Let Them Trade is a premium strategy game that blends elements of city building, economy simulation, and trading in a medieval setting. The game builds around the idea of developing smaller hubs that produce goods, form trade links, and gradually strengthen your economy. 

You can expect a mix of base building and resource management that shares similarities with titles like the Anno series. Both follow the idea of developing towns and maintaining supply chains, but Let Them Trade takes a more laid-back approach. It gives you time to plan and enjoy how the economy develops naturally over time.

Building and expanding through trade and strategy

Let Them Trade starts with creating cities across the map, each one tied to a specific resource. Instead of managing every citizen directly, you place essential buildings, while the city itself handles its internal needs and budgets. This means the citizens’ happiness and productivity run automatically, giving you the bigger picture to focus on. As a result, the challenge shifts from micromanagement to broader strategy and long-term planning.

Once cities are set up, trade becomes the centerpiece. Each settlement buys and sells goods independently, and you earn revenue from taxes on those exchanges. The flow of income depends on how wealthy and satisfied your citizens are, which makes keeping them happy worthwhile. Citizen satisfaction plays a role too: stronger and happier cities pay generously, while weaker ones need more patience to develop.

The game offers both structured scenarios and sandbox freedom. In scenarios, you work toward specific goals, while sandbox mode lets you experiment at your own pace. Castles act as your central hub where you can purchase goods, defend cities from bandits, or send out knights to explore new areas. Still, unlike other city builder titles, it does not aim for large-scale empire building or story-driven campaigns.

Calm but engaging

Overall, Let Them Trade is best described as a calm but engaging city builder that puts its emphasis on trading and economy. It avoids heavy micromanagement and instead allows systems to function on their own, leaving you to oversee progress and direction. While it does not deliver large-scale campaigns, it provides a balanced strategy experience for those who enjoy watching a medieval economy unfold at a steady pace.