Game Classification

Antique Shop is a game that combines the gameplay from two casual staples: the time management and hidden object genres. As the antique shop owner, the objective is to serve all the customers on time, before they get irritated and leave the place in anger.

The main game screen shows a top-view of the shop interior and is vertically split almost at the middle, with the smaller left portion showing the counter and the larger right portion displaying the storage space. At the start of each round, the player has the option of buying new items and arranging the objects inside the storage for easy access. When the round starts, the clients start to arrive and wait at one of the available places on the counter. The player has to click on them to take their orders, that appear as speech balloons next to their heads. The orders are shown as pictures or text descriptions, and occasionally riddles about the required objects. After clicking on the requested items and the patron, one of the employees goes to the storage to carry them over to the client, following the chain of waypoints marked with numbers for easier tracking. As the satisfied patrons exit the premises, they leave their payments as coins over the counter, and this money has to be collected before new customers can take their place. The rounds have a time limit, displayed as a chronometer at the top of the screen.

Several upgrades can be purchased on a separate screen to increase productivity and profit, gradually appearing as the shop gains status. Refreshments, music from a radio and magazine tables make the ambient more pleasant and the patrons less impatient. Marketing knowledge makes the shop wares more valuable. Employees can be upgraded to carry more items at the same time, and extra assistants can be hired to help. More space to the storage room can be bought to make new items available to purchase.

In order to start a treasure hunting expedition, the player has to answer four riddles on the travel screen by purchasing one of the objects displayed on the shelves. At the travel site, the goal is to search and click on all the items from a list to find a hidden treasure. The hint button highlights one of the required items for a small price. Once found, the treasure unlocks a new shop to be acquired on the map screen. [source:mobygames]

Distribution : Retail - Commercial
Platform(s) : PC (Windows)

Links

• http://www.mobygames.com/game/antique-shop/