Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 179 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 149 out of 179
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 179
  3. Negative: 5 out of 179

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. nilsy
    Jul 22, 2020
    5
    - You NEED game controller to play this, its clearly built for using that. not all PC users would own one

    -+ Charm overloads your brain in under 10min, and it keeps up the whole game. + sim style run a shop + dungeon crawling + crafting + cut scenes telling the story, it creates a circle of never ending small tasks while the clock is ticking. Its not a strategy game as each week you    - You NEED game controller to play this, its clearly built for using that. not all PC users would own one

    -+ Charm overloads your brain in under 10min, and it keeps up the whole game.

    + sim style run a shop + dungeon crawling + crafting + cut scenes telling the story, it creates a circle of never ending small tasks while the clock is ticking.
    Its not a strategy game as each week you need to pay back more money, so getting a good start does not "snowball" its a endurance race to keep alive financially were returns increase each week as well as costs.
    Anyhow its a solidly built game were all parts fits together well.

    -dungeon crawling can be a little well time consuming but its still addicting, and you might end up needing to use scummy save-reload to go back in time as the a dungeon run taking 30min+ failed and you needed that money to stay alive.

    +each part of the game is simple and intuitive

    Summation: its a GOOD game but each of its parts are on its own not as good as the best, the dungeon minigame is certainly not a second binding of isaac the store on its own is certainly not ... cant think of a game here but im certain there must be one.
    And the story on its own is not the best compare it to something like the dreamfall longest journey which makes many books blush in comparison its not on that level ether.
    This all being said there can only be 1best game in each genre and one cant throw rocks on all other 99,9999999% of games, this is a original combination making it a fresh new experience as a whole even though each ingredient are just "ok" it blends well and makes all the ok ingredients into more then the sum of its parts.    … Expand
  2. Tubey
    Dec 31, 2019
    8
    After playing Moonlighter and being horribly disappointed by it, I had to come and review my first and real item shop management game, Recettear.

    This game is the epitome of how appearances can be deceiving. It is the most Japanese thing that ever... erm... 'Japanesed' I guess, complete with J-Pop theme song, anime waifus, chirpy Japanese voice clips and so on. And yet the depth and    After playing Moonlighter and being horribly disappointed by it, I had to come and review my first and real item shop management game, Recettear.

    This game is the epitome of how appearances can be deceiving. It is the most Japanese thing that ever... erm... 'Japanesed' I guess, complete with J-Pop theme song, anime waifus, chirpy Japanese voice clips and so on. And yet the depth and complexity on offer here is insane, especially considering how the base game itself is so short. You are up against a ticking clock, needing to snowball in profit to repay a massive loan every week or you lose.

    To do so, you play pure capitalism (ho!) - buy low, sell high, keep an eye on demand, watch for market crashes and so on. It works beautifully, having that "one more turn" feel to it where you look up and it's suddenly 3AM and you have work tomorrow.

    It's not a perfect game, however. Narratively, it's OK, but it does some weird things. It introduces a 'villain' halfway through, but they actually aren't and don't do anything. There isn't really a villain except the loan repayments. As said, the aesthetic is going to put a lot of people off, but if you can get past it then you'll be rewarded with a great game.

    However, there's one massive flaw, and that's the dungeon crawling mechanic. In Recettear, you can hire heroes to go loot dungeons and you can sell off the proceeds. Two problems with this - first, it's almost completely optional, as by far the best way to make money is to buy low from the guildmaster or market and sell high. Second, the dungeoneering mechanics suck. They function - they aren't broken or anything - but they are dull, uninspired and simple. Even multiple hero classes can't rescue it - it's just a poor afterthought overall.

    Thankfully, as said it's optional, and the shop management aspect of the game saves the whole package and makes it an easy recommendation. There's no other game quite like it... well, except Moonlighter, but the less said about that the better.    … Expand
  3. JimmyJams
    Apr 26, 2018
    7
    A fun little game that feels a tad dated. The game mechanics are more or less solid, the take on the RPG genre is fresh, and the game is deceptively challenging. The graphics are sort of charming, sort of awful. The storyline and characters are godawful, but it seems to be a sideshow anyway; easily ignored. I'd say the game belongs in the $10-15 range, $20 is pushing it, but ultimatelyA fun little game that feels a tad dated. The game mechanics are more or less solid, the take on the RPG genre is fresh, and the game is deceptively challenging. The graphics are sort of charming, sort of awful. The storyline and characters are godawful, but it seems to be a sideshow anyway; easily ignored. I'd say the game belongs in the $10-15 range, $20 is pushing it, but ultimately worth sinking a few days into.… Expand
  4. PeterKerl71
    Sep 3, 2015
    8
    This really is a fun little game.

    The graphics are nice, the story is ok and the characters and enemies are your typical anime stereotypes. While all this does not sound very special, it is the mix that makes this game fun. What really stands out though is the fact (and integral part of the game) that you are playing both as a shop owner selling items to adventurers and as an adventurer    This really is a fun little game.

    The graphics are nice, the story is ok and the characters and enemies are your typical anime stereotypes. While all this does not sound very special, it is the mix that makes this game fun. What really stands out though is the fact (and integral part of the game) that you are playing both as a shop owner selling items to adventurers and as an adventurer killing monsters and shopping for better equipment.

    If you need a fun game to play for an hour or two in the afternoon and are into anime, get this.    … Expand
  5. blaicefreeze
    Aug 20, 2015
    9
    I've only played for a couple of hours thus far, but wow. Such a simple design and story that has such a great combinational feel. Each aspect of the game leads to a better designed game. I am very impressed, and can't wait to get home from work and play more. Don't miss out. It is cheap and unquestionably worth a go.
  6. blade01
    Jul 22, 2015
    5
    I never enjoyed this game.So many things are so repetetive and dull.Every day is the same.The dungeons and mobs there are boring and uninspired.The game is cute at first but lacks too many things.Its just a timewaster with no reward and it is not really easy because you "have to pay of your fathers depth".That payment you have to do, its redicilous what amounts you have to pay in weekI never enjoyed this game.So many things are so repetetive and dull.Every day is the same.The dungeons and mobs there are boring and uninspired.The game is cute at first but lacks too many things.Its just a timewaster with no reward and it is not really easy because you "have to pay of your fathers depth".That payment you have to do, its redicilous what amounts you have to pay in week 3.And the customers are stupid too.I had a child that was so pissed that i couldnt sell things for 100% base price.I dont buy things and sell them for less, stupid ****

    Conclusion:I dont recommend this game.Its bugfree, nice, but its a simpel game, no chance to overlook bugs in such an simpel game i thing.    … Expand
  7. Adalaide78
    Jun 21, 2015
    9
    Very enjoyable game. Grabbed it on a sale and am thrilled I did. I have OCD (for real, not just decided I do because I like a clean house) and it is nice to have something where I can completely give in to my tendencies and allow them to take over. Even though I finished my first game in two days, I find myself still playing it every day a week later with no intent to ever stop.
  8. ChanReview
    Feb 15, 2015
    7
    Super addictive! It is a bit outdated and old fashioned, but you really cannot stop playing regardless. Art style is cute and chirpy and slightly humorous. Combat and the dungeons need to be worked on and I admit I only played through the game once to completion with no temptation to return to it at the moment. Some may find it only fun for a few hours as it does get very repetitive, but ISuper addictive! It is a bit outdated and old fashioned, but you really cannot stop playing regardless. Art style is cute and chirpy and slightly humorous. Combat and the dungeons need to be worked on and I admit I only played through the game once to completion with no temptation to return to it at the moment. Some may find it only fun for a few hours as it does get very repetitive, but I managed to be amused the whole time as I played it through to the end.
    Fantastic game to continuously rave about? No.
    Enough to earn a decent score and respect for what it is? Yes.    … Expand
  9. Neveren
    Jan 2, 2015
    9
    Don't buy this Game (Not really, buy this game).
    You'll be sitting at home, thinking what the **** am i doing with my life, while sinking hundreds of hours into this. Its addictive, cute, and highly replayable.
    When i picked this Game up i didn't really know what to expect. I like the idea of finally being the one selling the Items, not only collecting them. You start out with a small    Don't buy this Game (Not really, buy this game).
    You'll be sitting at home, thinking what the **** am i doing with my life, while sinking hundreds of hours into this. Its addictive, cute, and highly replayable.
    When i picked this Game up i didn't really know what to expect. I like the idea of finally being the one selling the Items, not only collecting them.
    You start out with a small Shop, cheap Items and Customers that would rather pay nothing at all then pay 130%.
    You slowly work yourself up to be the best Item Shop in the Town, selling extremely Valuable Items in your Shop and amassing riches like nothing else, being a Millionaire is so satisfying.
    But the Game doesn't end there! On Top of the Item Shop you also get to Dungeon Crawl with several Heroes that all handle differently, you can Level them up, sell them better Items so you can progress further and the Dungeons have 100 's of Floors to get Items that you couldn't buy or get otherwise.
    This Game is a Rare Masterpiece, the Idea behind it is so simple yet effective.
    If there ever is something like this as a Multiplayer Game, i know where ill spend my time.
    Pick it up and you wont be disappointed if you like
    A: Anime
    B: Dungeon Crawling/Collecting Items
    C: Organizing things    … Expand
  10. carlosgtardon
    Jun 10, 2014
    7
    Jamás había visto un simulador tan claro del capitalismo, además es una vuelta de tuerca interesante al ámbito de los juegos de rol orientales. Horas de disfrute, aunque la historia es un poco plof.
  11. Dokkodo
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    There's only a handful of games in this specific genre and this is the one that does it best. I'd love to see the concept evolved but no one has yet to step up to that challenge.

    It's a great shop sim and there's not many games that could compete. (Swords and Potions is about the only other thing on it's level.) The dungeon crawling is meh, but it's mehness is enhanced by your shop    There's only a handful of games in this specific genre and this is the one that does it best. I'd love to see the concept evolved but no one has yet to step up to that challenge.

    It's a great shop sim and there's not many games that could compete. (Swords and Potions is about the only other thing on it's level.) The dungeon crawling is meh, but it's mehness is enhanced by your shop skills being the source of your power for it.    … Expand
  12. devinup
    May 22, 2014
    9
    While this is a low budget game without great graphics, I've had a ton of fun with it and would definitely recommend it. I got it as part of a bundle, and it basically cost me less than a dollar, which is a steal for this game! The graphics have character and are good enough to get the job done. The game is full of personality, humor, and cuteness (but not overbearing like some games I'veWhile this is a low budget game without great graphics, I've had a ton of fun with it and would definitely recommend it. I got it as part of a bundle, and it basically cost me less than a dollar, which is a steal for this game! The graphics have character and are good enough to get the job done. The game is full of personality, humor, and cuteness (but not overbearing like some games I've come across). It's a lot of fun. It's kind of a cross between Animal Crossing and Diablo with item sales tossed in there. If you can find it at a good price, you should definitely pick it up. I've spent a couple hours a night the last few nights playing it, and it's a lot of fun!… Expand
  13. Paikia
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    I wasn't sure about this game when I bought it. I figured there was a reasonable chance it would end up on my "wasted money Steam purchases" basket. Only a few days later, when I bothered to check it out, this game became one hell of a pleasant surprise.

    Recettear is a weird mix of simulation, hack & slash and role-playing, with the cute japanese kind of graphics and animations that I    I wasn't sure about this game when I bought it. I figured there was a reasonable chance it would end up on my "wasted money Steam purchases" basket. Only a few days later, when I bothered to check it out, this game became one hell of a pleasant surprise.

    Recettear is a weird mix of simulation, hack & slash and role-playing, with the cute japanese kind of graphics and animations that I really love. You play Recette, the cute and naive item-shop seller girl, who's teamed up with Tear, the fairy, who at first seems like the tough business...fairy(?) personality, but already a few hours into the game, I'm getting the feeling she has a totally different agenda than the one she's letting out.

    As Recette, you need to manage your items shop and make money, so you can pay a debt to Tear's agency (whatever it is), so they wouldn't take your house. In addition to buying and selling routine, you can also hire adventurers and go to dungeons. In return for your payment to the adventurer, you get to keep the items you find in the dungeon, and sell them with nearly 100% profit.

    All in all, this game is a lot of fun, definitely worth its price, in my humble opinion.    … Expand
  14. Junoh315
    Sep 22, 2013
    9
    Recettear is a surprisingly fun game about a girl that is in debt. While it can get repetitive, there is a lot of replay value. This is definitely a great game to buy if you love RPGs.
  15. K7Sniper
    Aug 6, 2013
    8
    For those who enjoy time management games with a twist, this game is quite phenomenal. There are subtitles provided for those who don't speak Japanese, the game mechanics are solid, the ability to run an item shop is pretty fulfilling, and the adventure aspects are enjoyable. That being said, the game definitely caters to a specific type of gamer. If you aren't into anime genre, the artFor those who enjoy time management games with a twist, this game is quite phenomenal. There are subtitles provided for those who don't speak Japanese, the game mechanics are solid, the ability to run an item shop is pretty fulfilling, and the adventure aspects are enjoyable. That being said, the game definitely caters to a specific type of gamer. If you aren't into anime genre, the art styles and dialogue will drive you crazy. It's also pretty unforgiving when it comes to the amount of money that you need to make before it's game over back to the beginning. The dungeons can get monotonous, but if you aren't into that style of adventure game (top down RPG hack and slash) you probably wouldn't play this game anyway. The random events could also make this game really difficult at times when it comes to making money.

    However, overall, the game was really fun, and it is worth a $10-20 cost.

    So, to sum it up...
    Pros:
    Challenging,
    simple plot,
    solid game mechanics,
    decent economy sim,
    various adventurers to play for whatever style suits you best,
    Provides a game that is exactly what is shown on the tin

    Cons:
    Random events could make the goal impossible,
    Appeals to only a certain audience in art and atmosphere,
    Dungeons and routine can get somewhat monotonous.    … Expand
  16. paprik
    Aug 5, 2013
    7
    Pros:
    - Easy to pick up
    - Can be played in sessions ranging from a few minutes to a few hours - Great progression system you're unlikely to replace the cool item you just got for a while (common in a lot of games) - Trading & adventuring & story is well tied together - Randomly generated dungeons provide replayability - Item limitation and death penalty during dungeon raiding adds    Pros:
    - Easy to pick up
    - Can be played in sessions ranging from a few minutes to a few hours
    - Great progression system you're unlikely to replace the cool item you just got for a while (common in a lot of games)
    - Trading & adventuring & story is well tied together
    - Randomly generated dungeons provide replayability
    - Item limitation and death penalty during dungeon raiding adds difficulty and dynamic

    Cons:
    - Trading cannot be sufficiently automated (vending machines are not enough)
    - Gets grindy in lategame, especially with bad luck on some items
    - Hoarding money in lategame has no real benefit    … Expand
  17. kcanon112
    Jul 30, 2013
    10
    Very fun, needs a little bit of work in the combat to make it fit in more with the rest of the game but other than that it is one of the best indie game I've played this year.
  18. Afroman22
    Jul 26, 2013
    9
    Recettear has a great amount of gameplay for what I paid. 20 dollars for this game is not exactly a good price but translating Japanese can be difficult but there are people who translate things like this for free. Then when I think of the depth of this game and how each NPC has different tastes and preferences how they all act differently and each is unique in their own way it reallyRecettear has a great amount of gameplay for what I paid. 20 dollars for this game is not exactly a good price but translating Japanese can be difficult but there are people who translate things like this for free. Then when I think of the depth of this game and how each NPC has different tastes and preferences how they all act differently and each is unique in their own way it really brings the game to life making it worth that 20 dollars. Anyways moving on this game was pretty well done and very surprising. I enjoyed it a lot.

    Story is fairly unbelievable. A little girls father who has disappeared leaves his daughter with a huge crippling debt. She's only 10 (I am guessing?) how is she spose to repay his debt? Why the fairy Tear tells her to make a store so she can pay it back. The lil loli Recette gets help and turns her house into a store. While the story was fairly unbelievable and lacking there isn't much to do but if you do the RPG dungeon part more stories unfold and builds up more character for Recette and Tear and the Adventurers.

    Characters in the game have a huge impact. Everyone is unique and different and the events that happen make them rememberable enough. The more you unlock the more events that will happen interacting with all the characters all together. It gives incentive to do the dungeon part of the game to unlock more of these characters with their corky bits and pieces.

    Visuals and Graphics. It's 8-Bit and it's Indie. What more can I expect for a game with this much depth? Not great but monster bit-maps were great. The art for the NPC Background pictures were great notch. Overall I'd have to say it's well done but I still knida wished for a 720p version or something.

    The challenge the game presents is up to how smart your are and if you can pull it off. Me? I feel I'm pretty smart although I don't want to boast about it but I can say that some of my other friends can't even get past the 2nd week. So it's defiantly up to your own skills to be able to make this game and easy or an impossible experience.

    There are two different types of gameplay here. Running the Store and the Dungeon Crawling. Running your store was great but a challenge. Everyone has a different budget and you have to learn that by personality and age. The little girl is well in fact a little girl so she doesn't have much money. Louie is poor but the more adventuring you do with him the more money he gets and if you sell to him cheap he starts to get a bigger and better budget. It's so crazy and complex that each character in the game has specific things and goals and all this other crap that it's difficult to explain! Combat was simplistic but each Adventurer has their pros and cons and a different playstyle required. Not much to talk about here but it knida reminded me of Final Fantasy without the turn base thing.

    Would I recommend this game? Defiantly. It's a must buy. If 20 dollars is too much for your wallet though you'll have to wait for a Steam Sale or something. I don't see it move from that price much at all.    … Expand
  19. Sonic_Doctor
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    Simply wonderful! Recettear is one of the most fantastic and original RPGs I've played in the past few years. Classic graphics and game-play with a different spin of the main character being an new item shop owner trying to pay off a debt, instead of an adventurer. The game is split off into two sections, store management where you sell items at the right times for the price that will getSimply wonderful! Recettear is one of the most fantastic and original RPGs I've played in the past few years. Classic graphics and game-play with a different spin of the main character being an new item shop owner trying to pay off a debt, instead of an adventurer. The game is split off into two sections, store management where you sell items at the right times for the price that will get you the most profit. It wonderfully works in the concept of supply and demand as you get actual news on market updates sometimes more than once a day on what item prices are up and what ones are down. Along with the store management is going to the market or merchant's guild to buy items to sell in your store, or to help with dungeon crawling.
    The second part is the dungeon crawling. On the days you need a large boost to your store inventory or ingredients for crafting, you can hire an adventurer from the adventurer's guild to go to a dungeon with you. This is where you will control the adventurer as your main character follows behind. Using the adventurer you will fight off enemies, picking up items that some drop and opening chests to usually get items/treasures. The good part about dungeon crawling is that you get items that you can sell for 100% profit, minus the fee to hire the adventurer. Lastly on the dungeon stuff, the adventurer you hire will level up through the process of killing enemies, like any RPG, which is a good thing because they will be stronger and you can later move on to bigger and better dungeons, but it is also a slight hindrance as well, because the stronger and more experienced an adventurer becomes, the more it will cost to hire him or her. As the game progresses through the story, you will be able to hire different kinds of adventurers. I'm giving this game a 10 because it is a solid RPG, with a fun and whimsical story, that has familiar game-play while still feeling quite original. I've played many RPGs in my day and I can say I've never before played a game like Recettear. The people that rate it real low because of a lot of dialogue have clearly never played a classic RPG, or they have been spoiled by playing too many fully voiced RPGs.

    One of the other reviews says says that the store management isn't complex enough to be compelling for more than 4-5 hours, the problem with saying that is that it shows that they didn't play very long, because I've played 16 hours and I'm still getting new facets and challenges to running the store. The game doesn't give you all the ways to run your store right off, it treats those like any abilities learned in an RPG. As you get more experienced at running your shop and level up as a merchant, you gain more things that you can do, like decorating your store and new ways to sell things to your customers.

    Finally, I would add that just because it doesn't have the latest newfangled sparkling graphics and gimmicky interface, doesn't mean that it isn't an original title. The story and store management along side the classic game play is what makes the game original. The art and graphics(classic around PS2 era JRPG type) are solid, fitting the style of the game and the story.

    It isn't hard for this game to shine with with all the samey RPG drivel that tends to be heralded as special and wonderful(usually only because of the graphics). I highly recommend this game to any gamer that is properly familiar with and loves RPGs.    … Expand
  20. Mogul
    Jan 24, 2013
    8
    This is the most kawaii little indie game that I've ever played in my life. I absolutely love the characters in this, and their interactions with one another. Recette Lemongrass is a gaming icon to me now, haha. Who knew that running an item shop could be so much fun? The only downside, for me, is that the gameplay does get a bit tedious after awhile, especially the random dungeonThis is the most kawaii little indie game that I've ever played in my life. I absolutely love the characters in this, and their interactions with one another. Recette Lemongrass is a gaming icon to me now, haha. Who knew that running an item shop could be so much fun? The only downside, for me, is that the gameplay does get a bit tedious after awhile, especially the random dungeon crawling aspect (which is actually optional, you can run your store just fine by shopping around town and then re-selling stuff for higher prices! Capitalism, ho!).… Expand
  21. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    7
    A dungeon crawling RPG and "Average RPG Item Shop" clerk sim combined into one humorous game. No single part of the game is really amazing or innovative but put together you have a lot of things to juggle. It reminds me of Persona in how your day is broken up into time slots where you have to manage your store, shop at the market, do quests to recruit mercs, and dungeon crawl for more lootA dungeon crawling RPG and "Average RPG Item Shop" clerk sim combined into one humorous game. No single part of the game is really amazing or innovative but put together you have a lot of things to juggle. It reminds me of Persona in how your day is broken up into time slots where you have to manage your store, shop at the market, do quests to recruit mercs, and dungeon crawl for more loot to stock your store. The game's main objective is making weekly payments to clear your family's debt. They really ramp up in cost quickly which is where most of the difficulty comes from. However, the last payment is really high and most people don't manage it on their first playthrough. While there is a NG+ mode, the second time through was way too easy and got boring without the dungeon crawling. Despite some balancing issues, this is a great JRPG and worth picking up. Just try to remember to keep multiple save games. Oh yeah, and the boss fights are pretty cool.… Expand
  22. Dreion
    Oct 1, 2012
    9
    Very nice and relatively well-executed game concept. The adventure section lacked certain characteristics to really make Recettear really stand out but as a whole, the gameplay is solid, fun, and addictive.
  23. 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 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 theThis 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.    … Expand
  24. Arkan01d
    Jul 19, 2012
    4
    Recettear is a game that should be fun. You run an item shop, you quest for new items, and sell those items to people. Along the way you make friends and a pile of money. Simple enough to grasp, or so I thought. This game is so needlessly filled with dialog that is takes away from the fun. I'm all for a tutorial or a few helpful hints, but after 40 minutes of playing I hadn't even openedRecettear is a game that should be fun. You run an item shop, you quest for new items, and sell those items to people. Along the way you make friends and a pile of money. Simple enough to grasp, or so I thought. This game is so needlessly filled with dialog that is takes away from the fun. I'm all for a tutorial or a few helpful hints, but after 40 minutes of playing I hadn't even opened my shop for the first day yet. All I was doing was reading dialog AND not good dialog. It's not like there is a story line that will keep you on the edge of you seat. You are a young and very ditzy girl who is partnered up with a loanshark fairy. The fairy tells you everything you need to know to run a shop. She tells you, then you repeat it back to her and make a ditzy joke to go along with it, then she reiterates, and you make another ditzy joke. This goes on for what I am certain forever. Steam has me clocked in at 94 minutes of play time and I don't think I can take anymore cyclical dialog. I really hoped they would just shut up and let me play this game, but I have a feeling it will never end. Did I mention I can't find a way to save my game? I had to quit after 40 minutes of play and when I returned it made me start a new game. I had to go through all the dialog again. Yes it lets you skip, but you're pressing Esc 10 times just to play for 5 minutes. Who are these people that are giving this game all these good reviews? Wall of crits hits for 1463!… Expand
  25. gist95966
    Apr 23, 2012
    7
    7.5 would be my rating if I could give it. In Recettear you sell items you find in dungeons or that you bought from the store at a higher price to make enough profit to reach your goal every week. The game starts easy, but quickly ramps up the difficulty as you go. Unless you look up a guide or something, you can expect to fail your first playthrough. Fortunately when you fail you keep7.5 would be my rating if I could give it. In Recettear you sell items you find in dungeons or that you bought from the store at a higher price to make enough profit to reach your goal every week. The game starts easy, but quickly ramps up the difficulty as you go. Unless you look up a guide or something, you can expect to fail your first playthrough. Fortunately when you fail you keep anything that isn't story - related so the next playthrough will be much easier. The game is repetitive but also addicting. If you like Japanese style games or anime, etc you will feel much more at home playing this. If your a completionist when you play games, expect to play this for a very long time. If you quit once the story is done, I would suggest a different kind of game.… Expand
  26. lolzernator
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    **Positives**: Very unique. If there's another game out there like this, I haven't heard of it. (+3)
    The market system works very well, you buy and sell for a little profit, slowly working your way up (+3)
    The game advances at a sensible pace, upgrading the list of items every few levels, so you're never without new items to make a profit on (+3). There are few buttons that need to be    **Positives**: Very unique. If there's another game out there like this, I haven't heard of it. (+3)
    The market system works very well, you buy and sell for a little profit, slowly working your way up (+3)
    The game advances at a sensible pace, upgrading the list of items every few levels, so you're never without new items to make a profit on (+3).
    There are few buttons that need to be pressed, making it easy to pick up and play (+2).
    The characters are, for the most part, lovable (+2).
    The item design, prices, and most importantly, in-jokes that come with them, are top-notch (+2).
    Bosses are all well-designed, and almost all have a tactic beyond "slash and run", and area always a challenge, without being excruciating (+3).
    I'd love to go on, but it's getting too long already.
    **Neutral**: They've translated "mataku" (which usually means "geez" or a verbal *facepalm*) as "merde", which just doesn't feel right, but isn't bad enough to deduct points.
    **Negative**: Euria. A girl who always breaks your chain of gaining experience from selling items. Once "unlocked", she visits your store, selling goods to you at very inflated prices. This is a death knell if you encounter her early enough (-1). FUN FACT: Euria sounds like 'urea', the waste part of urine! Sounds pretty apt!
    Constantly levelling up in dungeons makes dungeoneering very easy for the first few levels, and very annoying in the later stages, where you are about to fight a boss, but want to level up first (to get full health). (-1).
    It can be said that the markets fluctuate TOO much, if you buy a somewhat expensive item at low price, and sell it when it's high price, you make a much higher profit than you should, making the game fairly easy if you're lucky enough. (-1).
    **TOTAL**: 18-3=15. Recettear is one of my all-time favourite games, and is perfect in almost every way, with some VERY minor exceptions. Worth the unusually high price tag, and MORE!    … Expand
  27. MercilessMonkey
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    I had no idea what to expect when I first got this game, other than that my friend told me it was about running a shop. That didn't exactly sell it high, but it was in a pack for $5 so I went for it. Much to my surprise, it was one of the most addicting games I've played. Quite literally I could not put it down, even after I had beaten it. Somehow it manages to get you caught up in theI had no idea what to expect when I first got this game, other than that my friend told me it was about running a shop. That didn't exactly sell it high, but it was in a pack for $5 so I went for it. Much to my surprise, it was one of the most addicting games I've played. Quite literally I could not put it down, even after I had beaten it. Somehow it manages to get you caught up in the story with great dialogue and well executed gameplay. The only thing I didn't like was the dungeon feature, which seemed out of place in the game and wasn't up to the standard of everything else around it. However, it is entirely optional and easy to ignore with no consequences for doing so, so it isn't a problem at all. Fantastic game overall.… Expand
  28. wan2sawa
    Aug 6, 2011
    10
    Best game I've ever play in PC, a handheld styled rpg mixed with item shop selling is getting you hooked in this game. Hope more JRPG indie titles will come to western territories. This is the only game outside from Nintendo border that can also a Perfect Game for everyone
  29. oblivion2011
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    The gameplay itself is very unique. Definitely something you don't see in the markets today. What gives this score lower is the variety of the game. Simplicity is always good, but there is such a thing as repetition.
  30. Lugash
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    I found the game more than fun enough to do 2 New Game + runs back-to-back. Plus the overall story, and the localisation in particular, is absolutely brilliant.
  31. wordy_actions
    Jun 14, 2011
    6
    It's presented well and is an interesting idea, but what keeps the game from becoming really good is variety. The dungeons are pretty boring for the most part, and store management is not complex enough to be compelling for more than say 4-5 hours. The graphics and visuals are lively and some (not all) of the character dialogue is amusing. This game is creative in its inception butIt's presented well and is an interesting idea, but what keeps the game from becoming really good is variety. The dungeons are pretty boring for the most part, and store management is not complex enough to be compelling for more than say 4-5 hours. The graphics and visuals are lively and some (not all) of the character dialogue is amusing. This game is creative in its inception but somewhat uninspired in its execution. I enjoyed playing it for a few hours but no more than that. However, I will be keeping my eyes out for a sequel.… Expand
  32. Bigmageusa
    Jun 8, 2011
    10
    A wonderfully addictive and inventive little commerce simulator with an entertaining RPG element. While it is very simplistic, the innovation and ideas created a very fun game for people who would enjoy bartering constantly to progress through the game. For those expecting another JRPG, there are better elsewhere, but for a unique economy simulator mixed with an RPG, this is great.
  33. MOGEnrique
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    Recettear is a bit repetitive but will keep you engaged for some time. Its main elements are dungeon crawling and store management. The story might be a bit boring but the characters are fun. Visuals and soundtrack are OK. Definitely worth to try it out.
  34. steven
    Apr 5, 2011
    7
    Recettear is not just for entertainment purposes, the game also has educational value. The game teaches you on how becoming an entrepreneur is both a rewarding and frustrating experience. Fighting through randomly created dungeons for items to stock your inventory or purchasing them wholesale from the market, there is no end to the fun. The takeaway from the game is to never make dealsRecettear is not just for entertainment purposes, the game also has educational value. The game teaches you on how becoming an entrepreneur is both a rewarding and frustrating experience. Fighting through randomly created dungeons for items to stock your inventory or purchasing them wholesale from the market, there is no end to the fun. The takeaway from the game is to never make deals with loan sharks. The exponential increase in paying off the loan eventually doomed me to repeating from the beginning. Although the items stay with you on the next loop, having to run through the same events to unlock dungeons and characters is tedious.… Expand
  35. RectalTerror
    Mar 30, 2011
    10
    I wasn't expecting much from this game, and it blew me away. Sure the pixellated graphics could be better, they're very cute but not refined, and lack of animation. Yet, this game is MUCH deeper than it looks, and it's huge, in fact, the game is bigger after the game "ends" (but I won't spoil the story).
    How to describe this game, it's similar to Harvest Moon, except that you harvest    I wasn't expecting much from this game, and it blew me away. Sure the pixellated graphics could be better, they're very cute but not refined, and lack of animation. Yet, this game is MUCH deeper than it looks, and it's huge, in fact, the game is bigger after the game "ends" (but I won't spoil the story).
    How to describe this game, it's similar to Harvest Moon, except that you harvest treasures in dungeons. And you own a shop. What could be just a strategy game doesn't really shine through its story, but through its characters. Each of them has a sould, and a role that isn't necessarily obvious when the game starts. Of course, you've got to love cute anime stuff in general, that's a requirement to play this game. So I've been disappointed by a lot of blockbuster games, while this "little" game appeared to be amazing. Really expecting Recettear 2 with a bigger budget.    … Expand
  36. pommegenozide
    Dec 25, 2010
    8
    A simple but fun game indeed. For a 10$ game (it's on sale on Steam by the time of this review) Recettear is worth your money than many downloadable XBLA or PSN with the same price point. If you like Japanese text adventure games (not the same as western text rpgs) this game is good for you. Sure, the mechanic is simple, you run an item shop, do trading, raid dungeon to find some rareA simple but fun game indeed. For a 10$ game (it's on sale on Steam by the time of this review) Recettear is worth your money than many downloadable XBLA or PSN with the same price point. If you like Japanese text adventure games (not the same as western text rpgs) this game is good for you. Sure, the mechanic is simple, you run an item shop, do trading, raid dungeon to find some rare loots while trying to make enough profit to pay back the debt and seeing some interesting story unfold... but that is the purpose of this kind of games anyway (to get involved in the story like reading manga or watching anime... if you want complex game mechanic you should go for WoW or something of that extent). The dialogs are cute and funny and have a lot of references to Japanese pop cultures (it made me laugh so hard when I saw the game made a homage to one most loved Japanese character) and the voices are nice. The only complain I have with the game is that the dungeon-crawling session of the game could have a little more actions players could perform such as jumping or blocking, now the limitation makes it feels like a really toned down version of Izuna or Shiren's... but overall this is one nice, cheap and interesting game to play.… Expand
  37. JasperDonoven
    Dec 21, 2010
    6
    Quite a repetitive game after mastering all the basic. Could be made better by increasing the amount of time in a day. The Dungeon was not really great & could be made better. Overall game play was still OK for me. Many variety of items to sell and obtain. Although felt those random encounter where you character will talk to other people was a bit redundant. Good casual game.
  38. Reyeko
    Nov 12, 2010
    10
    Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale is an unexpectedly fun and challenging game with both RPG and store management features. definitely a good buy and a great game.
  39. fuwaneko
    Oct 11, 2010
    8
    Very fun indie game. Simple and common gameplay mechanics (used in many japanese games, i.e. Princess Maker) makes the game even better. Nice and beautiful visuals, cute characters, lots of stuff to buy and sell. Some parts may feel a little repetitive, but it doesn't hurt good atmosphere. Btw, the game is bigger than it looks. So... Capitalism, ho!
  40. 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 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 repeatingFun 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.… Collapse
  41. Dangerism
    Sep 17, 2010
    10
    The simplistic graphics and presentation hide the brutal addictiveness of this (cute) beast. The marriage of a casual merchant sim with a Rogue-like dungeon crawler plus humourous Disgaea-like cutscenes would've netted a 9/10 alone, but the translations... OMG the translations...

    -PERFECT 10-
  42. neolithic
    Sep 12, 2010
    10
    I had no idea what I was in for when I read the description to this game but after playing 5 minutes I knew I was on to a winner. An absolute bargain for $20 bucks. Extremely replayable and very very addictive. A must have in your collection.
  43. kache
    Sep 11, 2010
    10
    I started playing the game yesterday evening and now I'm already at 18 hours. After finishing the debt part starts the Endless game part, in which you slowly start discovering the other adventurers and thanks to Arma's story, you learn the fate of your own father.
    To be frank I was extremely sceptical at first. I played the demo but it left me neutral. But when the full game started    I started playing the game yesterday evening and now I'm already at 18 hours. After finishing the debt part starts the Endless game part, in which you slowly start discovering the other adventurers and thanks to Arma's story, you learn the fate of your own father.
    To be frank I was extremely sceptical at first. I played the demo but it left me neutral. But when the full game started unveiling itself, part after part, I started being more and more addicted to it, to the point that I started doing everything, completing everything to the max (merchant level 99, charme level 99 and bilions of pix). And I have yet to finish the story.
    Maybe objectively this is not a masterpiece, but it doesn't matter. It's so ridiculously addicting and rewarding that It's a pleasure to play. Something I will probably keep playing for long time, even after finishing the story (which seems ridiculously big).
    Really an amazing game. Congrats to the developing team and to the translators (even though they distorted the translation a little bit, matching it to the /b/ way of speaking).    … Expand
  44. 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 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    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 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!!!    … Expand
  45. Aldinuin
    Sep 11, 2010
    9
    I bought this game out of hope for a fresh and intriguing new take on the rpg genre considering it is based on an item shop. I was not disappointed at all. First thing I can say about this game is that is clean and simple with controls and gameplay that is easy to understand and learn quickly. The simple but robust gameplay is not the star, however, it is the straightforward yet addictingI bought this game out of hope for a fresh and intriguing new take on the rpg genre considering it is based on an item shop. I was not disappointed at all. First thing I can say about this game is that is clean and simple with controls and gameplay that is easy to understand and learn quickly. The simple but robust gameplay is not the star, however, it is the straightforward yet addicting story line of a young girl who must open an item shop in order to pay off her father's debts to a finance agency. In order to to do so you must mix both the buy low sell high strategy with the in town marketing centers and hire adventurer's and train them/lead them through dungeons and lairs to find loot and treasure to sell in the shop. It is truly an addicting game in the sense that it keeps you wanting to just sell one more item, go dungeon raiding one more time so you can meet the reachable yet challenging goals set forth by the loan agency. Now, as for the graphics, they are very clean and fun with great character designs and, let's admit it, quite the cute roster of characters and world that they inhabit...not toooooooooooo cute though. The interplay between the main characters and the citizens if the town is great, with the fantastically mundane (chatting about the stars) to getting with fights with...interesting...strangers in town. I definitely recommend this game to whomever wishes for an interesting and unique twist on a rpg that includes a great amount of humor and addicting gameplay.… Expand
  46. 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 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 repeatingFun 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.… Collapse

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 23, 2011
    70
    Although technically very outdated and quite repetitive game but still very funny and pretty original. [Issue#201]
  2. 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.
    Read full review
  3. 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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »