Shop Heroes

About

Shop Heroes is a single player and multiplayer casual role playing game. It was developed by Cloudcade, Inc. and was released on August 15, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Shop Heroes is a fantasy tycoon game where you craft legendary items, equip heroes for quests, and compete in Trade Wars and PvP Leaderboards. Build and trade your way to riches, recruit heroes, and work with other players to create a powerful city. Discover the secrets of mysterious relics as you expand and upgrade your shop.

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64%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,412 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

monetization60 negative mentions

Addictive gameplay with a fun crafting and shop management system.
Engaging community that is helpful and supportive.
Free to play with the option to earn premium currency through gameplay.

Heavy reliance on microtransactions, making it feel like a pay-to-win game.
Repetitive gameplay that can become tedious over time.
Long wait times for crafting and quests, which can hinder progress.

story
284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
96%
2%
The game's story revolves around managing a fantasy shop while sending heroes on quests to gather resources for crafting and upgrading equipment. Players experience a cycle of equipping heroes, completing quests, and dealing with the frequent breakage of gear, which can be frustrating. While the mechanics of questing and crafting are engaging, the lack of a compelling narrative and the repetitive nature of quests detract from the overall experience.
- “Firstly I should explain what this game is about, Shop Heroes is a tale about managing your very own fantasy shop and becoming a young entrepreneur, but it’s more than just that… Shop Heroes also allows you to unlock adventurers who will quest for you and gather rare resources from across the land.”
- “You play the role of a mayor for a city (starting out is pretty much a village) and you try to build up everything by making investments with the gold you earn through sending heroes on quests to gather tiny bits of gold and materials, having smiths, leatherworkers, crafters of all sorts making equipment for customers, and finally making sales through the market.”
- “There is a variety of things to do: crafting, selling items to heroes, using the player trading house to make gold and gems, hero personal quests to get abilities, weekend city raiding, PvP-type fighting, town building, store improvements, etc. Working towards new blueprints of items keeps me interested on the crafting side, and Cloudcade have added quite a bit of content in the time I've been playing, as well as having quick patches for bugs.”
- “Final straw was when a story-driven quest was given, tutorial instructed me to optimize the heroes' equipment just to have the quest fail two hours later.”
- “It's not massive interactivity, story, it's not a thrill-ride.”
- “There's no plot here.”
monetization
196 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
60%
31%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it as a cash grab due to its heavy reliance on microtransactions and slow progression mechanics. While some users report that it is possible to enjoy the game without spending money, the overwhelming presence of expensive in-game purchases and the design that encourages spending have left a negative impression on the community. Overall, the monetization practices are seen as predatory, detracting from the overall gaming experience.
- “I have found that you can get by just fine without spending money, but there is a heavy pay-to-win side with gear blueprint packages and boosts, extra heroes, speeding time, etc. I've not regretted any of my in-game purchases, but I wish they would add more free content for players at an end-game level.”
- “There are a couple of things only obtainable by spending more money, but they only provide greater convenience/speed, so the microtransactions are pay-for-convenience, not pay-to-win.”
- “Yes, it does have microtransactions, but they seem to be entirely for speeding up the simulation.”
- “The game's reliance on microtransactions and slow progression make it feel more like a cash grab than a genuinely enjoyable experience.”
- “The microtransactions in this game are especially obnoxious and expensive for a 'free-to-play' game; in fact, I would wager it's the worst I have ever seen.”
- “Played this game for years, waited patiently for them to release good updates and work with the community, ended up quitting a year ago because after a couple of years of waiting, we get one small new feature. It seems like no communication, and the game is nothing but a cash grab at this point.”
gameplay
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The gameplay of Shop Heroes is characterized by a tedious and repetitive loop that often feels more like managing spreadsheets than engaging in shopkeeping, leading to frustration over time and paywalls. While the game offers a variety of mechanics and activities, including crafting and cooperative play, many players find the reliance on microtransactions and the grindy nature of progression to be significant drawbacks. Despite its appealing visuals and potential for casual play, the overall experience is marred by cash sink mechanics and a lack of depth, making it less enjoyable for those seeking a more dynamic gaming experience.
- “Fun and fascinating, I'm always discovering new aspects of gameplay (or old ones I've previously missed) leading to almost a thousand hours of gameplay!”
- “The core gameplay is crafting items to put on your heroes.”
- “Outstanding graphics, great mechanics, lovely amount of in-game loot to keep you feeling like a successful shopkeeper.”
- “Shop Heroes disappoints with its tedious and repetitive gameplay loop, leaving players feeling more like glorified spreadsheet managers than true shopkeepers.”
- “Gameplay consists of basic screen tapping to 'run' a 'shop', where you will quickly find you're time/paygated and must buy mobile peasant in-game currency with real-world money to progress.”
- “Shop Heroes becomes extremely grindy and they have an absolutely tear-your-hair-out mechanic, where your hero's items break on nearly every series of quests.”
grinding
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of "Shop Heroes" is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often making players feel more like spreadsheet managers than engaged shopkeepers. While some players appreciate the grind as part of the experience, many find it frustratingly time-consuming, with significant reliance on in-game purchases to alleviate the grind. Overall, the game is seen as excessively grindy, requiring substantial time and effort for minimal progress, which can lead to boredom and dissatisfaction.
- “Shop Heroes disappoints with its tedious and repetitive gameplay loop, leaving players feeling more like glorified spreadsheet managers than true shopkeepers.”
- “All the fun just gets sucked right out of the game and it becomes a horrifically tedious inventory management slog.”
- “Spend countless hours grinding gold for upgrades and new stuff that will frustrate you to no end.”
graphics
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the cute and colorful art style, which is often described as charming and well-polished. However, some critics note that the visuals can feel basic or reminiscent of older games, and there are concerns about the game's reliance on reskinning and monetization strategies. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered appealing, they may not be enough to sustain long-term interest in the gameplay.
- “The graphics are beautiful (both NPC models and portraits), the sound is good, the music is... well, there is music so that's fine.”
- “Outstanding graphics, great mechanics, lovely amount of in-game loot to keep you feeling like a successful shopkeeper.”
- “The graphical style is nice, the resource system is very functional, and the city upgrades are great.”
- “The art style is very basic and has a bit of a 'stock image' feeling, reminiscent of isometric PS2 games.”
- “Graphics: 4 (looks like a flash game)”
- “Played it for several days - actually it was reasonably enjoyable until I started it after the update and it came up as a 5 millimeter graphic window that you couldn't interact with - it's a bug that's a deal breaker - unplayable, so the rest is really irrelevant.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and fitting for the game's atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive and monotonous, especially at endgame. Many users tend to mute the game while playing, indicating that the music may not be engaging enough to hold their attention for long periods. Overall, while the music contributes to a colorful and fun environment, it is seen as an area needing improvement.
- “The graphics are cute, and so is the music, and for the most part, it could be a relaxing, easy-going game.”
- “The cartooning is simple and fun, along with the music.”
- “I really like it; nice music and sounds, full of colors and nice characters, interesting gameplay.”
- “Music sucks and it gets repetitive at endgame, but that's pretty much my only complaint.”
- “Music/sound: 3 (monotonous, you will turn it off after a short while)”
- “Music needs improvement.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying funny moments and interactions, such as amusing character names and unexpected in-game scenarios. Many find the comedic elements to be a refreshing contrast to typical gameplay, making even mundane tasks more enjoyable. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's addictive nature and keeps players engaged for extended periods.
- “Really funny and addictive game.”
- “The micromanagement, the funny stories, the new perspective of being an NPC instead of the 'hero that destroys everything' is so fresh that it will keep you seated for hours and hours.”
- “Seriously, I don't just mean this in a humorous way, it just makes the 'boring' parts of my regular gaming habits a lot more bearable.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
86%
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with users reporting frequent freezes, glitches, and issues that disrupt gameplay, such as losing progress and difficulties with item selection. Despite some enjoyment of the game, the overwhelming consensus is that significant stability improvements are needed before it can be recommended.
- “There are no glitches, no huge changes implemented between the platform versions, and the graphics are still adorable on the 'big' screen.”
- “But having been asked if I recommend it, I would have to say no, as it freezes all the time.”
- “The game is riddled with glitches, often freezing or undoing completed progress. I can't seem to scroll through item lists without repeatedly selecting an item, and you don't have an option to keymap. I don't know why, but since playing this game, my internet disconnects or the game freezes and kicks me out.”
- “Can't even open the chest; the game is buggy and stuck.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
37%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with users noting smooth performance, particularly on Steam, and effective touchscreen interface design. While there are occasional desynchronization issues, they are not considered significant enough to detract from the experience. However, some players feel that the lack of mid or end-game content can lead to repetitiveness, despite enjoying the base optimization mechanics.
- “Optimized for touchscreen, and it shows in the user interface.”
- “All saying it's a pretty good game, runs smoothly, and has some desync issues sometimes, but nothing too troublesome.”
- “The optimization of your base is fun.”
- “It also probably lacks some sort of end game or mid game really, because it gets repetitive and boring after a while, but the optimization of your base is fun.”
- “Optimized for touchscreen and it shows in the user interface.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently described as calming, happy, and positive, making it an enjoyable experience for players seeking a relaxing environment. Its low learning curve further enhances the overall soothing vibe, allowing players to immerse themselves without stress.
- “An amazing shop game with a really low learning curve and calming atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is kind of happy and relaxing.”
- “A happy and positive atmosphere when you are in that mood.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers appreciate the character development in the game, highlighting the impressive variety in character designs, from chibi styles to detailed anatomical representations of NPC heroes. Many express a desire for a greater focus on enhancing character and furniture design rather than spending resources on other features, suggesting that the potential for a rich shopkeeper simulator experience is present.
- “It has great pieces of character designs from its chibi to anatomically correct close-up portrayals of the NPC heroes, almost as if at first glance this will be a great shopkeeper simulator game.”