This Merchant Life

About

This Merchant Life is a single player role playing game with fantasy, historical and business themes. It was developed by Inexplicable Games and was released on September 6, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"This Merchant Life" is a business simulation game where players run their own medieval trading company. Manage resources, negotiate with customers, and navigate the politics of the era to expand your business. The game features a dynamic economy and a variety of challenges to test your strategic skills.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

story9 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The game offers a simple yet addictive gameplay loop centered around trading, with charming writing and humor that enhances the experience.
It features a variety of mechanics, including character backgrounds, guild management, and random events that keep the gameplay engaging.
The graphics and music contribute to a pleasant atmosphere, making it a relaxing game to play in short bursts.

The game suffers from bugs and balancing issues, particularly with the combat system and progression, which can lead to a grindy experience.
Many players find the gameplay repetitive over time, with limited variety in missions and events, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage resources and navigate the game effectively.

story
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
5%
The game's story is characterized by a mix of engaging narrative elements and repetitive gameplay, with players appreciating the flavor text and character interactions while often finding the core missions monotonous. While the overarching plot involves themes of debt and intrigue, many reviewers noted that the story feels short and lacks depth, leading to a grind-heavy experience focused more on trading than on narrative progression. Overall, the campaign offers interesting scenarios but suffers from a lack of variety and unfinished character arcs, leaving players wanting more from the storytelling aspect.
- “The real fun and charm of this game is in the flavor text and dialog as you interact with events, build rapport with myriad NPCs, and engage in the story campaign of conspiracies and intrigue.”
- “Great story - the campaign is not your average 'hero' saves the kingdom, but you still play a major role in orchestrating all of it.”
- “The campaign modes add just enough story to keep things interesting, and I find the interaction with heroes engaging.”
- “My main gripe with this game is that it has a very, very short story.”
- “There's no real end game; you can't retire and end your character's story, you can't open up trade routes and create a powerful merchant company. When you finally quit the game, you're exactly what you started as: a merchant, with a cart and some horses.”
- “The missions are original but at the same time they are repetitive; you will not find more than 3 or 4 different kinds of missions.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the engaging merchant mechanics and random events that keep the experience interesting, while others find the core loop simplistic and repetitive. The combat system offers a learning curve but lacks strategic depth, and the interface can be overwhelming. Overall, while the game has potential and provides a relaxing experience, it may not satisfy those seeking more complex or innovative gameplay.
- “I love the stories and events: well thought out with some surprising twists and a fun, challenging gameplay loop.”
- “The graphics, music, game mechanics, the writing sprinkled with comedy, and the huge amount of random events and encounters make this game a very enjoyable experience for me.”
- “Gameplay is varied and deep enough to keep it interesting.”
- “I have not gotten too deep into the story, but I find the core gameplay to be extremely boring.”
- “The interface is always a cluster, a million things on your face at all times, all for no discernible gameplay purpose.”
- “The combat system could use some more strategy mechanics; a lot is based on luck or you get the same scenario over and over again.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
53%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, pixel art style that some players find endearing, though others describe them as simplistic and blocky, making long play sessions visually challenging. While the aesthetic customization options add a layer of investment, the overall graphical presentation is considered not revolutionary and could benefit from a more immersive 3D environment. Despite mixed opinions, many appreciate the graphics for their humor and charm, contributing positively to the game's overall experience.
- “The graphics, music, game mechanics, the writing sprinkled with comedy, and the huge amount of random events and encounters make this game a very enjoyable experience for me.”
- “There's a lot of love that went into the writing and graphics, and the gameplay is nice and relaxing.”
- “Graphics, lore, music, and thought put into this game are great.”
- “Firstly, the graphics are extremely blocky and simple, which usually I don't mind, but visually I find this game difficult to look at and play for a long period.”
- “The graphics aren't the prettiest thing.”
- “I believe early access should at least give a sneak peek at what the game should be; this is like a graphic worksheet.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant and often tedious part of the experience. While some appreciate the background playability and quirky elements that keep it somewhat engaging, many express frustration with the repetitive nature and slow progression tied to grinding for levels, money, and upgrades. The consensus suggests that while grinding is expected in a simulator, it can become a chore that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “I still have not unlocked any other regions and grinding to gain levels and reputation to continue either the story or unlock new areas is not fun.”
- “Very grindy and repetitive; it becomes a chore to play fast if you actually want to progress.”
- “Good concept; however, you play a game of perpetual grinding that just keeps getting harder and harder.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its clever and subtle humor, with many players enjoying the witty writing and funny dialogue that enhance the overall experience. While the humor is consistently entertaining, it strikes a balance without overwhelming the gameplay, making it a charming and engaging title. Overall, the lighthearted tone and amusing storytelling contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The writing style is funny and clever.”
- “Over all though, the atmosphere, the humor, and the brilliant writing always brings a smile to my face and the hours just fly by... just one more trip...”
- “A silly little game about being a merchant with engaging enough gameplay and a pretty funny story that doesn't fail to make me smile.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The music in the game is generally described as charming, relaxing, and unobtrusive, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience without being overly distracting. While some players appreciate its pleasant qualities, others find it basic and suggest that it may become repetitive over time, leading them to prefer their own playlists. Overall, the music complements the game's graphics and mechanics, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere, though it may not be memorable enough to stand out on its own.
- “The graphics, music, game mechanics, the writing sprinkled with comedy, and the huge amount of random events and encounters make this game a very enjoyable experience for me.”
- “Great music and art - you constantly watch an animated pixel map, and the animation box on the left while you travel changes according to the characters you have on board, cart upgrades, climate, and regions.”
- “I love the aesthetics of the game, and the music is nice, relaxing, and unobtrusive.”
- “The music’s got some charm, but let's be real, after a couple of hours, you’ll probably be switching it out for your own playlist.”
- “The music is basic but also not too conflicting; playing the game for a few hours will not necessarily drive you insane.”
- “The modifications we can make according to our tastes or operating systems are very limited, and the options available are not very varied.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
86%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, including a problematic achievement that hinders 100% completion and issues like screen freezes during character creation. While some players find the game decent overall, the prevalence of glitches significantly detracts from the experience, leading to negative reviews.
- “It's a bug-free, decent game with solid assets.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major issues.”
- “I appreciate the stability; it allows me to enjoy the gameplay without interruptions.”
- “First of all, this game has a buggy achievement (World Tour), so you won't be able to reach 100% completion.”
- “The additional playtime for me came because I tried to get every achievement, only to find out that one achievement is buggy, and I wasted the additional time.”
- “In its current state, the game is too buggy to receive a positive review from me.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The reviews present a mixed perspective on replayability, with some players praising the game for its engaging RPG elements and high replay value, while others criticize it for lacking substantial replayability and feeling limited after initial playthroughs. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are enjoyable aspects, improvements are needed to enhance long-term replayability.
- “All you need from a trading sim, plus some fun RPG elements and a lot of replayability.”
- “A ton of replayability.”
- “However, the issue comes in when it comes to replayability, of which this game has almost none.”
- “Good for a day's entertainment, but no real replayability.”
- “That would significantly improve the replay value.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is presented in a text-based format that is well-organized into digestible segments, allowing players to engage with the story at their own pace while also having the option to skip sections if desired.
- “The interface is clear, the graphics are fun, and the story, along with character development, is text-based but presented in bite-sized pieces that are easily skippable.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be wholesome, evoking feelings of warmth and positivity throughout the experience.
- “The game made me feel a deep connection with the characters, and I found myself genuinely caring about their journeys.”
- “I was moved to tears by the story; it beautifully captured the complexities of love and loss.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own experiences.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for poor optimization on PC, featuring oversized buttons, a lack of drag-and-drop functionality, and a maximum resolution capped at 1080p, which limits the overall user experience.
- “Giant buttons, can't drag anything around, no resolution over 1080p... it doesn't seem optimized for PCs.”