Royal Merchant
- February 26, 2023
- Badim
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Royal Merchant" is a blend of RPG, clicker, and management gameplay where you rule a domain, manage a team of heroes and crafters, and upgrade your castle. Send heroes on quests for materials, use them to craft weapons and armor, and build a powerful party to raid bosses. With over 100 pixel-art heroes and enemies, there are endless possibilities for customization and battle.
Mac OS
PC
Web Browser
Windows
Reviews
- Royal Merchant offers a captivating blend of strategy and management, immersing players in a dynamic trading environment with diverse gameplay mechanics.
- The graphics and attention to detail create a visually appealing medieval atmosphere, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- The game features a user-friendly interface and regular updates from developers, indicating a commitment to improving the player experience.
- The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to lag and delays that hinder gameplay enjoyment.
- Many players find the repetitive quest mechanics and reliance on premium currency frustrating, detracting from the overall experience.
- There are significant quality of life issues, including a confusing UI and lack of tutorials, which make the game feel incomplete and difficult to navigate.
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's graphics and animation are widely praised for their attention to detail and vibrant medieval atmosphere, enhanced by a charming pixel art style that evokes nostalgia while feeling modern. However, some players note the minimalistic design and frequent reuse of assets from previous titles, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are a standout feature, appealing to fans of pixelated graphics and classic game aesthetics.
“The graphics and animation in the game are its real highlight.”
“The attention to detail in graphics and design is commendable, creating a visually appealing environment that truly transports you to a vibrant medieval world.”
“The charming pixel art style adds a nostalgic touch, reminiscent of classic games, while still feeling fresh and modern.”
“This game is one of a few from the same dev, reusing the same models, skins, and graphics. It feels like a poorly translated and poorly copied version of an amazing game called 'Merchant'.”
“In regards to aesthetics, you'll see a lot of familiar faces, mostly because the developers tend to reuse assets from earlier games in the series.”
“If you are not intimidated by a lot of interface windows and minimalistic graphics, you can try it.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of action and strategic challenges, offering a rewarding experience that emphasizes resource management and decision-making. While many players appreciate the variety of mechanics and regular updates that enhance engagement, some criticize the simplicity and functionality of certain features, suggesting that it lacks depth compared to similar titles. Overall, opinions are divided, with some enjoying the gameplay and others finding it lacking.
“This is a healthy share of action, which is perfectly combined with the main gameplay.”
“This is the perfect game for those who love strategic challenges and a variety of game mechanics.”
“The gameplay is both challenging and rewarding, requiring a delicate balance between resource management and astute decision-making.”
“This game is broken: poor gameplay...”
“Very simple mechanics; you could check out of this game even while playing other big games while waiting for the countdown in matches, timeout, and more.”
“Some mechanics are not working yet.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story in "Royal Merchants" follows a familiar formula from previous titles in the series, focusing on hiring heroes to embark on repetitive quests aimed at building a strong kingdom. Players may find the lack of engaging narrative and audio cues detracts from the experience, as the gameplay often involves tedious clicking and waiting, with an emphasis on monetization through real money purchases for faster progress.
“This game wants you to sit there, clicking the same quest over and over again, for thousands of repetitions, and waiting for minutes at a time for your adventurers to get to the enemy - unless you pay with a currency that drips in normally but can be bought with real money.”
“Royal Merchants, the fourth installment in Badim's royal series, is similar in tone to the other two I have played (Royal Heroes and Royal Offense; I haven't played the third yet myself) in that you hire heroes to go on quests to build up a strong kingdom.”
“As far as the lack of sound is concerned, it may be jarring to some, but for people who play with the sound off so they can overlap a podcast, audiobook, or even their own soundtrack, this isn't much of a bother aside from the lack of audio cues for when a hero levels up, a task is complete, or a party fails to complete their quest to slay a relatively difficult opponent.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its pixelated graphics and medieval setting, creating an engaging backdrop that elevates the trading experience. The combination of RPG and clicker elements contributes to a unique and exciting ambiance.
“This gives the game a special atmosphere and makes the trading process even more exciting.”
“Royal Merchant is a combination of RPG and clicker, with pixelated graphics and a medieval atmosphere.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to persistent lag and delays that hinder the overall experience.
“Unfortunately, this game is unoptimized to the point of eternal lag and delay.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed feedback; while some players find the absence of sound jarring, others appreciate the ability to play with their own audio, though they note the downside of missing important audio cues related to gameplay events.
“The music in this game perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances every moment.”
“I love how the soundtrack evolves with the game, making each level feel unique and engaging.”
“The sound design is fantastic, with each track adding depth to the experience and making battles feel epic.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short period of play.”
“There are moments where the sound effects are completely absent, which can be disorienting and detracts from the overall experience.”
“While some may appreciate the option to play without sound, the absence of audio cues for important events can lead to confusion and frustration.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players feel confident about the game's monetization model, noting a lack of microtransactions in previous titles and expressing trust that the developers will maintain this approach, making it a financially safe choice for consumers.
“They do not have a history of microtransactions as far as I'm aware, having played three of their games, and I don't expect them to pull a fast one on us anytime soon in that regard, so I'd consider it 'safe' as far as the wallet is concerned.”
“The monetization model feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
“I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
“The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency detract from the overall experience and make it feel more like a cash grab.”
