Gemporium: A Diamond in the Rough
It’s not often that I come across something whilst perusing the Steam Store Page which I consider to be really something. Something that has the sauce, that takes you so unexpectedly by surprise that you sit and think to yourself ‘how has this not garnered more attention?’. I am unsure when I last felt that feeling, however, after finishing Merge Conflict Studio’s demo for their upcoming casual/management game Gemporium, I am sat bewildered that this short demo hasn’t unearthed for itself a bigger fandom, as it truly is a diamond in the rough.
In of itself, the demo has shown Gemporium to be a quaint, casual title. You play as a mole, who has recently inherited their late grandmother’s gemstone store (and also all her debt). A day consists of going into the mines to mine and collect various gemstones, then refining and polishing said gemstones, before having a short window of time to sell these to picky customers, with the overall aim of paying off your newly acquired debt. Sounds easy right? Well, yes, it is. And that's the beauty of it,
Gemporium oozes a relaxing aura with a satisfying core cycle to keep you entranced in a state of mining, refining, and hopefully selling gems customers want for that sweet X2 price tag. It’s simple enough to find a rhythm, but can also provide itself to strategy. Do you spend a day mining to collect the day’s most popular gem? Or perhaps you have learnt to haggle the customers into changing what they want to something you already have in stock? Maybe when mining, you were a bit too heavy handed with your pickaxe and cracked a gem, perhaps in tandem,with haggling, you can now sell that gem for double the price? Whilst yes, it is basic strategy building, it culminates into an excellent gameplay experience.
It’s artsyle,a hand-drawn esque style reminiscent of the Sylvanian Families toys, with the customers being a mix of everyday animals like mice, owls and worms, and even in the upgrade shop there is quite a dapper looking badger. It is incredibly charming, which is almost juxtaposed with its late millenial/early Gen Z humor. Not giving the correct gem to a customer will have them exclaim sentences like ‘just put the gem in the bag bro’, which clashes against the cutesy artstyle and character design that I couldn’t help but laugh upon seeing it. The demo lasts around 2-3 hours, and is plenty of time to get your muddy mole hands on plenty of gems, upgrades, and cash the game can provide, before of course the literal ‘loan shark’ comes to take it away.
Whilst it may seem like such a simple title, with everything above working together, it truly is such a wonderful time. Progression feels rewarding, the atmosphere is comfy and cute (with a sprinkle of unexpected humor), and the overall loop is addictive. I found myself returning to the demo after playing through it all just to create a new game and do it all again. I didn't know I had been craving such a title, perhaps the ‘shopmanagement’ buried within me was dug out, and refined into a genuine joy I haven’t felt playing an indie title since ‘Game Dev Tycoon’.
I wish not to say anymore, in fear of spoiling the experience for you all, however if you are looking for a short and sweet experience, and something to look forward to, and perhaps a fan of shop management, mining, and cute animals, I cannot recommend Gemporium enough. You can wishlist this and download the demo on Steam here, and you can learn more about Merge Conflict Studios and their other works via their website here!
