Supermarket Together is DeadDevsTellNoLies' co-op shop management game, released on 9 August 2024, and it runs up to 16 players inside one store. You order stock, set prices against the market, stack shelves, work the tills and chase shoplifters, with difficulty scaling to how many people are connected. Solo works, but the game is designed around the moment four players realise nobody restocked the dairy fridge.
Combat in Supermarket Together rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.
Core Combat Mechanics
1. Franchise Points board
Levelling the supermarket through checkouts pays out Franchise Points, which you spend on a blackboard of perks. Most perks cost a single point while the heavier ones, such as extra employee slots and Recycling Courses, cost several.
Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.
2. Ordering and restocking loop
You order boxes on the store computer, they land in the storage room, and somebody has to move that stock onto the shelves before customers walk out. Storage Shelves hold the surplus, and upgrades push total capacity toward 49,000 items.
Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.
3. Product pricing
Each of the 300 plus products has a reference market price and you set yours against it. Price well above it and customers abandon the item; price at or slightly under it and volume carries the profit.
Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.
4. Employee hiring and job roles
Eighteen employees are available across seven jobs: cashier, restock, security, technician, packaging, manufacturing and storage. Each Employee perk on the Franchise board unlocks one more hire, and staff improve as they work.
Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.
5. Shoplifters and store security
Thieves walk in looking exactly like customers until they pocket something. An employee assigned to Security guards the entrance with a broom, and metal detectors plus CCTV cover what one person cannot watch.
Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.
How These Mechanics Combine
Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:
Franchise Points board + Ordering and restocking loop
Levelling the supermarket through checkouts pays out Franchise Points, which you spend on a blackboard of perks. When combined with Ordering and restocking loop, you order boxes on the store computer, they land in the storage room, and somebody has to move that stock onto the shelves before customers walk out. This combination is the core of every effective build.
Product pricing + Employee hiring and job roles
Each of the 300 plus products has a reference market price and you set yours against it. Paired with Employee hiring and job roles, eighteen employees are available across seven jobs: cashier, restock, security, technician, packaging, manufacturing and storage. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.
Shoplifters and store security as a Multiplier
Thieves walk in looking exactly like customers until they pocket something. An employee assigned to Security guards the entrance with a broom, and metal detectors plus CCTV cover what one person cannot watch. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Shoplifters and store security optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.
Combat by Build
Each build approaches combat differently:
Cashier (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Product Shelf Primary mechanic: Franchise Points board
Cashier offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Restocker (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Double Fridge Primary mechanic: Ordering and restocking loop
Restocker offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Security (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Storage Shelf Primary mechanic: Product pricing
Security offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Technician (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Checkout Counter Primary mechanic: Employee hiring and job roles
Technician offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Storage Handler (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Production Machine Primary mechanic: Shoplifters and store security
Storage Handler offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Advanced Combat Techniques
Damage Optimization
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
- Exploit Franchise Points board for maximum damage windows
- Chain Ordering and restocking loop and Product pricing for combo damage
- Use Employee hiring and job roles to create openings
Survivability
- Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
- Franchise Points come from levelling the store through checkouts rather than from raw profit, so keeping tills moving is the fastest route to perks. A player standing at a register out-earns the same player wandering the aisles.
- Position using Franchise Points board to control spacing
- Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort
Boss Combat
Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.
- Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
- Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
- Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed
Common Combat Mistakes
- Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
- Ignoring Ordering and restocking loop: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
- Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
- Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
- Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Produce Section but will get you killed in Checkout Area.
More Supermarket Together Guides
- Supermarket Together Supermarket Together Overview
- Supermarket Together Best Builds
- Supermarket Together Tier List
- Supermarket Together Walkthrough
- Supermarket Together Beginner's Guide
- Supermarket Together Tips & Tricks
- Supermarket Together Weapons Guide
- Supermarket Together Boss Guide
- Supermarket Together Maps & Locations
- Supermarket Together Crafting Guide
- Supermarket Together Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Supermarket Together, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
