Stardust Market Appraiser: A Fantasy Bazaar RPG for Finding Bargains

A browser-based fantasy adventure game where you take the role of an adventurer visiting the annual "Stardust Bazaar" marketplace. You navigate three districts over a limited timeframe and budget, hunting for bargains among over 115 items ranging from used equipment and practical supplies to rare magical artifacts and counterfeits. You appraise goods using skill checks, intuition, and resource-intensive magic detection, deciding how much information to gather before buying or passing. Shops rotate their stock and proprietors across morning, afternoon, and evening, with time-limited sales and special items appearing only at certain hours. After closing, you can negotiate directly with remaining customers and merchants, trading goods or haggling for remaining stock. Your purchases' true value is revealed at your lodging, determining your profit and rank; exceptional finds or specific actions unlock special endings. Completing the game unlocks a "shopping compendium" cataloging discovered items and their details. The game is a single-player, replayable HTML file requiring no internet connection.