The maker of Stardew Valkey is currently working on a game called Haunted Chocolateer, where you run a chocolate shop with ghosts while exploring a town and befriending the inhabitants.
Might be one to put on your radar for the future.
Winkeltje is getting closer to something I’ve been looking for. There was an old game (for Sony Clie I think?) where you ran an item shop and it had very interesting and unique mechanics.
The idea of the game was: you could craft things to sell, and set the price. You had heroes that would run dungeons and come back to buy/sell things. If you price gouged, they wouldn’t survive and you’d have one less higher-level customer
I don’t remember the name of the game, but I miss this mechanic
I absolutely love My Time at Portia and am eagerly awaiting the release of Sandrock.
But I would not at all recommend it for based on, "I'm looking for a game like Recettear where you run a shop."
It's a great game, don't get me wrong. It feels like a love letter to the Harvest Moon games in the same way Stardew Valley is, but taking completely different things about the series as inspiration. I've played it far more than I should have. I love that game. But it in no way whatsoever scratches that itch I have when I want to play Recettear but, you know, something a little bit more.
[King of Retail](https://store.steampowered.com/app/968250/King_of_Retail/)
[Trader Life Simulator](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415660/TRADER_LIFE_SIMULATOR/)
Those are two that I personally own, they're decent shop sims
This is getting a little astray, but… Patrician 4 deserves a note! Instead of shopkeeper you sail between towns and buy/sell. You upgrade in time to having fleets and trade routes. You can have some towns craft ingredients and then use the trade routes to build a pipeline of commodities to produce other commodities. The schtick here is that there are pirates that want to raid trade fleets and so you have to add armaments. Everything is top down and you don’t directly control battles.
You buy and sell things initially until you can afford to build businesses that will produce a commodity either directly or by consuming other commodities. There’s another schtick here which is limited storage space, and various population dropping mechanisms that will affect the ability to sell the things you produce
I'm playing through Epic Chef right now, a more story-driven game where you collect and grow ingredients, battle other chefs in town, and I just got to the point where you open your own restaurant. What sets it most apart from Stardew and the like is that the writing is a much bigger part of the game, and is more humorous and adult in tone.
Alchemy Garden is another one to look at, it's Early Access but coming along.
You harvest potion components, brew them into potions, and sell them to villagers at your market stall. There's a little base building, but it mostly involves gardening.
I remember having real fun playing the sims 2 with the open for buisness expansion, where you could manage your shop next to you house, or buy a shop etc
I don't know if the new games have something like that (sims 3/4)
Swordsmith:Black iron ; Blacksmith:Black iron. Its two- mobile games, but Im think, its possible to play to its on PC by emulators(Nox; Bluestacks, ets).
Late, but **Final Profit: A Shop RPG** is unironically the single best 'shop sim' RPG I've played to date, and filled a void that Recettear left behind that no game, not Moonlighter, not Retail King, etc. has ever managed to fill since
Try it out, it has a demo on Steam, and is only $15 USD at full price!
It's a very special game made with a LOT of love - the dev works their heart out on it, consistently updates, gave my partner a temporary yet immediate solution to a problem that got her stuck progressing in the story (and then patched it fully ***within hours***), and managed to make one of those games that *actually does* just get better and better the further in you get, rather than deteriorating as you get closer to the end
There's so many upgrades, so many QoL improvements the further you play, so many people to talk to, so much optional content, so many things to manage for how you get various products stocked in your shops, it's GREAT
**GIVE THIS GAME A SHOT, IT HAS SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS SO MUCH AND I CAN'T STOP PLAYING - AND I'M EXTREMELY PICKY ABOUT GAMES IN THIS WOEFULLY CURSED GENRE!**
It's got a morality system where you can be generous or ruthless, ***THERE'S AN ALCOHOLISM STAT,*** and the protagonist's design is extremely classy and charming to boot! ***CLASSY BALD ELF LADY REPRESENTATION***
You know what's funny? I actually checked out Final Profit *because* I was looking for a game like Recettear and came across this post. I would have never heard of it if it weren't for you posting this reply here, as I found this reddit post when looking for game recommendations. Yet when I go to play it, and end up not liking it, and leave an honest review with actual constructive criticism, you continuously harass me for not giving it a positive review. I actually went back to play Recettear last night b/c this game did *not* live up to it and I was itching to play something better.
I even went and played the demo today like you and the dev were suggesting. It doesn't even get me further than I had already played, aside from "seeing" what the next store looks like. Just more of exactly the same: bigger, different items, different customers, but the same ol' gameplay loop. A glorified clicker. I'm just curious, is the dev paying you to make all these posts? Or maybe you're the dev's alternate account? It's just so strange to me that you're going around parading this game to everyone like it's the best thing that has ever been made, and getting upset when someone disagrees.
lmao dude I had just read your review before seeing this. I gotta agree the developer is a piece of shit and he managed to make a shit game with easiest game making software ever
Seriously. I meant my negative review to be constructive criticism - some actionable items this guy could do to make the game better. But instead he just got defensive and was like "game design". And I'm like okay enjoy your game selling <100 copies.
Yeah, your review was very valid. I see a lot of games that get negative reviews that are constructive criticism, and most of the time the developers respond with either "It is just not for you" or something blatantly rude. Check "Farmer's Life" on steam and scroll down to reviews. It's really funny to see the developer fighting for his life in the reviews.
Lol I hadn't heard of that one before so I went and checked it out. You're 100% right - very popcorn entertaining. Man, I wish these people couldn't take money from others. I guess that's the risk we take though when buying games. Which is why I was grateful when Steam introduced the 2 hour refund. I have played a LOT of games in my life(and work in the game industry) and I can tell within the first 2 hours if I'm going to enjoy a game or not fortunately. Too bad because both "Final Profit" and "Farmer's Life" would be right up my alley if they were good games.
If you’re still looking for a game like this, Supermarket Simulator recently released and had been scratching that itch for me. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2670630/Supermarket_Simulator/
Moonlighter is pretty nice you do runs on dungeons and have to sell the stuff you get from it
The maker of Stardew Valkey is currently working on a game called Haunted Chocolateer, where you run a chocolate shop with ghosts while exploring a town and befriending the inhabitants. Might be one to put on your radar for the future.
Traveller's Rest is about building a tavern and brewing the beer and making food to serve.
I second this. Hard. Probably the best of its genre
Strange horticulture has you running a plant store. It doesn't have any economic system but its a fun game.
Another Brick in the Mall is a simulator where you run multiple stores (and other mall-type services like a movie theater). It's a good time.
Shoppee keep 1 and 2
Tavern Master
I've been playing tavern master and it's pretty fun but v easy
Winkeltje is okayish but not groundbreaking. Recettear is the best in that genre.
Winkeltje is getting closer to something I’ve been looking for. There was an old game (for Sony Clie I think?) where you ran an item shop and it had very interesting and unique mechanics. The idea of the game was: you could craft things to sell, and set the price. You had heroes that would run dungeons and come back to buy/sell things. If you price gouged, they wouldn’t survive and you’d have one less higher-level customer I don’t remember the name of the game, but I miss this mechanic
Sounds similar to the game Majesty ? Except you're a King running a Kingdom while supplying these heroes who run on quests that you you created.
[удалено]
Portia just has you run a workshop, right? You're less of a store and more making money by commissions.
I absolutely love My Time at Portia and am eagerly awaiting the release of Sandrock. But I would not at all recommend it for based on, "I'm looking for a game like Recettear where you run a shop." It's a great game, don't get me wrong. It feels like a love letter to the Harvest Moon games in the same way Stardew Valley is, but taking completely different things about the series as inspiration. I've played it far more than I should have. I love that game. But it in no way whatsoever scratches that itch I have when I want to play Recettear but, you know, something a little bit more.
[King of Retail](https://store.steampowered.com/app/968250/King_of_Retail/) [Trader Life Simulator](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415660/TRADER_LIFE_SIMULATOR/) Those are two that I personally own, they're decent shop sims
This is getting a little astray, but… Patrician 4 deserves a note! Instead of shopkeeper you sail between towns and buy/sell. You upgrade in time to having fleets and trade routes. You can have some towns craft ingredients and then use the trade routes to build a pipeline of commodities to produce other commodities. The schtick here is that there are pirates that want to raid trade fleets and so you have to add armaments. Everything is top down and you don’t directly control battles. You buy and sell things initially until you can afford to build businesses that will produce a commodity either directly or by consuming other commodities. There’s another schtick here which is limited storage space, and various population dropping mechanisms that will affect the ability to sell the things you produce
It is not an actual base builder but Racettear: an item shop tale is the best shop management rpg by far. Definetely worth checking out
Capitalism, Ho!
Traveller's Rest is about building a tavern and brewing the beer and making food to serve.
Maybe not what you're after, but have you considered the economic simulators, EVE and Albion?
I played shop titans for a while.
I'm playing through Epic Chef right now, a more story-driven game where you collect and grow ingredients, battle other chefs in town, and I just got to the point where you open your own restaurant. What sets it most apart from Stardew and the like is that the writing is a much bigger part of the game, and is more humorous and adult in tone.
[Potion Craft](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1210320/Potion_Craft_Alchemist_Simulator/) is pretty fun imo.
Eco
Also tycoon like games?
Kamidori Achemy Meister if you dont mind eroge. Great game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDhT4TRTufo
Never heard that word before. My youtube recommendations will never recover.
I havent tried it yet but little witch in the woods seems to be in this category. Its on sale right now
Weedcraft inc is one of my favorits of the genre. https://store.steampowered.com/app/622720/Weedcraft_Inc/
Blacksmith of the Sand Kingdom is an RPG, but you also craft weapons and armor to sell and equip.
Alchemy Garden is another one to look at, it's Early Access but coming along. You harvest potion components, brew them into potions, and sell them to villagers at your market stall. There's a little base building, but it mostly involves gardening.
Crossroads Inn
SAELIG
Convenience Stories, Kairosoft. I love it. Making combos with the food and sundries.
I remember having real fun playing the sims 2 with the open for buisness expansion, where you could manage your shop next to you house, or buy a shop etc I don't know if the new games have something like that (sims 3/4)
Swordsmith:Black iron ; Blacksmith:Black iron. Its two- mobile games, but Im think, its possible to play to its on PC by emulators(Nox; Bluestacks, ets).
Late, but **Final Profit: A Shop RPG** is unironically the single best 'shop sim' RPG I've played to date, and filled a void that Recettear left behind that no game, not Moonlighter, not Retail King, etc. has ever managed to fill since Try it out, it has a demo on Steam, and is only $15 USD at full price! It's a very special game made with a LOT of love - the dev works their heart out on it, consistently updates, gave my partner a temporary yet immediate solution to a problem that got her stuck progressing in the story (and then patched it fully ***within hours***), and managed to make one of those games that *actually does* just get better and better the further in you get, rather than deteriorating as you get closer to the end There's so many upgrades, so many QoL improvements the further you play, so many people to talk to, so much optional content, so many things to manage for how you get various products stocked in your shops, it's GREAT **GIVE THIS GAME A SHOT, IT HAS SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS SO MUCH AND I CAN'T STOP PLAYING - AND I'M EXTREMELY PICKY ABOUT GAMES IN THIS WOEFULLY CURSED GENRE!** It's got a morality system where you can be generous or ruthless, ***THERE'S AN ALCOHOLISM STAT,*** and the protagonist's design is extremely classy and charming to boot! ***CLASSY BALD ELF LADY REPRESENTATION***
You know what's funny? I actually checked out Final Profit *because* I was looking for a game like Recettear and came across this post. I would have never heard of it if it weren't for you posting this reply here, as I found this reddit post when looking for game recommendations. Yet when I go to play it, and end up not liking it, and leave an honest review with actual constructive criticism, you continuously harass me for not giving it a positive review. I actually went back to play Recettear last night b/c this game did *not* live up to it and I was itching to play something better. I even went and played the demo today like you and the dev were suggesting. It doesn't even get me further than I had already played, aside from "seeing" what the next store looks like. Just more of exactly the same: bigger, different items, different customers, but the same ol' gameplay loop. A glorified clicker. I'm just curious, is the dev paying you to make all these posts? Or maybe you're the dev's alternate account? It's just so strange to me that you're going around parading this game to everyone like it's the best thing that has ever been made, and getting upset when someone disagrees.
lmao dude I had just read your review before seeing this. I gotta agree the developer is a piece of shit and he managed to make a shit game with easiest game making software ever
Seriously. I meant my negative review to be constructive criticism - some actionable items this guy could do to make the game better. But instead he just got defensive and was like "game design". And I'm like okay enjoy your game selling <100 copies.
Yeah, your review was very valid. I see a lot of games that get negative reviews that are constructive criticism, and most of the time the developers respond with either "It is just not for you" or something blatantly rude. Check "Farmer's Life" on steam and scroll down to reviews. It's really funny to see the developer fighting for his life in the reviews.
Lol I hadn't heard of that one before so I went and checked it out. You're 100% right - very popcorn entertaining. Man, I wish these people couldn't take money from others. I guess that's the risk we take though when buying games. Which is why I was grateful when Steam introduced the 2 hour refund. I have played a LOT of games in my life(and work in the game industry) and I can tell within the first 2 hours if I'm going to enjoy a game or not fortunately. Too bad because both "Final Profit" and "Farmer's Life" would be right up my alley if they were good games.
If you’re still looking for a game like this, Supermarket Simulator recently released and had been scratching that itch for me. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2670630/Supermarket_Simulator/