The Last Helm

The Last Helm

Opening a shop is easy.

The hard part is keeping it afloat when everyone wants something at the exact same time.

*The Last Helm* is a trading and management game where you build and run your very own shop in a fantasy world.

Start with a small shop, purchase goods, craft your own items, hire employees, and expand your business over time.

Of course, things won't always go according to plan. The cashier might slack off somewhere, sales might stall because your hauler is constantly running back and forth to the storage room, or you might completely run out of stock right when you need it most.

Oh well, that's all part of management.

Start Small

You won't have much space, gold, or inventory in the beginning. You'll start with just a few shelves, a small storage room, and a handful of items to sell.

Expand your shop as you earn.

Unlock new rooms, place shelves and displays, organize your storage, and design your shop's interior to fit your workflow.

Layout matters too. Because you don't want your employees spending their entire day sprinting from one end of the shop to the other.

You Decide What to Sell

You don't have to buy every product premade.

Set up a blacksmith workshop to craft swords, shields, and armor; or construct an alchemy station to brew potions and concoctions.

Focus on trade by buying and reselling goods, invest in production to manufacture your own items, or do both.

Some of the items you can sell:

* Swords, shields, and armor

* Potions and alchemy products

* Raw materials

* Everyday items

* Various trade goods

Good Staff, Great Shop

After a while, trying to do everything yourself won't be such a bright idea.

Hire haulers, cashiers, cleaners, blacksmiths, alchemists, and researchers.

Each employee has unique skills and traits. Assigning the right person to the right job can dramatically change how smoothly your store runs.

Level up your workers, keep their morale high, and try to make sure everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing.

Because eight people heading to the same storage room at once usually isn't great organization.

Step Outside

Stepping out of the shop to explore is also part of the job.

Dispatch your explorers into unknown lands to gather rare raw materials and special resources.

Instead of buying certain resources, you can find them yourself. Though you'll have to wait for your explorers to make it back.

Hopefully, they do.

Use the resources gathered from your expeditions to unlock new products, crafting stations, and employee perks in the research tree.

No Two Days Are the Same

What your customers want today might not be the same tomorrow.

One day everyone is looking for a new sword, and the next day your potions might sell out instantly. Keep an eye on the market, restock on time, and set competitive prices.

Special event days can throw a wrench in things too.

When a knight regiment arrives in town, armor sales might spike. When an alchemy festival begins, suddenly everyone is after potions.

If you're prepared, great.

If not... your shelves might be left a bit empty.

How Will You Run Your Shop?

In *The Last Helm*, there is no single right way to play.

Focus heavily on crafting, double down on trading, or gradually build a massive shop that combines both.

Will you spend your money on hiring staff?

A new crafting bench?

Or fitting just a few more shelves into your shop?

The choice is yours.

After all, it's your shop.

Just don't yell at the cashier.

It's probably not their fault.