Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

 PC
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. GameShark
    100
    I love the synergy of all these different play mechanics. On their own, these different bits would become stale very quickly, but together each compliments the other to create what I think is a brilliant game.
  2. Eurogamer
    Dec 22, 2010
    90
    Recettear is one of the best indie games to arrive this year.
  3. GamesRadar+
    90
    Deceptively simple. Don't be fooled by its cute-sy look and playful trappings. This RPG is hard as hell and incredibly addictive. Plus, with the extra post-game modes, it manages to deliver an excellent amount of value for your gaming buck.
  5. RPG Fan
    88
    To say that Recettear came out of nowhere and completely blindsided me, in a good way, is an understatement, and others who've played the game feel the same as I do.
  6. GameCritics
    85
    I came into Recettear expecting a simple sim game with some spoofy self-aware humor, but it's so much more than that. The sheer amount of depth is staggering, and the game is extremely good at throwing the player something new every now and then to keep things feeling fresh.
  7. Multiplayer.it
    85
    An original gameplay and funny carachters contribute to make a addictive formula that catches all-accomplished the gamer's attention.
  8. PALGN
    Jan 27, 2011
    80
    Recettear is perhaps one of the most unusual examples of a simulation game yet; with its engaging storyline, large ensemble of characters and action-RPG sequences, this is a game that really stands out from the crowd.
  9. Metro GameCentral
    Dec 26, 2010
    80
    One of Steam's best kept secrets and a cracking indie title that both pokes fun at and celebrates the charming absurdity of role-playing games.
  10. PC Gamer
    76
    A shining indie gem, yours for a throat-cuttingly reasonable price.
  11. IGN
    75
    Have you ever wanted to man the item counter in a role-playing game like Torneko from Dragon Quest IV? That's exactly what you'll do in Recettear.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PC Game of 2010
46
#46 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
95
#95 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 178 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 148 out of 178
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 178
  3. Negative: 5 out of 178
  1. Rafter
    Sep 30, 2010
    2
    Fun for only about 2 hours. After you've finished the needlessly long introduction, you now realise you have basically had everything thisFun for only about 2 hours. After you've finished the needlessly long introduction, you now realise you have basically had everything this game has to offer. Pretty much all you do is: wake up, go to the adventurer's guild, do some stuff around town, sell items, repeat. The dungeons themselves aren't any less monotonous. They're randomly generated ever ytime, so they're basically repeating halls and rooms with monsters, treasures and next-floor teleporters in between. The interface and low-res graphgics makes the game feel a lot more like a console port from the PS1 console generation, than an original title.… Full Review »
  2. chibixleon
    Sep 11, 2010
    9
    It's been a while since a game has grabbed my attention like Reccettear. I'm having so much fun playing this game it's hard to reallyIt's been a while since a game has grabbed my attention like Reccettear. I'm having so much fun playing this game it's hard to really describe. Let me go into a pros and cons for my review though to keep things simple. Pros:
    - Great focus on the core aspects of the RPG experience: earning money, collecting loot, levelling up. Extremely well executed and integrated with each other.
    - Really polished presentation, great translation on the part of the publisher Carpe Fulgar.
    - Fun story, great characters.
    - TONS of replayability as the dungeons are randomly generated, tons of different heroes, lots of items to collect. - Managing your item shop is way more fun than I expected. Cons:
    - Resolution is limited, best to play in windowed mode.

    Highly Recommend!!!    … Full Review »
  3. dubesor
    Jul 23, 2012
    9
    This game is surprisingly good. I picked it up during the steam sales not expecting much for ~$4.50. So far I have sunk 35 hours into it andThis game is surprisingly good. I picked it up during the steam sales not expecting much for ~$4.50. So far I have sunk 35 hours into it and plan on playing a lot more. The game has a very charming atmosphere, the dialog is great the translation is very good, the graphics are nostalgic and remind me a lot of Harvest Moon. The gameplay is versatile and fun. On the one hand you have the great economy-style in terms of running your shop, haggling prices, keeping an eye on Booms and pricerises/drops. On the other hand you have the random generated dungeons you can clear with unique bosses, loot and best of all: tons of adventurers you meet during the game that you can SELL stuff to that they will actually wear in the dungeons. There is plenty of stuff to see and do, not do you just sell and buy stuff but you constantly discover upgrades for items, the shop and your adventurers. As you progress a nice story unfolds and the difficulty is perfect. If you fail to meet the deadline for paying debt the game does a perfect job for those and let's them restart with a boost by keeping items/levels and adventurerlevel+gear.

    The crafting system drives you into the dungeons to get even better items than any shop can sell you. After you "finished" the mail story line the game is far from over, new modes are unlocked and you can carry over your old stuff to new challenges (like survival mode).

    The game is simply great, the best game I got to play in 2012.    … Full Review »
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