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How to play İstanbul Çarşı: a beginner guide
To start in İstanbul Çarşı, take a wage job at the Job Center, spend it on goods at the Grand Bazaar, then open your shop and put the goods on display; new places unlock as you level up.
How do I start playing?
The game drops you on the Istanbul map with 3,000 lira. Drag with one finger to move and pinch to zoom. Your money, level and goal sit at the top. Every place on the map is a door; locked ones open as you level up, and tapping a locked place shows what it needs.
Where does my first money come from?
From the Job Center. Open a listing, start the shift and collect your wage when it ends. The first job takes just 20 seconds. The more you work in one field, the better you get. Courses and licenses are also at the Job Center; the cheapest course, First Aid, cuts workplace accident risk by 25%. See the Job Center guide.
How do I fill my shelves?
Shelves fill from the Grand Bazaar. Tap the "for my business" filter first so only goods your shop can sell remain. Sellers are listed cheapest first. Bought goods go to storage, and in your shop you place them on a shelf from the Display tab with "+ Place". If storage is full, buying stops. See the Grand Bazaar guide.
How does the shop work?
The shop is open from 08:00 to 18:30. Customers buy what they see on the shelf; your margin sets the price, and as it rises, fewer customers buy. Alone you can serve only a few customers a day, so hire an apprentice from the Staff tab when customers walk away. Rent and wages are deducted from cash every evening; if your cash is negative three evenings in a row, the shop is sealed. See First shop.
Can I work while I own a shop?
Not during the day. Night jobs start at 18:30: tap "Work tonight" on a listing you like. So you can run the shop by day and take extra shifts in the evening.
How do I grow my money?
Cash earns no interest. At the Bank you open a demand or term account; a term deposit locks its interest at opening and breaking it early forfeits the interest (Bank). On the Stock Exchange you buy shares, and prices can fall (Stock Exchange). More ideas: Money tips.
What happens when I level up?
New places open: the Bank at level 2, the Fishing Harbor at level 3, the Entertainment Center at level 4. The full table is in Unlock table. Quests point you to goals and pay out; see Quests.
What if I get stuck?
You can reread tutorials from the Guide and write to us from Settings > Support; our reply lands in your Support inbox. Your save is backed up to your account.
Related guides
- First hour: From first wage to first sale.
- First shop: Display, margin, staff and the sealing rule.
- Unlock table: Which place opens at which level.