Merchant
- October 8, 2018
- Retora Games
- 59h median play time
Get on SteamMerchant blends traditional RPG systems and tycoon style mechanics. No gems, no consumables, all purchases are DLC! Great for second screen gaming! Merchant reimagines the classic RPG experience from the perspective of a Merchant. Hire Heroes and Crafters to do your bidding for you.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a satisfying leveling and crafting system that allows players to make their heroes stronger over time.
- It's a great time killer, especially for mobile users, and the ability to sync progress between mobile and PC is a big plus.
- The pixel art and music create a charming atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The game suffers from long wait times and tedious grinding, which can make it feel repetitive and slow-paced.
- There are significant UI issues, including a lack of organization in inventory management and a small screen size that feels cramped on PC.
- Several bugs and crashes, particularly related to the crafting menu, have been reported, affecting gameplay stability.
- story59 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and largely revolves around the repetitive mechanics of sending heroes on quests to gather materials for crafting and selling. Players often find the narrative lacking depth, with a focus on grinding through missions and managing inventory rather than engaging storytelling. While the economic and crafting elements intertwine with RPG mechanics, the overall experience feels shallow and tedious, leading to a sense of boredom over time.
“The game is played from the perspective of a shopkeeper; you hire heroes to go on quests and retrieve materials, process those materials with the help of several crafters, and eventually either sell the finished items to customers to build your relationship with them, or save them to power up your heroes and send them on tougher quests.”
“As quests become more challenging, it becomes necessary to send your heroes in groups, planning their skills around not only the enemy, but each other as well.”
“Every piece of equipment you create also has a chance to have additional stats; some may give extra damage or defense, while others may increase XP gain, luck, or quest speed for those who prefer active play.”
“However, it needs more quality of life features, needs basic options, doesn't have any tooltips, story is non-existent, lacks graphics besides some menu screens and is quite shallow if you're looking for in-depth RPG character building elements.”
“Grindfest, where you send your heroes out on the same quests hundreds of times.”
“I think it's easy to get bored with the repetitive task of assigning missions manually, waiting for missions, collecting resources, crafting, and trading actively many times over in a game session.”
- gameplay36 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of incremental and idle mechanics, focusing on managing adventurers and crafting gear, but it suffers from a lack of animations and depth, making it feel simplistic and grindy. While some players appreciate the art style and music, many criticize the game for its unclear mechanics and the need for external resources to understand gameplay elements. Overall, it offers a decent amount of content for its price, but may not satisfy those looking for a more engaging or complex experience.
“Despite being called 'merchant', the core gameplay is based on managing your adventurers, crafting better gear for them so they can kill bigger monsters and provide better resources to craft better items.”
“Blending together traditional RPG systems, tycoon mechanics, and a fantasy overworld, this game aims to reimagine the traditional mobile RPG.”
“Beautifully designed and very aesthetically pleasing, the music and audio really immerse you, and it features gameplay that I haven't seen in most mobile games.”
“No animations, gameplay looks worse than your average cookie clicker clone.”
“It's clear this game is a port and not really intended for PC gameplay.”
“Music is okay, gameplay is slow and boring, and not much going on; it's basically an idle clicker and one that's unfun.”
- grinding24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- -8 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to complete the same quests multiple times to gather necessary materials. While some players find the grind rewarding and engaging, especially in terms of strategy between active and idle play, many agree that the lack of automation and the need for constant attention can make the experience feel more like a chore than fun. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable but heavily reliant on grinding, which may deter some players.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“Far too grindy to get the materials you need to make things; you just end up doing the same 2 quests in each zone dozens of times to get what you need.”
“In the end, this feels grindy - rather like the dev's idea of extended gameplay revolved around making things take longer just for the sake of the grind and not because the actual difficulty ramps up.”
“It just becomes a tedious task to do anything.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are primarily characterized by a pixel art style that has garnered mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the aesthetic and find it charming, others criticize it for being low-resolution and lacking depth. Many users note that the graphics are simplistic and could benefit from enhancements, particularly in terms of animations and overall quality. Despite these criticisms, the pixel art is often described as fun and engaging, contributing to the game's addictive nature.
“Great time killer, love the art style and I've been playing for years.”
“Overall it's a pretty good game for a low price, with a nice pixel-art style that can really drag you in for hours.”
“Beautifully designed, very aesthetically pleasing, the music and audio really immerse you, and it features gameplay that I haven't seen in most mobile games.”
“But the dev went for heroes, teams, and such low-resolution graphics that even if they wanted to, they could never improve those things.”
“There's lazy pixel 'art' used instead of proper graphics, due to a lack of talent or budget from the mobile developers.”
“A tiny window with enormous pixels and a few utility animations is so reduced that at this point I'd wish they would have said 'forget graphics!' and made the whole thing text-based.”
- music18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while many players appreciate its quality and atmospheric fit, some note that it lacks originality and can become repetitive. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a strong point that enhances the gaming experience, despite some complaints about the absence of sound effects and the gameplay's slow pace.
“I like the art style, I like the music, and I like the gameplay.”
“Beautifully designed, very aesthetically pleasing, the music and audio really immerse you, and it features gameplay that I haven't seen in most mobile games.”
“Great premise, good aesthetics (and the music is spot-on), simple to pick up and advanced once you push yourself, this deserves a recommendation at the very least.”
“Music is annoying, and the game keeps persistently forgetting to not load custom in-game cursor.”
“No sound effects, just music.”
“Either you listen to the music or you don't; no in-between.”
- monetization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The monetization of Merchant has drawn mixed reviews, with some users labeling it a cash grab due to its misleading claims about in-app purchases. While the game does not feature traditional microtransactions or aggressive ad placements, it does offer DLC that functions similarly to in-app purchases, leading to accusations of "pay to win" mechanics. Overall, players appreciate the absence of intrusive monetization tactics, but express frustration over the deceptive marketing and the presence of purchasable content.
“No gross microtransactions or the usual idle-game shenanigans.”
“There are no microtransactions, premium currency, artificial wait timers, or other negative game design elements you usually see in mobile idlers.”
“I also like how this game doesn't have too many in-game purchases.”
“Merchant is an iPhone app that's been dumped on Steam as a cheap, nasty cash grab by lazy mobile devs. It's a basic idler/clicker where you run a shop, which involves sending adventurers off to collect stuff for you, then tapping your phone screen once they come back to make stuff to sell in your shop.”
“- Store page claims there are 'no in-app purchases, only DLC!'; this is misworded and misleading since the DLC is an in-app purchase and a microtransaction.”
“But this game advertises itself as free to lure people in, and locks part of its content behind malicious microtransactions instead, including 'pay to win' shortcuts to unlock inventory slots.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and occasional freezing, which have not been addressed due to a lack of updates over the years. Users also report difficulties with navigation, such as scrolling through stocks, contributing to a frustrating experience.
“It's also quite buggy and hasn't been updated in years.”
“Either way, whether it is due to the window size or how the game is set up, it could be the reason why it freezes from time to time or I am unable to scroll down to look at my stocks, which I find a pain.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong artwork and solid themes, contributing to a heartfelt and polished emotional experience. The unique interaction method, which mimics touch gestures, enhances the immersive quality of the gameplay.
“The strong artwork and solid themes create a heartfelt experience that resonates deeply with players.”
“This game evokes a range of emotions, making every moment feel impactful and memorable.”
“The polished design enhances the emotional journey, allowing players to connect with the story on a personal level.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its excellent music and immersive qualities, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“The game features an incredible atmosphere, enhanced by its captivating music.”
“The immersive environment draws you in, making every moment feel alive.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and haunting sound design creates a truly unforgettable atmosphere.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of customization and standard character designs, which some players find unremarkable. While the artwork is deemed acceptable, it does not enhance the overall experience, especially given the game's focus on timer-based gameplay.
