Big Blue Sky Games, a newly founded, inclusive, remote studio, has announced its first game, Merchants of Rosewall—a shopkeeper simulator—and CGMagazine got a sneak peek!
I’m on a mission to get my hands on every kind of simulator out there. I’ve been obsessed with the likes of Cult of the Lamb, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing New Horizons, you know, the usual subjects. But then I began branching into games that took simulators out of just town building and farming, like The Tribe Must Survive, Roots of Pacha and Cat Cafe Manager. I’m very interested in seeing where Merchants of Rosewall goes, so let’s dive in!
Merchants of Rosewall tasks players with running their own shop in a completely online community. You’ll hire artisans to work for you, source raw materials, craft items, decorate and customize, complete work orders, sell items and have the chance to learn hundreds of recipes across multiple professions like blacksmithing, netting and cooking. There is also no shortage of story in the game, as we were told that they have a “feature-length novel of a story to tell.”
I really loved the versatility of the things you can craft. Big Blue Sky Games kept saying that this should be a “pick up and play” experience that you can jump in and out of easily. They even noted that members of their team are parents who can only measure their gameplay time in minutes, not hours. From there, we learned that some of the crafted items might only take minutes to craft, like when you use Chefs, but if you want to jump and queue things up before bed, you might hire a Woodworker before you log off for the night, since building tables or statues may take much longer.
The preview really got my attention because of how they described Merchants of Rosewall’s approach to fantasy. We discussed how elves and orcs have been done before in battle. We have seen swords and dungeons, but now it is time for something different. Merchants of Rosewall aims to bring us high fantasy in a new light, exploring culture, cuisine and how they live and work rather than how they battle. You won’t find combat or violence here, just an online economy.
This economy is something I am really eager to see play out. Players are able to buy items or materials in an online shop that is universal to all players, not local to just your game. It was described as a social experience, possibly cooperative or competitive. Supply and demand will dictate the prices of these items. I can remember in my World of Warcraft days, the auction houses would get completely out of control because players would attempt to destroy the market value of items by either making it plummet or skyrocket. It is unclear right now if there is any way Merchants of Rosewall aims to prevent this from happening.
There are also two different art styles in Merchants of Rosewall. When in your shop and in creation modes, you will see a hand-painted 3D environment, but as you move through the story aspect and throughout the town, it turns into a 2D, visual novel style. There is a clear distinction between the two parts of the game.
A big part takeaway from our preview was learning more about Big Blue Sky Games and their core mission. The studio was started in 2022, made up of members that have a lengthy history in the games industry. Game Director at Big Blue Sky Games, Kevin Hovdestad, said, “We have seen it done wrong. We know what it’s like to have worked places that have unrealistic expectations, how people would spend long hours working out of the goodness of their hearts…” followed by, “We are on a little bit of a mission to prove that it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Big Blue Sky Games is a remote studio, meant to accommodate staff, and a big part of their core values are an “inclusive, comfortable and accessible work environment,” and so far, this is already carrying on to Merchants of Rosewall. Right in the trailer, you can see a lesbian couple walking side by side—and a diverse couple, too, since they are a Giant and a Gnome. They are not shying away from being inclusive. It is really important to see representation in games, no matter how big or small, and it seems to be important to Big Blue Sky Games, too.
The press release for Merchants of Rosewall that went live today really summed up everything they wanted to say about the game:
“At Big Blue Sky Games, we want to create games that feel easy to pick-up-and-play, with narratives that players haven’t seen considered in other games,” said Hovdestad. “With Merchants of Rosewall, we’re challenging stereotypes and conventions in the fantasy genre; we’re inviting players into an imaginative universe that breaks away from cliches and lets players experience real-world issues through nuanced storytelling and complex conversations. We are excited for players to get their hands on the game later this year.”
Merchants of Rosewall Key Features:
- A diverse cast of Companions to help you craft, build, and create in-game recipes in your customizable shop
- Dozens of available perks to improve Companion and shop capabilities and efficiencies
- Leverage your commercial success to investigate a mystery lurking in the dark corners of the city
- Work with fantastical inhabitants in a promising world, including Giants, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and Corkgnomes
- Plan carefully around yearly holidays, dynamic weather, and regional climates that impact resources, supply, and customer behaviour
- Participate in a vibrant, fully shared online economy in cooperation — or competition — with your friends
Merchants of Rosewall is available to wishlist on Steam and will launch sometime in the second half of 2024 for PC only. You check out the game’s website, follow Big Blue Sky Games on Instagram or join the Discord to stay up to date on the latest news.
