TRADESMAN: Deal to Dealer
- June 18, 2024
- AZAMATIKA
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamIn TRADESMAN: Deal to Dealer, players step into the shoes of a traveling merchant, buying and selling goods in various towns and villages while managing the challenges of transportation and combat. With a range of traits for each product and many unique mercenaries to hire, the game offers a rich and immersive trading experience. Automatic battles and the need to manage consumables add an extra layer of complexity to the merchant's journey.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great value for the price, offering a fun and engaging gameplay experience.
- The game features a unique trading and combat system that keeps players invested.
- Developers are responsive and actively working on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The combat and leveling system is poorly designed, leading to frustrating grinding and lack of progression.
- The game can feel tedious due to forced encounters and a lack of meaningful rewards for trading.
- Early gameplay can be overwhelming and confusing, with insufficient tutorials to guide new players.
- story19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with players enjoying the variety of quests and character interactions, particularly the engaging "chicken sanders" storyline. However, many users express frustration with the quest log system, which lacks clarity and organization, making it difficult to track multiple quests. Overall, while the narrative elements are appreciated, improvements in quest management and depth are suggested for a better experience.
“Good game, nice story, simple mechanics, small size game.”
“Overall really nice early access game, maybe you could add a bit more in-depth story, probably?”
“I like the Chicken Sanders story where you have to do something (in this example: collect), then beat someone, and in the end, you could hire this legendary.”
“Only issue is how annoying or buggy some quests are or figuring out where some places you need to go are.”
“A lot of the time the quest log doesn't have a 'town name' or what you have to do to get the quest done (it only tells you during the flavor text when you pick it up and never again) so you have to go on Discord/Steam discussions and ask.”
“Quest log needs work; you get a lot of quests and things thrown at you early in the game because you're going to random towns to try and get the best price for your goods, so you forget where and what you have to do for all the quests you have picked up along the way.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and a rewarding loop, though some players find essential mechanics hidden behind optional text, which can hinder progress. While the game offers a relaxing experience with a blend of humor and risk/reward elements, it also faces criticism for frustrating progression and janky core mechanics. Overall, it presents a solid auto-battler experience with addictive elements, especially for its low price point.
“Great gameplay loop; it isn't too hard if you take it slow.”
“Has an addictive gameplay loop of buying and selling goods while traveling across a large map with different biomes.”
“The gameplay is like Darkest Dungeon meets Patrician, which is a pretty great concept.”
“This takes an insane amount of time to do, and the gameplay loop is not good enough to justify sticking around for all that.”
“It's frustrating when you can't progress past only three towns due to unfair gameplay.”
“If it was $20 instead of $4.50 I'd change my mind because of the core game mechanics being janky.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with many players finding it excessively tedious, especially in the late game where reputation grinding for legendary mercenaries becomes a major chore. While the early and mid-game experiences are enjoyable, the overall consensus is that the game requires too much grinding, making travel and battles feel repetitive and frustrating. Players who dislike grinding or restarting quests are advised to avoid this game.
“If you dislike grinding or restarting quests when you fail, don’t buy or bother with this game.”
“At the same time, the game is obviously unfinished, and after reaching mid game, becomes extremely tedious and grindy.”
“Once you get to the late game, it's just a pointless waste of time and insane grinding.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their satisfying and atmospheric 2D pixel art, which enhances the overall enjoyment of the game. While some players initially doubted the visuals, they found them to be engaging and well-integrated with the game's mechanics and music, contributing to a fun and addictive experience.
“The visuals are really satisfying.”
“The idea and graphics, music, and mechanics are really good.”
“I admit, I doubted trying this game due to the 2D pixel graphics, but it definitely satisfies that trader itch.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its offbeat humor, with engaging dialogue and amusing NPCs like the "killer sheep" and the "world's greatest chef." Players appreciate the funny moments woven into quests, contributing to an enjoyable and atmospheric experience. The humor, combined with an addictive gameplay loop, enhances the overall appeal of the game.
“There's also quests, and the dialogue has a lot of funny, offbeat humor thrown in to make it worth reading.”
“Some NPCs in the game are really funny, like the 'killer sheep' and the 'world's greatest chef.'”
“Graphic is atmospheric, and there are some funny moments; trying to max out stuff is addicting (in my opinion).”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for being upbeat, catchy, and fitting, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the variety in the soundtrack, which keeps the gameplay engaging, alongside the impressive pixel art that complements the music well.
“The dialogue is serviceable and not a drag; the music is upbeat, catchy, and fitting, and the pixel art is actually really good - I wasn't expecting things to be animated as much as they were either.”
“The art and music are nice, and there's enough variety to where I'm not bored yet.”
“I love the detailed pixel art design, the background music, and the setting.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that while the game generally runs smoothly, there are occasional bugs and frustrating quest navigation issues that can detract from the experience.
“The only issue is how annoying or buggy some quests are, making it difficult to progress.”
“I often find myself frustrated by the bugs that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“Navigating the game can be a challenge due to frequent crashes and glitches.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its impressive graphics and engaging visuals, complemented by humorous moments that enhance the overall experience. Players find the addictive nature of maximizing in-game elements adds to the immersive environment.
“The graphics create an incredibly atmospheric experience, filled with both funny moments and an addictive quest to maximize everything.”
“The ambiance of the game is immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and engaging sound design.”
“Every detail contributes to a rich atmosphere that makes exploration feel rewarding and captivating.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization in this game is criticized for being unbalanced and predatory, with some users noting that even free games with similar practices manage to achieve better balance.
“I have played free games with predatory monetization that had better balance than this.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative and takes away from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to fully experience the game without spending money.”
