Summary
Plenty of games over a host of genres, though especially wherethe strategy genreis concerned, allow players to influence and participate in a large and dynamic economy system that is built on trade and resources. These games typically fall into two categories: either cozy shopfront managers where the goal is to have a good time, or comprehensive economic simulations likeVictoria 3where the goal is to beat as many nations as possible into depending on the customs union.
Rather than focusing on the macro and discussingthese grand strategy titles, there’s plenty of merit to be had discussing the former type of game, and seeing how developers have let players act as merchants in their own, unique fantasy settings. These titles in particular are perfect for players who want to be a merchant in a fantasy world, letting them interact will all kinds of customers and merchandise.
8Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
A Fast-Paced Item Shop Simulator
For any players looking for an iconic, unique, andlow-stakes spinon normal JRPG tropes, they’d be hard-pressed to find a better title thanRecettear: An Item Shop’s Tale. Individually marking the prices of goods found on adventures, this title has players live a very authentic mercantile experience.
The game gets to be incredibly addictive over time, and a sort of Pavlovian reaction of joy takes hold whenever the little ‘clinking gold’ sound signifies another sale. Players should be prepared to mark up, reduce, and haggle for items and prices in this title.
There aren’t many games that have the idyllic, storybook-style graphics ofPotion Craft: Alchemist Simulator. Everything in this game, each plant, vial, and customer, has such a great deal of personality put into their illustrations.
This makes the core gameplay loop, in whichplayers discover recipesthat better serve the needs of their customers, an incredibly satisfying experience, and one that rarely grows old, as more combinations - and stranger requests - are constantly being found.
6Weapon Shop Fantasy
An Industry-Oriented Shop Simulator
What separatesWeapon Shop Fantasyfrom other games on this list is the sheer pace and scale that the game sets early on. This is not a title where players will be lazily wiping down the bench, watching the dust motes through the filtered sunlight coming from the window as idle few customers browse their wares. This is a full-on,relentless, trial of industry.
Players don’t send one adventurer out to find loot, they send out multiple at once, to multiple locations. They don’t have one forge and one item being crafted, they have an entire factory floor with optimized forges - they are the Henry Ford of fantasy weapon production.
Theincredibly popular rogueliteMoonlighterhas a unique visual style and flair that makes it a hard title to miss. While many merchant and weapon shop games that feature questing for sellable goods tend to see the dungeon-diving aspect of their games as an afterthought,Moonlighterputs care and detail into every aspect of exploration and item selling.
Players will need to develop their skills as both merchants and adventurers to get the best possible items and sell them for the best possible price, all the while engaging in some incredibly compelling boss battles.
4Potion Party
Manage An Alchemy Shop With Friends
Like a lot offantastic co-op games,Potion Partysimplifies its mechanics to maximize the fun to be had among multiple people at once, all the while keeping an authentic merchant experience that can stand alongside any of the more in-depth games on this list.
The co-op aspect ofPotion Partyis its main draw, as it’s a unique pull for games of this sub-genre and lets players engage with this humorous, brightly colored world to their heart’s content.
Standing among thebest merchant gamesavailable to date,Merchant of The Skieslets players act as a roving shopkeeper and peddler of goods in a singularly unique fantasy setting comprised of many floating islands.
The game’s unique aesthetic is so cozy and idyllic that it draws players in, and the economic mechanics are the very definition of ‘easy to learn, hard to master’, ensuring that this is a game to keep people going for hours on end.
Why sell people potions or weapons when you’re able to sell the greatest gift of all - a warm bed to sleep in and a nice pint of mead? Okay, it’s not really a ‘gift’ if it’s being sold, but the point stands.Traveller’s Restholds a unique point in the genre between the more tactical merchant sims and the farming or life simulators ofgames likeStardew Valley.
This game lets players plan, run, and brew to their heart’s content, making an incredible inn that serves up whatever they desire, whether they’re looking for a den of crooks and fiends or an upstanding establishment.
1Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
A Versatile And Potato-y Weapon Shop Simulator
Considering the very obviously comedic title and graphical style of this game, many players will be surprised to find a genuine and compelling experience inHoly Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!The gameplay loop is addictive and versatile.
Players will be managing not just the shopfront but the types of weapons produced, the smiths producing them, and the customers who receive the items - which can get quite competitive as higher quality gear starts getting produced.
