Imagine an adventurous world people with mages and warriors, orcs and other fantastic creatures. Now imagine running a shop that keeps these magical people supplied with all things necessary. While in a traditional role-playing game, you play the hero — slaying enemies, defeating bosses, collecting gems — in this one you play a shopkeeper. Seems counterintuitive but that’s the pitch for Shop Titans.
The overall setting and the tasks might seem menial but over time, along with the narrative, the game grows on you and becomes quite addictive. You have to first set up shop — make sure to decorate it so that you attract customers — and then craft craft items for the patrons who visit you. Each item takes time to prepare and, of course, you wouldn’t want your customers to grow impatient and leave. You have to choose which customer to serve, based on the items you need to craft and the money you get for these items. Every time you craft an item, its level increases and you unlock new items that would fetch you more rewards.
Your shop attracts many different types of patrons and each has his or her requirements. Some have to go on a quest and ask for a large number of items; most of them ask for just one item. There are also some people who sell you things. Kings, warriors, traders and princesses will visit you; each with his or her own story and motivations. They can come into your store and place an order based on what is on display. They can even go back if they do not find anything interesting. This means that you need to keep strategising as to what items to craft beforehand and put on display.
The coins that you receive can be used to decorate and expand your store. This, in turn, gets you more customers. Another important aspect of the game is the items that are needed to craft your wares. These items are procured by sending heroes on quests. The city is the place where you can recruit these heroes. You also have friends in the city that supply you the basics of crafting such as wood and metal. You can upgrade friends so that they can give you more items.
VERDICT: Shop Titans is a unique game but definitely not for everyone. As the game progresses, the demands of the game become more and challenging. There are points in time when you need to pay real money to skip timers or buy more goods in order to progress. Understanding all the aspects of the game definitely takes time but once you do, it is smooth sailing. If you enjoy time-management games and if running a shop interests you, give Shop Titans a go. I would give it a seven out of 10 rating.
The Telegraph
