Shop-Like: The Rogue-Like Item Shop Experience
- May 30, 2023
- Rand.Exe Studios
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Shop-Like: The Rogue-Like Item Shop Experience," manage your item shop to pay off debts and avoid debt slavery. Employ various strategies, from selling in quantities with vending machines to analyzing customers for personalized service and inflated prices. With endless replayability, random upgrades, and unique customer traits, each run offers new challenges and opportunities.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Diverse play styles and strategies allow players to maximize profits through various approaches, such as mass-selling or catering to individual customer traits.
- The game features dynamic market manipulation, enabling players to influence prices through media interactions, adding a layer of strategy.
- Endless replayability is provided by over 50 random upgrades, randomly generated customers, and multiple difficulty levels, ensuring each playthrough feels fresh and challenging.
- The steep learning curve may overwhelm newcomers, requiring significant time to understand the mechanics and develop effective strategies.
- Some players find the gameplay repetitive, particularly in tasks like customer interactions and item crafting, which can become monotonous over extended sessions.
- The minimalist graphics and text-based interface may not appeal to those seeking a more visually engaging experience.
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "shop-like" features a steep learning curve that may initially overwhelm newcomers, but once the mechanics are understood, it becomes enjoyable and rewarding. While some players find the core gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, others appreciate the interesting mechanics and various win conditions that enhance replayability. Overall, the game offers a compelling blend of business management and roguelike elements, though some players desire more fleshed-out mechanics and scenarios.
“In conclusion, 'shop-like' offers a compelling fusion of business management and roguelike gameplay, providing a challenging and rewarding experience for those willing to delve into its intricate systems.”
“I didn't get sick of the gameplay at all, as the different win conditions and unlockable perks change how you attack things further down the line.”
“There are a lot of interesting mechanics fitted comfortably alongside the main gameplay loop of 'buy the thing, sell the thing, make profit'.”
“The core gameplay really isn't much and gets repetitive... you're making nearly zero money at the beginning of a scenario and have pretty much zero in-game options because your shop stinks.”
“It's very cheap but I'd rather pay double or triple to get more fleshed out mechanics and scenarios that I can really invest an hour or so into.”
“Idk other people seem to find the game's lack of mechanics fun, but I just found it lacking. I've played free roguelikes with more potential...”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its unique combination of item shop management and roguelike mechanics, featuring over 50 random upgrades and diverse challenges that ensure each playthrough feels fresh. However, some players note that replayability may be limited compared to other roguelikes unless focused on unlocking all upgrades or achieving personal bests.
“The 'shop-like: the rogue-like item shop experience' is a unique blend of item shop management and roguelike elements, offering players endless replayability and diverse strategies to achieve success.”
“Endless replayability: with over 50 random upgrades, randomly generated customers, mid-game crises, and multiple difficulty levels, each playthrough offers a fresh and challenging experience.”
“There's not as much replayability as other roguelikes unless you're trying to unlock all the upgrades or get a personal record on how fast you can win a scenario.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, characterized as upbeat and enjoyable, though some users feel that the overall art and music integration lacks depth and character.
“The music is good.”
“The upbeat music adds a lively atmosphere to the game.”
“The art and music don't feel very solid to me, and there's no character.”
“- upbeat music”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a minimalist design and a text-based interface, which may disappoint players looking for a more visually engaging experience.
“The minimalist graphics and text-based interface may not appeal to players seeking a more visually dynamic experience.”
“The overall visual quality feels outdated, lacking the polish and detail expected from modern games.”
“Character models are poorly designed, making it hard to connect with the game world.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the end-game experience to be somewhat grindy, leading to a loss of motivation to optimize transactions, as they tend to prioritize quick sales over strategic gameplay.
“The end-game feels a little grindy, and at that point, you lose the sense of trying to get the biggest bang for your buck with your transactions. You just feel like selling everything as fast as you can because you know you have the run in the bag.”
“Grinding becomes tedious after a while, making the gameplay feel repetitive and uninspired.”
“The constant need to grind for resources takes away from the enjoyment of the game, turning it into a chore rather than an adventure.”
