Merchants of Kaidan

About

Merchants of Kaidan is a medieval fantasy trading simulation game. You play as a merchant traveling through the dangerous city of Kaidan, buying and selling goods while avoiding thieves and other obstacles. The game features a dynamic economy, day/night cycle, and a variety of characters to interact with. Your goal is to become the wealthiest merchant in Kaidan.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 292 reviews

story15 positive mentions

grinding21 negative mentions

Merchants of Kaidan offers a cozy and immersive trading experience with a charming watercolor art style and a relaxing soundtrack.
The game features a variety of gameplay modes and quests, allowing players to engage in trading, monster hunting, and managing specialists to aid in their journey.
The mechanics of buying low and selling high create a satisfying loop that can be addictive, especially for fans of trading games.

The game suffers from a lack of clarity in its economic mechanics, with prices often feeling random and inconsistent, making it difficult to strategize effectively.
Many players have reported bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with quests and the user interface.
The pacing can become tedious, especially in the late game, where the grind for resources and progress can overshadow the enjoyment of trading.

story
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
83%
3%
The game's story revolves around a young merchant seeking revenge for his father's betrayal, featuring a main questline complemented by numerous side quests that enhance gameplay. While the narrative starts strong, it tends to become repetitive and lacks depth, with many quests feeling mechanically driven rather than engaging. Despite some bugs and a tendency for the story to stagnate, players appreciate the blend of trading mechanics and RPG elements, which provide a framework for exploration and character development.
- “The game offers us four modes: obviously we should play the longest one, which features a story titled 'Ollivean de Calinn'.”
- “I love the background story and the side quests.”
- “The storyline is pretty decent and falls in place with the gameplay; the game offers quite a bit of exploration and as you progress, the game gets better, more things are unlocked, and more options become available.”
- “The story looks boring and side quests are similar to every other.”
- “It just feels hollow and empty, with no real semblance of world-building or story.”
- “The only good thing are the merchant rank progression quests which require some skill; otherwise, the main storyline progresses apparently randomly and without skill, and all other quests are usually meaningless.”
gameplay
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
6%
The gameplay of "Merchants of Kaidan" is characterized by a mix of trading mechanics and RPG elements, offering a relaxing yet sometimes frustrating experience due to its simplistic and occasionally tedious mechanics. While the game features a variety of actions and random events that can enhance engagement, many players find the core trading system shallow and plagued by unclear mechanics and price fluctuations. Overall, it provides a visually appealing and addictive experience, but may not satisfy those seeking depth or polish in gameplay.
- “Excellent, colorful merchant simulator; mechanics are relatively simple; there are always many possible actions available.”
- “A very fun, slow trading game with a surprisingly rich world and mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is simple and the progress is satisfying.”
- “Every time you're about to have some fun, it feels like there is some arbitrary mechanic preventing you from actually progressing.”
- “The gameplay doesn't have much to it mechanically, so don't go in expecting too much.”
- “The mechanics are so simple that they become tedious and repetitive, and finally, the RPG-story part adds nothing to the game.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
38%
11%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful and detailed artwork that enhances the fantasy setting, while others criticize the simplistic and static 2D visuals that feel outdated and lack depth. Although there are moments of charm and creativity in the art style, many players find the overall graphical presentation to be lackluster and in need of improvement. Despite the varying opinions, the game runs smoothly and is accessible on lower-end devices, making it suitable for a wide audience.
- “The artwork is very detailed and beautiful, fitting the setting of a fantasy world with airships, very alien-looking races, and mythical monsters.”
- “The world building, artwork, and music are all beautifully done and very evocative.”
- “Nice graphics; the scenery carries you into another world through small details, from the horses to the houses to the music, the game succeeds in creating its own identity.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- “While the artwork itself might be considered passable, the visual presentation here is negligible; it might as well be a slideshow or a YouTube video.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
41%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its enchanting and relaxing orchestral tracks, which enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the calming nature of the soundtrack, although some suggest that it could benefit from more variety or emotional depth during specific in-game events. Overall, the music, along with the beautiful artwork, contributes significantly to the game's identity and immersive quality.
- “The music, however, can be clearly described as excellent: the tracks consist of enchanting, relaxing orchestral music that never gets boring throughout the gameplay.”
- “The world building, artwork, and music are all beautifully done and very evocative.”
- “The soundtrack is pretty relaxing and fits the tone very well.”
- “Might want to mute the music after a while.”
- “The music is ridiculously calming all the time. Don't get me wrong, it's good music, but maybe a 5-second long 'tragic' tune when you get sprayed by a stinkbeaver, or when you get robbed. Give me something here, devs? I want some music to help me feel sorry for myself for those 5 seconds.”
- “This is an excellent trading game with a bit of a storyline and inspiring (albeit somewhat repetitive - only 5 tracks) music.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with slow progress and cumbersome micromanagement, especially when managing multiple characters and trading between merchants. While the mechanics have potential, they often feel unengaging and lead to frustration rather than enjoyment, making the experience feel more like a chore than a compelling adventure. Overall, the grind can detract significantly from the game's appeal, particularly for those not interested in completing quests.
- “I like this idea and type of game, but the progress is so slow, boring, and tedious.”
- “Unfortunately, RNG, luck abuse, and tediousness prevent it from feeling compelling enough to fully explore.”
- “As you move up through the ranks, though, this becomes increasingly tedious, and none of the new features you unlock add anything meaningful.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous reports of glitches, crashes, and bugs that can hinder gameplay, particularly during specific actions like saving or item duplication. While some players find the experience enjoyable despite these issues, many recommend waiting for a sale due to the game's inconsistent performance and frequent technical problems. However, there are also mentions of responsive support for major bugs, suggesting that improvements may be on the horizon.
- “Runs great even on PCs with integrated graphics and has a surprising amount of depth if you devote some time to it.”
- “The game likely won't be bug-free, but it seems that major problems will be met with a fast response, and for that I'll give it a thumbs up.”
- “It's got too many glitches and crashes, especially if you save scum or item dupe.”
- “The game is not perfect; it's buggy, which means that some events will not activate correctly or some UI buttons will not function as they should. Usually, this is more of an inconvenience than a game-breaking bug.”
- “Bugged out and frozen multiple times; I cannot even get into the game when it freezes on the first quest.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
The atmosphere of the game is described as a relaxing yet tense blend, combining medieval elements with alien sci-fi culture, enhanced by calming music. Players appreciate the rich and immersive environment, making it an appealing choice for fans of trading games set in mystical worlds.
- “The atmosphere and sound are very relaxing while still adding a sense of tension surrounding turning a profit.”
- “This is a fun and atmospheric trading game set in the mystical world of Kaidan.”
- “What an atmosphere to have a medieval feel smashed up with alien sci-fi culture.”
- “If you like trading games and the atmosphere of far-off places, you should buy this.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through various modes and story options that encourage different approaches. However, some players feel that after extensive playtime, the limited map and repetitive mechanics diminish the incentive to start over. While many enjoy the challenge and fun of advancing through the story, the experience may feel constrained for others.
- “I can see a lot of replay value in this.”
- “Has tons of replayability and is really fun as you advance through the story.”
- “Once your empire is huge and you've played for 10-20 hours, you've pretty much seen it all, although the other story/quest options allow for some replayability.”
- “The different modes set different end goals and make you take a different approach, adding replay value.”
- “I tried starting over, but since there is only one small map and you are limited in what you are allowed to do to begin with, there is no actual replay value.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's visuals and music are well-received, contributing to a smooth experience; however, many users criticize it for poor optimization and a lack of refinement, indicating that some features feel underdeveloped.
- “The music and visuals are very pleasing, and the game runs smoothly. The character portraits are a welcome touch as they give every character a sense of individuality.”
- “It's full of half-baked features, poor optimization, and a general lack of refinement.”
- “Made in Unity with disregard for optimization.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally appreciated, with players finding it entertaining and worth the price, especially in a bundle deal. However, there is a consensus that while it provides a humorous experience, it still requires significant improvements.
- “I gave it a fair shot, and for the funny cents I paid (bundle deal), it was totally worth the experience.”
- “All together, the game is a funny time sink at the moment, but it needs a lot of work.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game features extensive side quests and activities that contribute to basic character development, allowing players to explore and enhance their characters' abilities. Additionally, the inclusion of two extra playable trading characters adds depth to the overall experience. Overall, it effectively develops its potential as players progress.
- “The game offers a ton of side quests and activities that enhance character development, allowing players to explore different aspects of their characters as they progress.”
- “With two extra playable trading characters, the game expands its character development opportunities, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “In summary, this is a good game that fully develops its potential through rich character development as you play.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth throughout the game.”
- “The characters seem one-dimensional, and their arcs don't evolve in a satisfying way as the story progresses.”