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.
Reviews
- Engaging romance plotlines with diverse love interests, including options for polyamory and LGBTQ+ representation.
- The art style is appealing, with unique character designs and well-crafted backgrounds that enhance the storytelling experience.
- The alignment system adds depth to character interactions and choices, allowing for varied outcomes based on player decisions.
- The crafting and alchemy mechanics can become tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The writing is often criticized for being mediocre, with some dialogues feeling forced and lacking depth, leading to a disjointed narrative.
- Many players feel that the romance aspects are underdeveloped, with abrupt endings and insufficient character development throughout the story.
- story53 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated with character development, while others criticize it for being lackluster and repetitive, often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics. Many appreciate the diverse characters and the ability to shape the narrative through choices, but some feel that the romance and main plot lack depth and urgency, leading to a somewhat unsatisfying experience. Overall, the game offers a decent story, particularly in visual novel mode, but it may not meet the expectations of those primarily seeking a rich narrative.
“I find the story really engaging; I enjoy learning more about the world of Aravorn through the eyes of so many diverse characters, and I love how your decisions shape the story.”
“The main story is nicely engaging, and most of the love-interest specific stories are interesting too.”
“Amber's magic shop is an interesting story about a dark elf girl becoming a master alchemist and finding her love.”
“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.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it initially engaging but ultimately shallow and repetitive, often feeling like mindless busywork dominated by RNG. While the core mechanics, such as crafting and the jealousy system, have potential, they are criticized for being poorly implemented and adding unnecessary grind. However, players who prefer storytelling can opt for a visual novel mode, allowing them to bypass the less enjoyable gameplay elements.
“The core gameplay is entertaining, but could be improved.”
“The gameplay did get a little bit grindy towards the end, but there is a pure storyline mode for replays thankfully.”
“However, if you're more of a reader, then you can skip the gameplay entirely and focus more on the storytelling.”
“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.”
“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.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, particularly in potion crafting, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the uniqueness of the crafting system, many feel it slows down gameplay and diminishes the romance elements, leading to a less engaging experience. The lack of music during crafting further exacerbates the grindy feel, making it a significant point of criticism.
“Unfortunately, the potion crafting part is boring and tedious, and repeated way too many times between visual novel pieces.”
“I don't like grinding for stats or whatever and think it's in general a difficult concept to make a good game on when it comes to dating sim/otome/BL games that have some romance going on.”
“I cannot recommend this game, it is mostly grindy and the romance aspects of the game are over quickly.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its excellent fit with the storytelling, enhancing the overall experience. However, players noted a lack of music during crafting segments, which can make those moments feel dull and tedious. Additionally, some found noticeable pauses in the visual novel mode, suggesting that the game could better utilize its soundtrack throughout.
“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.”
“This does make the crafting rather dull to play, so it would be great to have some interesting soundtracks while crafting.”
“Music and sound are nothing new; if you've played a few visual novel games in your life, you'll find the same backgrounds here.”
“My only complaint is that during 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.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their appealing art style and effective representation of the story, particularly in the ending artworks and background designs. However, some users note an inconsistency in the art styles used for different characters. Overall, the visuals are considered attractive and enjoyable, with cute designs for in-game elements.
“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.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making them feel lifeless.”
“The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, with players feeling that they can easily skip it without missing out on essential content or experiences.
“It's just a cash grab and you're not missing out on anything by avoiding it.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy basic features.”
“I feel like the game is designed to make you spend money at every turn, which ruins the overall experience.”
