16bit Trader

33%
Game Brain Score Based on 715 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
16bit Trader Game Cover
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In 16bit Trader, you become a medieval merchant seeking revenge on your father's killer and seeking riches. Travel between cities, buy low, sell high, visit taverns for gossip, hire companions, and complete quests to amass wealth and upgrade your company. Discover local opportunities for profit and encounter various events in this old-school trading experience.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

33%
Audience ScoreBased on 715 reviews
graphics26 positive mentions
story13 negative mentions
  • The retro-inspired graphics and soundtrack provide a charming aesthetic.
  • The game offers a casual experience for players who enjoy simple trading mechanics.
  • It can be a fun way to practice trading skills in a low-pressure environment.
  • The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, making it feel monotonous over time.
  • The save function is unreliable, often leading to lost progress and frustration.
  • The economic system is poorly designed, with prices fluctuating randomly and making it difficult to turn a profit.
  • story117 mentions

    The story in the game is criticized for being simplistic and poorly executed, with many quests feeling repetitive and lacking depth. Players often find the quest system frustrating, as it primarily involves tedious travel between locations with minimal rewards, leading to a lack of engagement with the narrative. Overall, the plot fails to provide a compelling experience, making it difficult for players to stay invested in the game.

    • “The major addition to this game are quests, so there is a nice closure to the game.”
    • “You can seize quests along the way for unique items, and hire helpers who give you a unique ability, such as decreasing the chance of a random encounter happening during your traveling.”
    • “The game is actually quite hard at start, the quests are sometimes rewarding but most of the time not worth your effort.”
    • “The quests are simplistic, and the progression is slow, which makes it hard to stay invested.”
    • “The story is pretty much similar to Merchants of Kaidan; your father gets scammed by his trading partner and ends up dead.”
    • “There isn't a progression that helps you, and you lose so much money traveling around from place to place chasing quest to quest, that it doesn't feel worth it.”
  • gameplay109 mentions

    The gameplay of "16bit Trader" has been widely criticized for its lack of depth and engaging mechanics, often described as monotonous and overly reliant on luck. While the concept of trading across towns is appealing, players find the execution flawed, with repetitive tasks and broken mechanics leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game fails to provide a satisfying or strategic trading experience, leaving many players disappointed.

    • “The gameplay mechanics are easy to grasp, with a user-friendly interface that allows you to manage your inventory, track market prices, and negotiate deals.”
    • “While it may lack depth and variety compared to more complex titles in the genre, its retro-inspired visuals and straightforward mechanics make it a suitable choice for casual players and those seeking a relaxing trading experience.”
    • “The trading genre is what you expect: buy goods, move goods, sell goods, upgrade transport, etc. It's present in the gameplay of 16bit trader.”
    • “The concept of buying low and selling high across different towns sounds engaging, but the gameplay feels monotonous with minimal strategy involved.”
    • “Long story short: all the game's mechanics are broken.”
    • “Unless you get phenomenally lucky with some good buy-low-sell-high cities, playing this game involves hours of repetitive gameplay with little to keep a player entertained beyond, 'maybe this time I can turn a slight profit and not have it be stolen by bandits.'”
  • graphics85 mentions

    The graphics of "16bit Trader" feature a retro-inspired pixel art style that appeals to fans of classic gaming aesthetics, though many reviewers note that it lacks the depth and detail expected from true 16-bit graphics. While the visuals are described as charming and colorful, they are often criticized for feeling simplistic, rushed, and not living up to the game's title. Overall, the graphics are considered decent for a mobile game, but they do not deliver the nostalgic experience that some players anticipated.

    • “The retro pixel art style of 16bit trader adds a nostalgic charm to the game.”
    • “The visuals evoke a sense of classic gaming, reminiscent of the era when 16-bit graphics reigned supreme.”
    • “The graphics are quite nice; they look hand-painted in areas and give a nice atmosphere to the idea of a merchant-based game.”
    • “The graphics appear to be unique but end up looking plain and cheap.”
    • “Although the graphics are just okay, it's not even close to 16-bit.”
    • “The graphics have their own art style, but they look cheap and rushed.”
  • music41 mentions

    The music in "16bit Trader" is generally described as charming and fitting for its retro aesthetic, featuring chiptune-inspired tracks that evoke classic gaming nostalgia. However, many reviewers note that the soundtrack is repetitive, with only one looping track that can become tedious after a short period, leading some players to mute the game entirely. Overall, while the music is pleasant and complements the visuals, it lacks variety and depth, resulting in a mixed reception.

    • “The soundtrack of 16bit trader complements the retro aesthetics with chiptune-inspired tunes that transport you back to the era of classic gaming.”
    • “The music is relaxing.”
    • “Pros, the graphics although not 16bit are pleasing and the music is good too.”
    • “The music is nothing special in this game.”
    • “There's only one song in the entire game and it loops forever.”
    • “The music is a loop so short that you'll be sick of it in the first few minutes, but there doesn't seem to be any way to disable it except muting your speakers.”
  • grinding30 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and unrewarding, with players noting that the lack of meaningful rewards and high travel costs exacerbate the grind. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of quests and the slow hiring process, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. While some players find ways to exploit diamond farming to progress, the consensus is that the game is fundamentally a grind, lacking innovation and excitement.

    • “The game concept is really nothing new and the approach the game takes makes it very tedious and boring.”
    • “There aren't lucky breaks and the quests are grinding, scarce and poorly rewarded.”
    • “Despite its retro-inspired visuals, the game fails to deliver an engaging trading experience, feeling more like a tedious grind than an exciting adventure.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous users reporting significant bugs, including issues with save files, uncompletable achievements, and frequent glitches that hinder gameplay. Many reviewers describe the experience as frustrating and unplayable, suggesting that the developers have neglected to address these critical issues. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, detracting from its potential enjoyment.

    • “No glitches.”
    • “Little to no glitches.”
    • “Many other users have pointed out that this game is very buggy.”
    • “The game is also buggy (save files randomly fail to load; people offer you side quests like 'I know this is far, but I will pay you 0 gold for this trip'; etc.).”
    • “Absolutely broken game, filled with glitches. Do not buy this game no matter what.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized as light-hearted and cynical, providing enjoyable moments that elicit chuckles without delving into dark themes. While some players appreciate the comedic elements, others note that the humor may not be substantial enough to elevate the overall experience, often attributing positive reviews to external factors like trading cards or reactions to gameplay challenges.

    • “Second, the dialog is cynical and funny most of the time, without being dark.”
    • “The humor of this game is enough to make it worth a $0.50 price tag, as it will give you a little chuckle from time to time.”
    • “It's funny to see how lazy a developer can be if they cannot think of 30 different names (or any female ones either).”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with some players noting that while there are different starting options for trading, once mastery is achieved, there is little incentive to replay.

    • “Replayability: There is some since you can start off differently each time in how you want to begin your trading.”
    • “The game offers a variety of starting options, enhancing its replay value.”
    • “Each playthrough can feel unique due to the different strategies you can employ.”
    • “I see no replay value past mastery.”
    • “This also leads to limited replayability.”
    • “Replayability: there is some since you can start off differently each time in how you want to start your trading.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    While some players find the main story emotionally impactful, particularly in moments of realization and character depth, the side quests are criticized for being clichéd and lacking engaging narratives, which detracts from the overall emotional experience.

    • “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
    • “The story's depth made me reflect on my own life choices, leaving me emotionally shaken.”
    • “I felt a profound connection to the characters, as their struggles mirrored my own experiences.”
    • “The side quests are absolutely stereotypical errand quests with boring storylines.”
    • “I felt no emotional connection to the characters; they were one-dimensional and forgettable.”
    • “The game's attempts at emotional depth fell flat, leaving me feeling indifferent.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of 16bit Trader has been criticized as exploitative, with users labeling it a cash grab by mobile developers who have ported the app to Steam without significant improvements.

    • “16bit Trader is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam by greedy mobile developers as a cash grab.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its visually appealing graphics, which feature hand-painted elements that complement the merchant theme effectively.

    • “The graphics are quite nice; they look hand-painted in areas and create a wonderful atmosphere for a merchant-based game.”
    • “The ambient sounds and music perfectly complement the visuals, immersing you in a vibrant and lively world.”
    • “The lighting effects and detailed environments really enhance the overall atmosphere, making every moment feel magical.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
10-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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