Gemporium: A Cute Mining Sim

scratches the same itch as the mining minigame in pokemon diamond/pearl + shining the gym badges. very cute and fun!

Super fun short game! All achievements only takes around 7 hours, but save for one final grindy achievement it's a fun journey. Definitely recommend picking it up! While I wait for the in-game clock to move forward so I can continue selling gems for the final achievement, I want to list out a few QoL improvements in hopes that the dev will see it. Minor spoilers below: 1. When selling, it's no fun having to scroll all the way down to alexandrite, then back up to amethyst, and then back down again to alexandrite when you have hundreds of gems. This also eats a lot at the limited time you have. I think selling gems should be reworked. Instead of a massive scrolling inventory, all your gems should be stacked into piles that are visible on the screen together. This way, you can build a muscle memory of where each gem type is located and very quickly sell what you want. 2. When refining, the auto-refiner should either be moved much closer to the gem inventory (so you don't have to drag a...

I really enjoyed the game a lot. However. I wish there was more to do after you paid off the loan. This game has the base to build an amazing game on. Add a furniture shop after the loan is paid off, decorate the house, more levels and gems. More cool tools etc. Maybe they will do a Gemporium 2, and if they do I will be the first to buy it. But for what the game is, its a cute short game that is well made and will entertain you for a few hours. Well worth the price to me. I just wish there was more off it.

Mine, refine and sell gemstones while you try to pay off the massive debt your dear ole Grandmole racked up before she conveniently went on vacation and left you in charge of her Gemporium. [h2][u]The Gameplay & Tips[/u][/h2] You start off with a tutorial that shows you the ropes of mining, refining and selling. The movement (using WASD) feels really good. The game is very relaxing if you play in cozy mode such as I did. Here are some tips below (for cozy mode). 🔹 Do your shop last, once that is done it is night. Mine first, refine then shop. Then upgrades & sleep. 🔹 When refining aim to hit the red part in the bar to not crack the gem your working on. 🔹 When mining and full go back to your shop, dump your gems and go back into the mines to farm everything you can (eventually you can buy an upgrade to have mining carts on each level to bring your gems up to your stash for you so you can keep mining). 🔹 To mine gems without cracking them. When you hit the area a gem...

I generally like cozy and chill games but this was not for me. I was excited to play but unfortunately, it could not hold my attention. It is the definition of repetition and it doesn't appear that anything new will happen throughout the game that will actually make progressing feel worth it. The dialogue was cute but clipped and incredibly short.

I've never played a game where I've immediately locked in like Gemporium. It asks the bold question "Can cozy games be stressful?" and I never got an answer because I was too busy paying of Grandmole's 1 million dollar debt. Every few days the loan sharks need to be repaid and time is always ticking and never on your side. But the time sensitivity and the increasing loan repayment goals kept me engaged with the game. Every in game day I had to decide how much time I was going to spend in the mines and how much time I was willing to sacrifice keeping my store open. During the evenings I was free from the clock but had to strategize how to use funds. There were several times I had to weigh the pros and the cons for buying (or saving) for certain upgrades versus paying off my loan repayment early (and getting the bonus associated with it). There is a casual setting that extends the time between loan repayments but frankly fighting against the clock was one of the most fun and satisfying p...

This is a great little casual game. I love the mining game, which kind of reminds me of the mining game in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (which was the best part of that game!) but adds a bit of thought as you try to keep the gem from cracking and the mine from crashing down on you. At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to manage to pay off the debt, but once I realized that 1) not making a payment doesn't end the game or incur a penalty (well, a bit of interest is added, but you're free to keep playing) and 2) you can do whatever you want with the time in a day, it became really fun. The moles are cute and the humor is quirky. I've finished the game (meaning, I've paid off my debt), but I'll be coming back just to relax and mine.

It starts cute and you get around 7 in game days before the first payment has to be made, but then it becomes every 3rd day. What was supposed to be a fun and cozy shop game turns into a desperate time trial. While I was able to keep up with the first 5 payments, the entire time was absolutely solid, running, mining, cleaning, polishing, with zero breathing room to stop.

Its a good way to burn 8 hours but sadly there is only 8 hours of gameplay. After that there is no reason to play on, I wish the game had an additional depth layer to it but it was cozy even in normal mode.

You know that feeling you get in Stardew valley where you've minmaxed every second of your time and you make it into bed at 2 am just before fainting? How the more days in a row you play this way, the deeper and more persistent that feeling is in your body? That's the constant state you live in while you play this game. It's wild.