Patrician III

A Timeless Masterpiece of Trade, Growth and Living Cities After dozens upon dozens of hours, I feel compelled to write a recommendation for Patrician III, because this game continues to amaze me in ways that very few modern games can. What strikes me the most is how alive the world feels. At first, you are just a small merchant trying to make a profit by moving goods between Hanseatic cities. The economy appears simple enough. Buy low, sell high. But gradually, the game reveals extraordinary depth. Every city has its own production chains, shortages, surpluses and evolving needs. Trade routes become logistical networks. Convoys become commercial arteries. Wealth becomes influence. And then something magical happens. You stop being a merchant. You become a builder of prosperity. Over time, you help cities grow. New workshops appear. Populations increase. Industries expand. Entire regions become more productive because of your efforts. Watching a city transform from a modest medieval port into a thriving economic powerhouse is one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had in a management game. Even after many years, I am still amazed by the visual cha…

Once you get auto trade down, it becomes so satisfying. This is a fun game, but I have too much to play and things to do in life. Worth the cost.

The absolute best of its kind. You start by picking a home town. Each town produces a few products at high efficiency, and another few at low efficiency (meaning there will be a steady supply, and you can stock up on those goods in those cities, and sell them elsewhere in places that don't produce them). Let's say Luebeck that produces Iron Goods averaged at 300 gold a barrel. Then you sail up the coast selling to the cities with shortages. Stocking up on the products they make like honey, skins, meats and stuff Luebeck needs and bringing it back there for them. You have a reputation in your hometown, both your own rank that increases based on your performance, allowing you access to more and more important people and facilities, eventually allowing you to enter politics. And you have a reputation among the 3 classes in society. The lower, middle and upper. Known as Poor, Wealthy and Rich. Each class has its own material needs. The Poor are satisfied with beer and grain but the rich want meat and wine and higher end items. You basically end up setting up supply lines to your hometown in order to supply it, which makes it more attractive for outsiders to move to, which increases t…

Don't be fooled, you aren't actually buying the game; you're letting yourself get scammed by paying for access to a copy that belongs to the company not to you. They can block your account and all your games. Buy a real copy that you can physically hold in your hands. It’s a great game, I remember playing it many years ago, but this version is bugged. It crashes close every time I try to save or load the game, and Valve ignores all refund requests for the defective product. I tried playing it, but... without the ability to save, it's impossible. I can play for a few hours and hope for the best, but the game crashes 4 times out of 5 anyway.

Fantastic medieval trading game that still holds up. Work your way through the ranks of the Hanse. Fight pirates.

Deep, rewarding, and endlessly playable. I became so wealthy I could leave it running for years and not go bankrupt. This is not just a game - its an MBA in medieval capitalism.