When it comes to the fantasy genre, The Elder Scrolls and Fable are two of the most prominent examples of how well the concept suits gaming. They’re hardly the only great IPs, with Baldur’s Gate and Dragon Age being similarly beloved, but they are hugely relevant to current discussion. Playground Games’ take on the Fable franchise is just around the corner, after all, with the game poised for a 2027 launch. And, while The Elder Scrolls 6 was quite obviously revealed too soon, its debut is finally expected within the next few years. Fans of either franchise will need to kill just a bit more time, then, and the immersive new Steam game Dragon Ridge Valley could do the trick.
However, there’s a key thing separating Steam’s Dragon Ridge Valley from the likes of Fable and Skyrim, and that’s the fact that players don’t control a powerful hero (or villain) that adventures around the land. Players used to battling the Jack of Blades or shouting at beasts as the Dragonborn can expect to live a much humbler life in Dragon Ridge Valley, as the key twist is that they’re essentially just an NPC. While the city gamers will inhabit may look like an Elder Scrolls town they just ticked off their world map, the gameplay loop they take part in better resembles TCG Card Shop Simulator, as they’ll control a shopkeep and everything that entails.
Dragon Ridge Valley Features at a Glance
- BUILD and manage a business, serving customers, setting work hours, and selling goods for whatever price you see fit.
- RESTOCK items yourself, exploring the world outside the town to gather ingredients and find rare items to put on the shelves.
- CREATE a character and live a life within the Valley, forging friendships and even pursuing romance.
- PURCHASE player homes within the city, living close by to your workplace.
- ENCOUNTER threats and hidden secrets within forests, ruins, and more.
Leave the modern world behind and begin again in a cozy fantasy shopkeeping RPG. Stock shelves, serve customers, craft valuable goods, and grow a humble market stall into a thriving shop. Explore the valley, build relationships, and fight back against growing threats.
GameRant Quiz
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)
Dragon Ridge Valley is Like a Fantastical Version of Kingdom Come 2’s Legacy of the Forge
For players who loved working as a blacksmith in Kingdom Come 2’s Legacy of the Forge DLC, Dragon Ridge Valley could prove to be right up their alley. However, instead of just selling weaponry, players will be stocking their shelves with magical jewelry, potions, and unique loot found outside the safety of the town. Much like the aforementioned Kingdom Come 2 content, players are free to pursue looting and exploration or lean fully into the cozy game aspects of Dragon Ridge Valley, and that freedom could prove to be incredibly immersive.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
If players choose to stay in town, they’ll be tasked with improving their shop and bettering their character’s life. They’ll start with a simple stall, needing to set fair prices to attract loyal customers before expanding to a larger shop. As they grow more successful at managing and pricing their inventory, players will be able to purchase houses within the city, giving their created character the ideal living space. And, once players are comfortable with their home, they can attempt to turn friendships into NPC romance opportunities, making their house a home for two.
However, what makes Dragon Ridge Valley so intriguing as a cozy game is that this is only half of the equation. Because instead of selling weaponry or armor that’s simply handed to the player, it’s up to gamers to restock the shelves themselves. If they find that a particular potion is a big hit with their buyers, they’ll need to gather the ingredients themselves via foraging, farming, mining, or cooking. They could also spend money to make money by trading other salespeople for the ingredients, or venture out into dangerous forests and dungeons to fight their way to loot. While fighting is only briefly mentioned as a mechanic — it’s likely incredibly limited, as players are controlling a simple shopkeep — it is still an option, further adding to the game’s sense of immersion.
Whenever they get back from their adventure, shopkeeps will have to decide what loot to place on their shelves and which items to keep for themselves so that the next journey outside the town gates is easier. Whether Steam users live a humble life selling easily accessible items or try to hit it big with magical jewels they fought hard to get is entirely up to them.
