Amber's Magic Shop
- June 8, 2017
- Winter Wolves
Get on Steam"Amber's Magic Shop" is a time management and simulation game where you play as Amber, a witch who runs a magic shop. You must gather resources, craft and sell magical items, and manage your shop to keep customers happy and make a profit. As you progress, you can upgrade your shop, learn new spells, and customize your potions to attract more business. The game features a variety of challenges, events, and seasonal themes to keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
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Reviews
- The game features a diverse range of romance options, including polyamorous relationships, which are well-represented.
- The art style is appealing, with unique character designs and engaging backgrounds that enhance the overall experience.
- The story allows for meaningful choices that influence the character's personality and relationships, providing a sense of role-playing and engagement.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, particularly the potion crafting aspect, which detracts from the narrative experience.
- The writing is often criticized for being mediocre, with clichéd tropes and inconsistent character development that fail to create a compelling story.
- Many players feel that the game lacks depth in its romance options, with relationships feeling rushed and underdeveloped, leading to unsatisfying endings.
- story106 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game is set in the world of Aravorn, focusing on Amber, a dark elf aspiring to be a master alchemist, and features a mix of engaging character interactions and romance. However, many players find the writing mediocre and the overall narrative lacking depth, with repetitive gameplay overshadowing the story elements. While some appreciate the diverse character perspectives and decision-making impact, others criticize the lack of a cohesive main quest and the abruptness of the story's conclusion.
“However, I find the story really engaging. I enjoy learning more about the world of Aravorn through the eyes of so many diverse and different characters, and I love how your decisions shape the story.”
“Amber's magic shop is an interesting story about a dark elf girl becoming a master alchemist and finding her love.”
“The main story is nicely engaging, and most of the love-interest specific stories are interesting too.”
“The story is, sadly, also a bit lackluster, largely due to mediocre writing, more than the concept of the story.”
“There's too much game - and very repetitive game - and barely any story.”
“Romance aside, even the general story is pretty lacking, bland, and boring.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is initially engaging but quickly reveals a lack of depth, becoming repetitive and heavily reliant on RNG, with some mechanics feeling like filler to extend playtime. While the core gameplay has potential, it can be grindy, especially for those who prefer a narrative-focused experience, as there is an option to play in a visual novel mode. Overall, the game offers a mixed experience, with some players finding the crafting elements slow and uninteresting.
“The core gameplay is entertaining, but could be improved.”
“However, if you're more of a reader, then you can skip the gameplay entirely and focus more on the storytelling.”
“The only reason the 'alchemy' mechanic is in the game is to serve as filler to make the game seem longer than it is.”
“Not much to do, and the gameplay with crafting is very slow and grindy.”
“The gameplay did get a little bit grindy towards the end (nowhere like Queen of Thieves), but there is a pure storyline mode for replays thankfully.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding the potion crafting tedious and repetitive, particularly in the context of a dating sim. While some appreciate the uniqueness of the crafting system, it is often described as slow and lacking engaging content, leading to a sense of boredom. Additionally, the absence of music during crafting sessions exacerbates the grindy feel, detracting from the overall experience.
“I cannot recommend this game, it is mostly grindy and the romance aspects of the game are over quickly.”
“Not much to do, and the gameplay with crafting is very slow and grindy.”
“Unfortunately, the potion crafting part is boring and tedious, and repeated way too many times between visual novel pieces.”
- music14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its excellent soundtracks that complement the storytelling, particularly in "Amber's Magic Shop." However, players noted a significant lack of music during crafting sequences, which can make the experience feel tedious and dull. Overall, while the soundtracks are well-received, there are concerns about their underutilization in certain gameplay aspects.
“The soundtracks are excellent and fit with most of the storytelling of Amber's Magic Shop.”
“Apart from this, the music was really good and the time skip allowing the players to see the characters become adults was great too.”
“The biggest complaint would be about the game not utilizing its music enough: some pauses are noticeable in visual novel mode and crafting seems to go in almost complete silence, which makes it feel more tedious than it really is.”
“Music and sound are nothing new either if you've played a few visual novel games in your life, and the same goes for some backgrounds.”
“My only complaint is that during the crafting, there is no music.”
“The biggest complaint would be about the game not utilizing its music enough: some pauses are noticeable in visual novel mode, and crafting seems to go in almost complete silence, which makes it feel more tedious than it really is.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their appealing art style and effective representation of the story, particularly in the ending artworks and backgrounds. However, some users note an inconsistency in the art styles used for different characters. Overall, the visuals are described as cute and visually pleasing.
“I love the style of the art and the artworks for the endings really capture the feel of the story.”
“The background artworks are also appropriate and easy on the eyes.”
“I find the artworks for the ingredients to be rather cute and pretty to look at.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is widely criticized as a cash grab, with players feeling that engaging with it is unnecessary and that they won't miss out on essential content by opting out.
“It's just a cash grab and you're not missing out on anything by avoiding it.”
