This Merchant Life

First of all, this game has a buggy achievement (World Tour), so you won't be able to reach 100% completion. I started playing this game in 2020 and had some fun, but it felt a bit grindy because the profit margin was really low. As a result, I didn't finish the campaign. I came back and restarted playing this game in 2023 with the goal of completing all the achievements. As I delved deeper into the gameplay, I discovered that settlements not only have low, normal, and high prices for different products, but also within settlements with low prices, there is a variety of prices (for example, super low prices in settlements where products are produced). I started tracking the different prices, and it added an interesting and balanced element to the merchant simulation. During my first playthrough, I rushed too much and didn't pay much attention to the road and exploration events. These events add depth to the game, and if you pay attention, they can help you or at least not harm you. Nice additional features in the game are: - You can acquire guild houses if you have enough reputation, which adds different global bonuses. - You can hire heroes, and each hero has a special buff. However, some of the features in the game are pretty useless or don't contribute much: - The combat in this game is kind of boring and doesn't add much to the overall experience. Fortunately, you can auto-resolve most of the fights. - You can produce products in some settlements if you have the right goods, but the production is limited, and the profit margin is not very high. - You can buy a house in this game, which does nothing but spend money and grant you an achievement. - The storage in guild houses wasn't particularly handy for me. I guess a normal first playthrough for this game would end with around 20-30 hours of playtime. 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. This is also the main reason why I do not recommend the game.

If you're in the mood for a quirky little trading sim to sink your time into, this one’s a decent pick! I had a blast while it lasted, but there’s a little hiccup that needs fixing. I’m hoping this review gets the developers back on track to squish those annoying bugs and fix the achievement that's currently broken. The game’s a fun ride, but not being able to 100% it? Ugh, it’s the worst kind of tease for us achievement hunters! Honestly, these bugs are so minor that I think it’d take the devs about a week to sort it all out. So, come on devs, give us that sweet fix we need! Now, let’s talk gameplay. It’s simple but effective, enough to keep you entertained for a good week or so. 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. But hey, that’s what makes this game easy to play in the background while you’re grinding away. 🎶 The battle system is a bit of a head-scratcher at first, but once you crack the code—red dice = attack, green dice = defense—you’re golden. The best part? You always attack first, so stacking offense is the way to go. Easy peasy once you get the hang of it. Achievements are fun and have that perfect balance of being simple but just tricky enough to keep you coming back for more. No difficulty achievements though, so you can ALMOST 100% the game on Relaxed mode, which means managing your battles and cart is a total joke. Except for that one broken achievement... but until it’s fixed, 100% completion is a cruel mirage. Overall, “This Merchant Life” is a solid indie time-waster with a lot of charm. It’ll keep you entertained for a bit, but the broken achievement really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Here’s hoping the devs patch it soon so we can all get that sweet, sweet 100%! I’d give it a rating of 70 barrels of gold out of 128 ants who try (and fail) to trade with you. 😅

Not a trading game beyond like. having trade in it. Game is all about completing missions which will pay more than all but the most perfect of trades.

This game is very good. Has a good amount of playtime and is very fun.

i like everything else but the combat is foreign arcanary to me. I try and move troops to reninforce a side. i expect to be able to do this. and im disallowed. Thanks game. also why is there no leg it button? im a merchant not a fight. why cant i run.

Bought it on discount however the game is deeper then I thought Just the campaign + sidestuff is fun and its a typical ONE MORE TURN kind of game So try it out and form your own opinion

Fun, balanced, and well-designed. All you need from a trading sim, plus some fun RPG elements and a lot of replayability.

Love this game, absolutely hooked me despite the seemingly simple gameplay One gripe I have with the game, as many others, is that there is no real goal and that the game turns into mindlessly following the same highest paying routine. Also, I am unable to continue the story past chapter 15 due to never being attacked by grey bards. Absolutely love this game, in the end, I think if this game got a major update or a remake, it could be one of my favorite games of all time, however, as it is right now, it's good in the early stage, great in the middle stage, and lacking in the late stage.

Probably one of the most charming grind games i've ever played. The graphic, music, game mechanics, the writing sprinkled with comedy and the huge amount of random events and encounters make this game a very enjoyable experience to me. Kudos to the devs!

Bug ridden and not balanced