The Bazaar

About

The Bazaar is a single player and multiplayer action game with fantasy, economy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Tempo and was released on August 13, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Welcome to The Bazaar, a hero-building strategy game set in a vibrant, ever-changing galactic marketplace. Collect exotic tools and weapons and strategically assemble them on your board, then unleash your arsenal against fantastical creatures and rival players! Hundreds of fully-voiced, unique encounters await adventurers looking to find fortune in The Bazaar. Master the meta or make your own. …

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,284 reviews

gameplay461 positive mentions

monetization96 negative mentions

Deep and engaging gameplay with a unique blend of roguelike, deckbuilding, and auto-battler elements that offers endless replayability.
Asynchronous multiplayer allows flexible pacing, letting players pause and resume without pressure; very accessible and relaxing.
High-quality art, sound design, and animations enhance immersion and overall player experience.

Cost of additional characters as paid DLC, often priced the same as the base game, is considered expensive and leads to pay-to-win concerns.
Balance issues, especially with new characters being overpowered on release and later nerfed, creating frustrating experiences for non-DLC owners.
Technical problems including bugs, server instability, frequent game rollbacks, and lack of quality-of-life features like speed controls and in-game detailed info.

gameplay
1,019 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
The gameplay is widely praised for its deep, addictive, and strategic auto-battler and roguelike mechanics, offering a unique and satisfying loop with extensive variety across characters and builds. Players find it engaging and rewarding, with high replayability supported by continuous updates adding new mechanics and content. However, some criticize occasional balance issues, a steep learning curve, and frustrating monetization practices that include costly DLC characters, which can impact access to the full gameplay experience.
- “This game is terrific, with a very satisfying gameplay loop.”
- “An auto-battler with an absurd amount of strategy, varied mechanics, and great to look at.”
- “The gameplay loop is deep, satisfying, and genuinely strategic - the kind of system that keeps you thinking about builds long after you close the game.”
- “The gameplay is surprisingly shallow after 200+ hours.”
- “A game made by artists...sadly no one who knows something about autobattler gameplay and their balancing, was involved...they try their best, i guess...but over time i dont feel like it gets a lot better....still no mechanic to get info about your opponents, still no chance to try different items with your current build...and they release more and more items for the heroes which overflows the pool while these items are, at the same time, designed in 'set-builds' where you basically need to find a near perfect board to make the items viable...you basically just play a slot machine with 500 symbols and if you keep up with all the nerfs and know all the items by heart and how they interact with each other 500 items, you have an edge over the competition...so if you don't want to feel like playing an overcomplicated slot machine you have to spend your whole day playing this autobattler for every balance patch.”
- “And the saddest part is the gameplay doesn’t even justify it.”
monetization
941 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The game's monetization has been highly controversial, with multiple drastic changes—from free-to-play with pay-to-win elements to a premium pay-to-play model charging $20 per additional character—causing significant community backlash and loss of trust. While the current model is viewed by some as fair and sustainable, emphasizing cosmetic microtransactions and paid DLC characters, many players criticize the high prices, frequent monetization shifts, and poor communication from developers, which have marred an otherwise excellent gameplay experience. Stability and transparency in monetization remain major concerns affecting the game's long-term reputation and player support.
- “The game is very good and the monetization is very fair and transparent, especially given the quality of the characters.”
- “If you get the DLCs half off, (which they often are,) then the bazaar's actual monetization scheme is so generous that I feel a tinge guilty for using their servers for hundreds of hours like I have.”
- “Monetization is great too, new heroes add such thoughtful and detailed content, plus no in-game cash shop.”
- “The bazaar is one of the most shamelessly manipulative monetization schemes I've played in a long time.”
- “But i can't recommend a game where half the content is only accessible by purchasing it, and even more absurd is the price—each additional character costs the price of the game itself, one of the worst monetization models imaginable.”
- “They've changed the monetization system too many times to count, often without prior messaging or compensation, resulting in broken promises, community backlash, and banning of critical voices.”
graphics
249 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
45%
1%
Reviews consistently praise the game’s stunning, polished visuals, unique and vibrant art style influenced by a techno-futurist Middle Eastern setting, and high-quality animations and voice acting that enhance immersion. The graphics are considered top-tier within the autobattler genre, contributing strongly to the overall satisfaction and replayability, though a few note that some aesthetic choices may feel overly flashy or not to everyone's taste. Overall, the visual and audio production values rival AAA titles, making the game a standout for its presentation despite minor critiques about balance and monetization.
- “The art style is absolutely stunning, and the developers consistently deliver massive, frequent updates that keep the experience fresh and engaging.”
- “The artwork and production value are through the roof compared to most other games in this genre by a large margin.”
- “The visuals, sound design, and presentation are top notch.”
- “It's one of those games that think that fancy special effects and big colourful graphics are more important than information, and as a result whenever you go into battle things just start flying all over the screen and you have no idea what does what.”
- “Graphics get stuck on screen forever.”
- “* bugs - performance issues this late in the development of the game is just baffling, whatever game engine is used must be a total pig as there should be zero reason why these basic-bitch graphics create slowdown at all today's computers.”
replayability
187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
2%
The game is widely praised for its exceptional, almost infinite replayability, driven by dynamic drafting, diverse character builds, and continual updates that keep each run fresh and engaging. Players highlight its deep strategic gameplay, varied combinations, and the ability to enjoy both quick sessions and long-term mastery. Overall, it stands out as one of the most replayable titles in its genre, offering enduring challenge and entertainment.
- “Infinite replayability, no two runs are the same, game is constantly updating and changing.”
- “The bazaar is a surprisingly addictive auto-battler deckbuilder that keeps you coming back for “just one more run.” Its deep strategic gameplay and varied card combinations offer incredible replayability, making every match feel fresh and challenging.”
- “Endless replayability and satisfying loop of managing economy and coming up with builds on the spot with the plethora of possible combinations of items, equipment, upgrades, and skills.”
- “Pricing is way too aggressive, and the removal of enchantment item start has significantly reduced long term replayability for enfranchised players.”
- “All in all worth it, even if I don't see long-term replayability on the horizon.”
- “2 of which are playable characters locked behind a paywall.”
music
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality, fitting, and often relaxing soundtrack that enhances the overall immersive experience alongside stunning visuals and voice acting. While some players find certain tracks less memorable or wish for more control over the soundtrack, the production value and artistic passion behind the music receive consistent acclaim, making it a key strength of the game. However, some criticism exists regarding the pricing of additional music content as part of monetization.
- “The music, the art, the animations, the thought put into balance, item interactions, how the day is structured, everything is nearly perfect.”
- “Every event is professionally voice acted, the music is extremely good, the art is top tier, the visual effects and details are just absurd for a card game.”
- “The art, soundtrack, and cards all show a clear love and care for the game.”
- “Music is basically non-existent; the current base theme is very tame. It is possible to win different records inside cosmetic chests, but it has never occurred to me.”
- “Soundtrack cannot be controlled, neither the order nor the tracks. Provide the user control over the soundtrack.”
- “$80 for a cosmetic board and original soundtrack is nuts.”
stability
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game is widely reported as buggy and unstable, with frequent freezes, crashes, UI glitches, and server issues that disrupt gameplay and cause lost progress. Despite ongoing patches, many bugs remain, some game-breaking, and performance problems persist across platforms, including the Steam Deck. While the core gameplay is enjoyed by some, the persistent instability and unpolished interface significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck as well with a few control changes.”
- “It runs great on the Steam Deck, can be picked up and played whenever, and it's one of a kind right now.”
- “The quality of updates, balance changes, and bug-free updates have not improved with the move from a free-to-play game to a premium experience, which is completely unacceptable.”
- “The game is still buggy visually, to the point that there is literally a huge 'report bug' button in your game.”
- “Edit: now a buggy mess, taking 15s to load into next screen, freezing, items disappearing from inventory, ghost items clogging stash; this game didn't need any more points of frustration.”
- “On top of that, there are a number of game-breaking bugs that will invalidate your run when it glitches out and animations prevent you from interacting with the UI.”
optimization
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
63%
27%
The game offers deep strategic and build optimization but is frequently hampered by poor technical performance, including persistent lag, crashes, and inefficient resource use even on modern hardware. While some patches bring improvements, ongoing issues with server stability, UI clunkiness, and overall optimization detract significantly from the experience. Players appreciate the gameplay depth but are often frustrated by these persistent performance and optimization shortcomings.
- “Runs smoothly and feels balanced.”
- “The optimization ceiling on the board and stash management is sky high and if you are a strategy board gamer and you love games that reward creative play, the bazaar might be for you.”
- “The amount of optimization you can do to your builds and creativity you can employ here, coupled with minimum RNG required to consistently keep winning, this game is definitely worth it to at least try if you are a fan of the genre, and if you are not I think it is very easy to pick up.”
- “Every patch, the game spends a few weeks running like absolute trash from a performance perspective.”
- “However, the random performance issues, lack of optimization, overpowered paywalled heroes on release, and the creators' refusal to take any feedback really do not help.”
- “It's also extremely buggy, poorly optimized, has an unresponsive and clunky UI, and regularly crashes.”
story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
74%
6%
The game lacks a traditional story or campaign mode, focusing instead on competitive ranked battles and live-service elements like daily quests and a battle pass. However, its storytelling is subtly conveyed through character art, voicelines, and lore videos, creating a rich world narrative appreciated by many players. While some praise the game's atmosphere and non-verbal storytelling, others find the absence of a dedicated story mode limiting, especially for those seeking deeper worldbuilding or single-player experiences.
- “This is a phenomenal autobattler, with wonderful non-verbal storytelling in its cards.”
- “Every single run has its own story, its own near-misses, and its own surprising victories.”
- “The dev team is active in the Discord and you can really see the labor of love put in the game from Isaac who develops the lore and writes the story to Toby and Pajamas who are the devs behind the scenes.”
- “The game was clearly designed as a live-service title (including a battle pass), as it lacks a story mode or any content beyond ranked and unranked PvP.”
- “It's more focused on the competitive side with ranked battles, so no story and no progression system in the game.”
- “There is no story or worldbuilding to speak of as far as I can tell.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The game's humor is widely appreciated for its clever character dialogue, quirky vendor personalities, and charming voice acting, which add a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere. Many players enjoy experimenting with silly builds and overpowered synergies, finding amusement in the unpredictable and sometimes broken gameplay elements. However, some find the writing and modern humor tone off-putting or forced, creating a mixed reception in terms of comedic style.
- “Character dialogs and side comments are funny and add just enough charm.”
- “The amount of personality given to each vendor, with funny lines and charming, quirky details all over the place, just keeps you smiling the whole way through.”
- “Lots of humor in the voice acting.”
- “The dialogue are a major turn-off—the units say unfunny, modern 'millennial humor' that feels completely out of place in a fantasy world.”
- “The game's not perfect - I find the dialogue and voice acting obnoxious, unfunny, and poorly written in general.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Grinding experiences vary across games, from minimal or cosmetic-only grinding with free progression and reduced tediousness, to more grind-heavy unlocks that some players find frustrating or unrewarding. While some titles eliminate pay-to-win pressures and offer fair free-to-play access, others still incorporate repetitive or slow progression, occasionally leading to dissatisfaction when currencies or earned rewards become obsolete after updates. Overall, grinding can range from enjoyable and strategic to tedious and purely time-consuming, depending on game design and balance.
- “There is no grinding or unlocking besides cosmetics, which translates in game as a free battle pass and free crates if you get a few wins.”
- “There is no grinding or speedup, even the season pass is just entirely free without the option to pay.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “All of a sudden, the in-game currency I'd spent so long grinding for would no longer be redeemable for new characters (i.e. classes), just cosmetics.”
- “And of course, some of these transitions were painful (for example, when players were farming in-game currency to buy a new hero, and then the devs removed the option to buy heroes with that currency).”
- “Right now, the new character is overpowered, and there are too many duplicates in the chests, which makes the whole gear unlocking experience frustrating and tedious.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
15%
14%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive art style, detailed worldbuilding, and excellent sound design, creating a rich and engaging environment. Players highlight the unique, polished ambiance enhanced by cosmetics, voice acting, and music, which together foster feelings ranging from intrigue and fun to fear and frustration. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that significantly elevates the gameplay experience.
- “This game is the only game that I've played that hits a similar level of polish, atmosphere, enjoyment, and replayability that Hearthstone hit at its prime.”
- “The atmosphere of the bazaar is almost unmatched; the characters, the visual art, the music, the little interactions with shopkeepers is all so wonderful for the feeling of the game.”
- “The overall style is detailed and immersive, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the atmosphere.”
- “Instead of dialogue, it creates an atmosphere of fear and frustration.”
- “The fact that you don’t face opponents in real time, but instead compete against their “ghosts,” further diminishes the competitive atmosphere.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional experience with the game is deeply polarized, with some players feeling heartbreak and disappointment due to wasted potential and poor developer communication, while others find joy and intense satisfaction in strategic gameplay and unexpected synergy moments. However, the developers' emotional responses and handling of community feedback have negatively impacted the overall sentiment.
- “If you crave strategic freedom, emotional highs from a clutch win, and a universe that evolves with your choices, the bazaar is essential.”
- “There is so much joy in the feeling of picking up something random day 2 and holding that through thick and thin just to find the holy grail of synergy to make your next opponent want to cry.”
- “I could write pages upon pages about the highs and lows that this game has made me feel.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its high-quality designs, polished art style, and impressive voice acting, with many noting Blizzard/Riot-level quality and strong lore building. The gameplay integration and roleplay potential of characters are also highlighted as major strengths. However, some users find the character designs unappealing or AI-generated, and criticize the voice lines.
- “It also deserves to be mentioned that the character designs and voices in this game are unreasonably good; there's no reason for them to be this good, it's like Blizzard/Riot level design quality.”
- “The character designs (gameplay-wise) are brilliant; the board system is amazing, the roleplay potential is immense, lore and world design are becoming more and more interesting, and the gameplay is sensational!”
- “It's clear that whoever worked on this game busted their asses off to make it with its visual design, sound effects, character design, lore building, voice acting, and numerous balance passes.”
- “The character designs look bad and almost like AI slop, and the voice lines are painful to listen to.”
- “The character design is... okay.”
- “Even though I'm not a big fan of character designs (by personal preference), they went fine for me.”