Dungeon Merchant
- June 8, 2023
- Monster Shop Games
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Dungeon Merchant," manage a shop by buying and selling items while hiring adventurers to explore dungeons for gold and loot. Adapt to the shifting demands of the dungeon to make profits, but be cautious of the dangerous monsters that lurk in the lower levels. With each adventurer you hire, you'll learn more about the game's world and uncover hidden secrets, all while striving to pay off your debt to the king. This is a hybrid idle/dungeon crawler/shop simulation game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a super engaging core loop and great pixel art, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
- It offers a fun concept of managing a shop while sending adventurers into dungeons, providing a unique gameplay experience.
- Despite some bugs, many players found it to be a good value for the price, with a decent amount of playtime and replayability.
- The game suffers from significant bugs, including issues with achievements and losing equipped gear, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Gameplay can become tedious and repetitive quickly, with many players feeling that they experienced everything the game has to offer within the first few hours.
- There is a lack of meaningful updates or improvements from the developer, leading to concerns about the game's long-term support and viability.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily idle-based, focusing on watching a hero navigate a dungeon, which some players find engaging for casual play. While the mechanics are simple and the gameplay loop can be satisfying, the high end-game goals may deter long-term engagement. Additionally, the drag-and-drop mechanic feels clunky, but the overall pixel art style and rewarding progression contribute to a cozy gaming experience.
“The gameplay loop is satisfying and it's good for some mindless fun, but I think the end goal of the game is too high a money count and I don't see myself paying it off for at least another 3-6 hours.”
“A great little indie gem that has a very casual play style and fun gameplay.”
“The core gameplay is simple but rewarding as you level up and get further into the dungeon, and the consistent pixel art style keeps everything cozy.”
“90% of the gameplay is idling, watching a hero mosey through a dungeon on 1/6th of your screen.”
“The drag mechanic moves an item around the screen and feels quite clunky.”
“Gameplay is simple, and even if you take a break, the developer included an info page to remind you of what causes what.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a striking graphics style characterized by consistent pixel art that enhances its cozy atmosphere. Players appreciate the aesthetic appeal and catchy music, which complement the simple yet rewarding core gameplay as they progress through the dungeon.
“It has a cool graphics style and catchy music.”
“The aesthetics of the game are impressive and enjoyable.”
“The consistent pixel art style keeps everything cozy.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game features a singular narrative with a clear objective, though progression can feel slow. Players express enthusiasm for the survival mode unlocked after completing the main mission, appreciating the intriguing story premise and the challenge of exploring deeper dungeon levels.
“Loved trying to push into deeper floors of the dungeon and it has a really cool story premise.”
“There is one story, one objective, and one slow progression.”
“I got excited for survival mode, something you unlock after completing the main mission of the game.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, leading to a sense of staleness as the initial novelty wears off. The lack of engaging content, such as boss fights or new challenges, exacerbates the grind, making it feel pointless, especially with the increasing time required to sell higher-value items. Overall, the grinding experience detracts significantly from the game's enjoyment.
“Tedious and monotonous; what starts out as a neat idea gets stale quickly. The game hints at rare things in the background but never has any boss fights or anything new to fight. The worst part is that the time an item takes to sell increases when it's worth more, so in the late game, you could stock the shelves and come back in 10 minutes to collect, if not for having to click each time your loot minion changes floors.”
“Making grinding pointless :/”
“Shame it's so grindy.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability, particularly with the addition of survival mode; however, many users find it repetitive and lacking in depth, which limits its overall appeal for repeated playthroughs. As a result, recommendations are cautious, especially if players are seeking a more varied experience.
“There is definitely some replay value here, especially once you unlock survival mode.”
“As you can already tell from the previous comments, I cannot currently recommend it - I will also go as far as saying even if the bug mentioned is fixed, then I would only recommend this game if you don't mind repetitive games with not a lot of replayability.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being catchy and well-complemented by a cool graphics style. However, some users have reported issues with sound effects and music randomly maxing out without warning, which detracts from the overall experience.
“It has a cool graphics style and catchy music.”
“My music or sound effects would randomly max out without warning.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised as excellent, complementing the fantastic pixel art style.
“The humor is great and the pixel art is fantastic.”
“The humor is clever and keeps you engaged throughout the game.”
“I love how the game uses humor to enhance the storytelling.”
