What's your favorite game(s) that have emphasis, in main focus or in any part, on trading, or buying/selling of any sort?

It could be a game that has a simplistic approach, or it could be a game that has entire markets that prosper or crash in the right conditions.

Any type of economic/managerial game would fit under this category, but what games where you can make bank (or go broke) do you consider the most fun, and why?


On that note, is there a game out there that has you from the perspective form a single merchant or business, or a traveling merchant for that matter, like a peddler?

For me, it's Transcendence, a top-down spaceship roguelike-like. It's very similar to Escape Velocity: Nova, but as far as the mechanics of the gameplay go, I lean just a tad more towards Transcendence.

As for your last question, there are too many to name, so have a look here:
http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/merchant-trade-oriented-games

I think there has been a thread on this subject before. Patrician gets mentioned quite often. I've bought Patrician 3 and it runs fine but I haven't found time to see what it's all about yet. Then there's Capitalism. I think there are a few on GOG. The Guild may be another but I'm guessing, not having played that one either.

This is a bit of an out there suggestion but I enjoyed Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale. If you haven't played it, the game has you basically running a shop to sell items for adventurers, with items which you either purchase from craftsmen, create by combining stuff, or which you discover yourself.

It's a little frustrating at times, but as I said I enjoyed it and it's certainly different to anything else I've played. I recommend it if you're a fan of RPGs as well.

Edited to add a video showing some gameplay. The visual style isn't to everyone's taste.

Sid Meier's Pirates!

Full stop.

Or no wait....

I guess that'd be an exclamation point...

This is a list of ones I've listed off that are available from GOG, for starters:

Capitlism
Capitilism 2
Port Royale
Port Royale 2
Patrician 1+2
Patrician 3
The Guild
Sid Meier's Pirates!

The rest of the Moby list linked above has a lot of titles. More than I realized.

While EVE online isn't exactly on GOG, I really enjoyed being in trade and industry when I played a lot.

That's the correct answer, yes.

Industry Giant II + 2020 Addon - I wish it was available here, because it doesn't work on newer systems as it is.

BTW - in most RPGs I feel sometimes like a traveling salesman. ;)

Terran X

Drug Lord 1 & 2
http://www.fileplanet.com/53960/50000/fileinfo/Drug-Lord-2-Demo

If you're patient, X3 has some of the most satisfying trading mechanics I've ever encountered. I think this has a lot to do with the sheer number of ways that money can be earned. Also, success is gradual because the cost of buying ships and gear is very realistic, ie, if a rocket launcher costs 1.000, a new ship costs 1.000.000. Unlike games like Privateer (which I adore) it's more like 1.000 to 10.000. This means that expanding your operations have a huge start-up costs, but are also very lucrative and rewarding when achieved.

X3 Albion Prelude Awesome, I'm going to check this one out!

Would Chaos Lords be under this category at all? From what I read I sell stuff (illegal, that is)

X3 Terran Conflict or X3 Albion Prelude

Frontier Elite 2 it has not been topped in my opinion

Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons for the SNES is my favorite trading game. There is just something about hauling a hold full of beads to Africa, returning with gold...the music is quite soothing as well...

*sigh*, I just wish that Atlus translated Rota Nova or decided to publish a Uncharted Waters V.