Winkeltje: The Little Shop

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 773 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • grinding
Winkeltje: The Little Shop Game Cover
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Winkeltje: The Little Shop is a management game where you run your own fantasy shop, buying and selling a variety of items, including alchemical elixirs and food, to make a profit. Decorate your shop and impress customers with furniture and displays to increase sales. Play at your own pace and become the master of your very own shop.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 773 reviews
gameplay41 positive mentions
grinding59 negative mentions
  • The game is fun and relaxing, providing a cozy shopkeeping experience.
  • Great customization options for the shop, allowing players to design their store as they wish.
  • The developers are responsive and actively update the game, adding new content and fixing bugs.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive after a while, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
  • Some mechanics, like restocking shelves, can feel tedious and require constant attention.
  • Limited character interaction and no ability to set prices or barter with customers can make the experience feel shallow.
  • gameplay146 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a smooth and simple loop involving buying, crafting, and selling items, which can become repetitive and lacks depth over time. While some players appreciate the casual and relaxing nature of the mechanics, many express a desire for more engaging challenges and clearer explanations of game systems. Overall, the game offers a charming aesthetic and solid mechanics, but it risks becoming stale without additional content and quality-of-life improvements.

    • “The gameplay is smooth as silk.”
    • “The mechanics are well-thought-out.”
    • “If you want a chill experience with relaxing gameplay while not being a simple idle game, Winkeltje might be exactly your thing.”
    • “Lastly, pricing certain items extremely high and others extremely low does very little to increase sales for overstocked cheap items. In short, the game got very boring, very quickly with no challenge whatsoever, with the only other gameplay being decorating your shop, which even then seems mundane at best.”
    • “There's no clever engagement on the economics or game mechanics; it's just buy, craft, and stand there watching everyone mill through your shop.”
    • “The game feels unfinished; it has a core gameplay loop, but no content, so after 2 hours, it feels like you have seen and done everything that the game holds.”
  • graphics73 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charm and aesthetic appeal, with many users appreciating the cute, stylized visuals that enhance the relaxing gameplay experience. While some players noted minor issues such as glitches or basic character models, the overall consensus is that the graphics effectively complement the game's theme and mechanics, making it visually enjoyable. However, a few reviews pointed out that the graphics could be improved, particularly in terms of smoothness and detail.

    • “The graphics are excellent, the gameplay is chill, and the controls are mostly easy enough to figure out.”
    • “The aesthetics are beautiful as you continue to grow your store and the atmosphere is incredibly relaxing.”
    • “The graphics are pretty decent, the animations are good, the styles and variance of shop 'building blocks' look good and fit together well to create really interesting shop spaces.”
    • “The graphics gave me motion sickness.”
    • “The graphics leave a lot to be desired, but that's easy to get over when it comes to smaller games like this.”
    • “My only issue is graphical: the character models have their shoulders up constantly.”
  • grinding59 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while many players enjoy the engaging blend of crafting, farming, and shop management, they often find the late-game progression tedious and repetitive. After an initial fun phase, the game can become overly grindy, with players feeling compelled to repeat the same actions for minimal rewards, particularly in farming and crafting. However, some appreciate the depth and variety of activities available, suggesting that those who enjoy grinding mechanics may still find it rewarding.

    • “Once you get past your first week, the game gets very grindy with very little substance.”
    • “The only problem I have is the horrible grindy late game with crafting.”
    • “There were high hopes for this game, but after a while, it's mostly tedious and repetitive with little reward or excitement.”
  • story43 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many players expressing a desire for more narrative elements and character interactions to enhance the experience. While some appreciate the relaxed gameplay without the pressure of a traditional plot, others feel that the absence of a compelling storyline and meaningful quests detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, players hope for future updates that could introduce richer storylines, character development, and engaging quests to elevate the game's appeal.

    • “Only disappointing because one can easily fall in love with this game and see how plot expansions, which are common in these types of games, would be applied to lengthen gameplay significantly.”
    • “A lovely little game, but needs more characters to give it content, challenges, or storyline after you pay off your debt.”
    • “Finding a routine without the fear of missing a story beat is nice.”
    • “There's zero story and it quickly goes stale, which is a shame as I love games like this.”
    • “There is no real story (although there easily could be), the events feel flat (even though they could be super interesting), and the gameplay is smooth, easy-to-understand, and bug-free (there just isn't a lot to actually do!) the 'debt' is laughable compared to the costs to expand your shop...but a bigger shop doesn't exactly make the game any more fun.”
    • “No story and barebones gameplay while enjoyable in its own way make this a hard sell.”
  • music35 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as charming, relaxing, and fitting well with the gameplay, creating a pleasant atmosphere. However, many users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, with some expressing a desire for more variety in the music. Overall, while the music enhances the gaming experience, its limited range may detract from long-term enjoyment.

    • “Honestly, this has become one of my favorite games; the music is delightful!”
    • “The gameplay and the music are simply so charming; I always end up having the music stuck in my head long after playing.”
    • “The music is very soothing, and the noises are satisfying.”
    • “The audio is nice, although once you’ve heard the background music for a while it does get really repetitive.”
    • “Music and quests are too repetitive though but I believe it will change in the future.”
    • “Great little game and highly addictive, the graphics are cute and the sound is decent, the music gets old really fast though and I wish they added more medieval suitable music.”
  • replayability18 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it decent and engaging due to its flexibility and customization options, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth compared to cheaper alternatives. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some users noting good replay value and others deeming it limited or linear, suggesting potential for improvement in future updates.

    • “Super cute game with, in my opinion, lots of replayability.”
    • “Also, I do feel the game has decent replayability.”
    • “Good replayability; you can customize the shop in a couple of different ways.”
    • “I've played mobile games with more depth for £5 with more replay value; quite frankly, the cost of this game is just too high.”
    • “The only downside I would say about this game is that there isn't much replayability.”
    • “The above means that after just under 40 hours of gameplay (including AFK), there is little replayability currently.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful aesthetics, relaxing ambiance, and immersive medieval setting, complemented by lovely graphics and wonderful music. Players find the atmosphere enhances the rewarding and enjoyable gameplay, making it a delightful experience overall.

    • “The aesthetics are beautiful as you continue to grow your store, and the atmosphere is incredibly relaxing.”
    • “The atmosphere is fantastic; the gameplay is rewarding and fun, and the assets are lovely.”
    • “Been playing it for a while, and I can honestly say that it surprises me with its content and atmosphere.”
    • “For some light play and progression with a calm atmosphere and without too much trouble: this scratches a very nice itch.”
    • “Been playing it for a while and I can honestly say that it surprises me with its content and atmosphere.”
    • “This is a first-person role-playing game that is set in a medieval atmosphere.”
  • stability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with most users reporting only minor glitches and bugs. While some players experienced specific issues, such as action blocking and launch problems, these do not significantly detract from the overall experience. The game is considered to be in good shape for early access, with a pleasant aesthetic despite occasional visual glitches.

    • “It seemed to suggest things out of sequence, and would randomly block certain actions, making it a buggy experience.”
    • “There's some weird bug that requires me to open the game from the files instead of Steam to start, but beyond that, I don't think it's very buggy.”
    • “There are a few small glitches I've noticed during my gameplay (mainly with the way debt calculates), but overall this game is in pretty good shape for early access.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, players find the game's optimization for economic and production systems satisfying, though some feel that certain specializations, like farming, may not be as refined as others. Technical performance is generally smooth, with no significant bugs reported, suggesting that any issues encountered are likely due to user error rather than game flaws.

    • “This game scratched that itch for economic and production optimization.”
    • “I haven't run into any bugs; everything runs smoothly, and the only real issue I have is 100% user error!”
    • “I might have simply approached it wrong, but playing the farmer specialization seems a little less optimized than the other options. In fact, choosing it unlocks cooking as well, which makes sense but makes me think it's not fully ready to stand on its own.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization of the game is generally viewed positively, with comparisons to "Shop Titans" highlighting that it offers a more genuine gaming experience rather than relying on aggressive cash-grabbing tactics. Players appreciate the balance between monetization and gameplay, suggesting it feels fair and engaging.

    • “It's like Shop Titans if it were a real game instead of a cash grab.”
    • “Like Shop Titans but without being a shameless cash grab.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling a sense of nostalgia and comfort reminiscent of home. The design flexibility enhances this experience, allowing for creative expression without the fear of costly mistakes, which can be emotionally distressing.

    • “This game made me feel like I was back home in Den Haag.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing behavior of customers who throw their money on the floor instead of approaching the register, providing a quirky and unexpected comedic element that players find entertaining.

    • “Customers who buy from displays throw their money on the floor instead of coming to the register, which I found quite humorous once I figured it out.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

19hMedian play time
29hAverage play time
9-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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