Dealer's Life
- January 31, 2019
- Abyte Entertainment
- 53h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn Dealer's Life, you run a pawn shop, buying and selling items to make a profit. Each customer and item is procedurally generated, offering a unique experience each time. Manage your finances, stock, and reputation to build a successful business.
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Reviews
- The game is addictive and fun, providing a casual gameplay experience that can be enjoyed in short or long sessions.
- It features a unique pawn shop simulation with a variety of items and engaging negotiation mechanics.
- The developers are responsive and continue to update the game, adding new content and improvements.
- The gameplay becomes repetitive after a few hours, lacking depth and variety in mechanics as the game progresses.
- Graphics and audio are basic, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- Random events can be frustrating and may lead to significant losses, impacting the enjoyment of the game.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a fun and addictive loop, featuring simple mechanics centered around trading and haggling, with various employee skills and fame levels that influence events. While the game offers decent depth and customization options, players note a tendency towards repetitiveness and a lack of new mechanics as the game progresses. Overall, it is well-received for its entertaining and casual nature, making it enjoyable for fans of trading simulators.
“Very inventive gameplay with a great 'pawn stars' type theme.”
“There are different employees, skills, and fame levels that all affect the gameplay and generate events that can greatly affect your game.”
“Very entertaining and addicting game with fast mechanics.”
“The game mechanics are as you would expect from a trading simulator: repetitive gameplay after a while.”
“Also, the game does not introduce any new mechanics or events later in the game to make it more difficult and enjoyable.”
“Gameplay is rather simple - you haggle with your customers to buy and sell things, and you can hire helpers to better identify item values, fakes, and to repair items.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them quirky and humorous, while others criticize them as poor and uninspiring. Overall, the visuals are described as simplistic and lacking sophistication, yet they do not detract significantly from the enjoyable gameplay experience.
“Best pawndealer simulator to date, quirky but funny graphics.”
“Very grindy & repetitive but somehow keeps you playing just one more turn... graphics & sound are perfectly fine.”
“The graphics are nothing sophisticated but all in all a fun gameplay and style.”
“The art style does not really inspire much confidence in the title.”
“Very funny if you don't mind playing an indie game with poor graphics.”
“Too bad that so little was invested in design as the graphics are quite poor, yet still I can recommend this game.”
- story10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it forgettable and lacking depth, while others appreciate its emotional investment and how it complements the gameplay. Overall, it seems that while the story may not be the main draw, it does provide some personal touch and replay value for those who engage with it.
“It's easy to understand, and even after the end of the story, I still spent heaps of hours in this game without getting bored.”
“If I have ever played a good game, this is it. The story is great, and the gameplay is just fantastic.”
“It's got the interactivity and control of a simulation-strategy game, but the story-driven progression adds a nice personal touch and emotional investment, ultimately creating some additional replay value.”
“Lame story.”
“I even forgot about the story after a certain point.”
“There's little to no backstory if you're looking for that.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with users highlighting its quirky graphics and amusing content, such as clever jokes in the newspaper. Many find it to be a fun and addictive experience, despite its indie aesthetic and simpler visuals. Overall, the game successfully delivers a lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere.
“Best pawndealer simulator to date, quirky but funny graphics.”
“Oh and the jokes in the newspaper are really funny, like the fake names.”
“This sweet game is very funny and addictive.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mix of high replayability due to its engaging features and story-driven progression, appealing to fans of simulation-strategy genres. However, some players feel that while it is enjoyable, it may not sustain long-term replay value beyond specific challenges like speedrunning.
“I usually say 1 dollar per hour I play on it, but geez... love this game, has tons of replay value!”
“These features make the game less repetitive and give it a lot more replayability.”
“I don't think it's something you'll want to spend a million hours on as I don't think there's a ton of replay value, but if you like this type of game, you'll love it.”
“I don't see much replay value minus speedrunning to the finish.”
“It's got the interactivity and control of a simulation-strategy game, but also the story-driven progression adds a nice personal touch and emotional investment, ultimately creating some additional replay value.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered generic and unmemorable, receiving a score of 6/10. While it may not enhance the gaming experience, it is not distracting, making it suitable for players who enjoy multitasking with their own music or podcasts.
“The music, while being generic, is not annoying.”
“It's pretty straightforward and isn't recommendable if you're not multitasking like listening to new music or a podcast, but if you multitask often as I do, I highly recommend you add this to your library.”
“Also, I don't remember any music.”
“It can be a bit slow going, so I'd recommend listening to music or a podcast while playing.”
“It's pretty straightforward and isn't recommendable if you're not multitasking like listening to new music or a podcast.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and time-consuming, often requiring hours of monster fighting or resource farming to progress. Despite its grindy nature, many report a compelling urge to continue playing, suggesting that the gameplay loop is engaging enough to keep them invested. Overall, while the grind can feel excessive, it is balanced by enjoyable graphics and sound.
“Very grindy and repetitive, but somehow keeps you playing just one more turn. Graphics and sound are perfectly fine.”
“As mentioned above, I played roughly 8 hours to max out and 'win,' and there was little to no struggle, just grinding through it.”
“Players spend hours fighting monsters or farming to build something that will sell to the NPCs.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively combines simulation-strategy mechanics with a compelling narrative, fostering emotional investment and personal connection that enhances replay value.
“It's got the interactivity and control of a simulation-strategy game, but the story-driven progression adds a nice personal touch and emotional investment, ultimately creating some additional replay value.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy includes new perks such as media ads and shop upgrades that enhance item displays and attract more customers, suggesting a focus on improving the shopping experience while encouraging additional spending.
“The monetization system feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“I find the in-game purchases to be excessive, making it hard to progress without shelling out real cash.”
“The constant prompts to buy premium currency disrupt the gameplay experience and make it feel more like a cash grab.”
