Merchant of the Skies

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 839 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Merchant of the Skies Game Cover
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
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Merchant of the Skies is a trading game with management elements, where you play as a captain of an airship. Explore a fantasy world, trade goods between various islands, upgrade your ship, and manage your own floating trade empire. The game features day/night and weather cycles, random events, and multiple endings.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 839 reviews
story56 positive mentions
grinding42 negative mentions
  • Charming pixel art and a delightful atmosphere make the game visually appealing.
  • Engaging gameplay loop with a satisfying progression from a small merchant to a trading empire.
  • Relaxing and casual experience, perfect for unwinding without the pressure of combat or time limits.
  • The game is relatively short, with a campaign that can be completed in about 6-10 hours.
  • Lacks depth and complexity in trading mechanics, leading to repetitive gameplay after a while.
  • User interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management cumbersome.
  • story218 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered simplistic and underwhelming, often taking a backseat to the trading mechanics and resource management gameplay. While some players appreciate the charming visuals and light narrative elements, many feel that the quests are repetitive and lack depth, with a focus on fetch tasks rather than engaging character interactions or a compelling overarching plot. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the trading experience, providing minimal motivation beyond completing the main objectives.

    • “This game seamlessly blends strategic planning, resource management, and engaging storytelling into an addictive experience that keeps players hooked.”
    • “Its charming visuals, engaging storylines, and quirky characters create an enchanting atmosphere that draws players in.”
    • “The story is in the form of exploring the map and helping various merchants with their businesses, and I found it to be both satisfying and engaging.”
    • “The story is short and not well incorporated with the gameplay.”
    • “There isn't much of a story, nor are there characters.”
    • “The storyline and missions were very dull and underwhelming.”
  • gameplay169 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a fun and satisfying loop centered around trading and resource management, though it tends to lack depth and complexity, making it feel repetitive after a few hours. While the mechanics are easy to grasp and visually appealing, many players noted that the game could benefit from more originality and challenge, as well as better tutorials for its various systems. Overall, it offers a casual and relaxing experience, but may not hold long-term engagement for those seeking more intricate gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is simple, yet rewarding.”
    • “The main gameplay loop of buying & selling then upgrading your islands is really satisfying.”
    • “Merchant of the Skies is a fun, little, hand-crafted game with really enjoyable gameplay and a super cute look.”
    • “Honestly disappointing, it looks great but the gameplay loop is just painful after about 10 minutes.”
    • “The gameplay loop is repetitive and there are not enough events aside from the actual missions and trading to be enjoyable for very long.”
    • “The actual gameplay and the underlying mechanics definitely need some more work - taken in a positive light I can say that it's a relaxing game where it isn't all that difficult to start earning large sums of money.”
  • graphics114 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, often described as beautiful pixel art that enhances the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the vibrant and calming visuals, which contribute to a delightful gaming experience, despite some noting minor graphical limitations. Overall, the aesthetic is seen as a strong point, effectively complementing the gameplay and narrative.

    • “Its charming visuals, engaging storylines, and quirky characters create an enchanting atmosphere that draws players in.”
    • “The art style is adorable but legible, the play-style is simple yet oddly complex, and the storytelling, though shallow, is far better than I expected.”
    • “The pixel art graphics are beautiful, and I love the concept.”
    • “Limited graphics.”
    • “The graphics are not outstanding.”
    • “Graphics are plain and dull.”
  • music80 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as charming and fitting, enhancing the overall atmosphere with a relaxing and cute aesthetic. However, many reviewers note that the soundtrack can be repetitive and limited, with only a few tracks that may become monotonous over time. Despite this, the music is often appreciated for its ability to complement the game's visuals and gameplay, making it a pleasant backdrop for casual play.

    • “Great music, relaxing pace, great art.”
    • “A very sweet little game that captures your imagination and interest with a cute art style and exceptionally calming music.”
    • “Music and atmosphere is amazing.”
    • “The music is extremely repetitive (and in my opinion bad, but that's personal preference) and maybe 5 minutes long in total.”
    • “While I enjoyed this game greatly, my one major complaint is that the music was terribly repetitive.”
    • “The soundtrack is very repetitive and lacking.”
  • grinding42 mentions

    The reviews indicate that while the game offers enjoyable mechanics and beautiful aesthetics, it often devolves into tedious grinding, particularly in the late game. Players appreciate the initial fun and addictive nature of the gameplay, but many express frustration with the repetitive tasks and lack of depth in the trading and resource management systems. Overall, the game is seen as a mixed experience, balancing enjoyable elements with significant grindiness that can detract from long-term engagement.

    • “The game was fun at first, but it quickly became tedious and annoying in my opinion.”
    • “You can see the contours of a fun system where you're planning out automated routes that feed high-value factories from groups of raw resource producing islands, but the convoy interface is both too basic and too tedious to make spending time with it very worthwhile.”
    • “All of the mechanics are unveiled within the first 10 minutes; the rest is just grinding for more gold so you can continue to grind for more gold.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed, with some players appreciating the randomized maps and various goals that offer a degree of versatility, while others find the gameplay mechanics repetitive and lacking long-term engagement. Although it can be enjoyable initially, many reviewers feel that it becomes tedious over time, leading to a consensus that replay value is limited despite some charming elements. Overall, while there are aspects that encourage replay, the experience may not sustain interest for extended play.

    • “Whether you choose to immerse yourself in the narrative or focus solely on the business aspect, the game offers versatility and replay value.”
    • “It is a solid title with decent replayability.”
    • “This is a charming little game with surprising depth and replay value.”
    • “As for the replayability factor, I wouldn't say that it's one of the strongest points, since, although fun and engaging in the beginning, later on it turns out to feel like a chore and you want to finish it as quickly as possible so you can move on to the next title on your list.”
    • “There's not a lot of replayability per se; the map may be randomly generated, but the play mechanics (trade, invest, buy, produce, set up caravans, corner the supply market, etc.) will always be the same, and so will the goals.”
    • “Only complaint is that the game does not have the best replayability once you finish the story.”
  • atmosphere19 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charm and relaxation, featuring beautiful pixel art, engaging music, and a friendly, whimsical world that invites players to enjoy a laid-back experience. Reviewers highlight the enchanting visuals and quirky characters that contribute to a feel-good ambiance, making it a delightful escape from more intense gaming experiences. Overall, the game's atmosphere is a significant factor in its appeal, providing a warm and inviting environment that enhances gameplay.

    • “Its charming visuals, engaging storylines, and quirky characters create an enchanting atmosphere that draws players in.”
    • “This game reminds me of Transport Giant but with a different atmosphere.”
    • “The game has a relaxed atmosphere without pirates and other dangers you find in other trader games; here the world is friendly, quiet, and you can just go and enjoy yourself in it.”
    • “Cute and relaxing trade and tycoon sim, less about deep mechanics than charming atmosphere.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by charming and entertaining encounters, featuring quirky characters like Sam the fish god and amusing references that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone and funny elements woven into the gameplay, making it a relaxing and enjoyable pixel art trading game. Despite its short campaign, the humor adds significant value, making it a delightful choice for casual gaming.

    • “A beautifully crafted game with wonderful aesthetics, some humorous encounters, and the ability to create an economic empire solely based on farming, processing, and selling tea to the highest bidder.”
    • “It's a low-pressure trading game with several funny and interesting tidbits that fit the feel of the game (e.g. fish god, majestic carrot) and great for when you want to play something with your brain turned off.”
    • “The only NPC I was super glad to see again was Sam the Fish God, because he was hilarious.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The game is praised for its emotional depth, with players noting its heartwarming graphics and wholesome gameplay that evoke feelings of relaxation and engagement. Many reviewers mention being moved to tears by the ending, highlighting the game's ability to connect with players on an emotional level through its thoughtful design and care.

    • “I cried at the ending a little bit.”
    • “Beautiful, fun, wholesome game which has been made with love and care.”
    • “Graphics are heartwarming.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly and offers enjoyable trade route mechanics, there are notable issues with user interface elements, such as poorly placed text boxes and inconvenient icon sizing. Additionally, players have suggested improvements for resource management and trading systems to enhance gameplay efficiency. Some quality of life adjustments are needed to fully optimize the experience.

    • “This game contains trade route optimization, light exploration, and resource expansion and management elements.”
    • “A very special little experience that, aside from some quality of life adjustments, runs smoothly and has a nice charm to it.”
    • “There are a few things that could be done a bit better, like upgrading your trading and optimizing the process of getting resources to the islands you have developed. It would be helpful to allow your trade ships to trade without a fixed route, just giving them a limit on how low they can bring resources from your islands or how high they can buy resources from an island.”
    • “Text boxes pop up in weird places and don't go away. Icon sizing and placement is inconvenient, and some of the key and mouse controls aren't optimized.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, users report that while occasional graphical glitches may occur, particularly on specific distributions like Debian Buster, bugs are rare and the game generally runs smoothly on both Linux and PC platforms.

    • “There are small graphical glitches that weren't fixable for me by the instructions on the game message board, maybe related to my distribution (Debian Buster) in particular.”
    • “Bugs are very rare, although glitches are occasional.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, setting it apart from typical freemium base-building games, but reviewers feel it could benefit from more depth and originality in its gameplay. The airship theme and pixel art are appreciated, yet the overall structure remains somewhat conventional.

    • “The game follows the structure of popular base building freemium games but stands out by not having insidious microtransactions, which is commendable.”
    • “I appreciate that the game avoids microtransactions, allowing for a more enjoyable experience without the pressure to spend money.”
    • “It's refreshing to see a game that embraces the freemium model without the typical microtransactions, making it more accessible for all players.”
    • “The airship theme is cool, and the pixel art is nice, but the game basically follows the structure of popular base building freemium games minus the microtransactions. On the one hand, I want to respect this game for not having those insidious microtransactions, but on the other hand, a little more depth or originality on the gameplay front would have been nice.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

11hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
8-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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