted to get through the main demo first.

Whenever a game heavily touts music, it’s a little sad, but I have to double-check that it’s all human-produced. I’ve got to give major kudos to the development team for writing, recording, and playing a genre-roulette of over 40 songs. One of the standout tracks was a bluesy little ditty in the vein of The Doors about sausages. The psychedelic visual of exploding ketchup and mustard bottles and spinning glizzies had me tapping my feet and grooving along, which probably looked hilarious to anyone walking by.

There were also two bonus songs after completing the demo. One of them, Teardrops, was this mash-up of prog and stoner rock that grew challenging pretty quickly. It introduced a new gimmick in which you have to grab a bomb and let go of it right before it explodes. I’m a little rusty on my music theory (I played bass guitar for quite a few years), but I’m pretty certain the time signature jumped all over the place.

Key Features

Run Your Own Record Shop – Manage a growing vinyl store filled with quirky customers, hidden stories, and musical riddles. Learn each record, recommend the perfect album, unlock new stock, and turn George’s tiny dream shop into a place where music changes lives.
Relax in George’s Bedroom Hub – Between musical journeys, unwind in George’s personal bedroom above the shop. Review memories, track progress, take calls, and spend quiet moments reflecting on the story and the music shaping your adventure.
A Soundtrack Worth Living In – Explore a huge range of original music styles including funk, progressive rock, hip-hop, electro, world music, and 80s pop. Featuring 40+ original records composed by the developers themselves.
Step Inside the Music – Every record George plays becomes a fully playable rhythm journey through surreal dream worlds inspired by memories, emotions, and moments from his life. Run, jump, slide, dodge, and chain actions together in sync with the music across 40+ handcrafted levels.
Endless Variety Beyond the Beat – Mr. Records constantly introduces new gameplay twists, from rhythm battles and surreal mini games to environmental changes, visual disruptions, chase sequences, and side activities with George’s loyal dog, Buzz.
Every Record Tells a Story – Meet colorful characters and uncover George’s memories through music, photographs, notes, and emotional discoveries from his past. Some songs are joyful. Others reveal regrets, lost love, and the life he never truly lived.