Let Them Trade

🏙️ A Fresh Take on Relaxed City-Building

Released in 2025, Let Them Trade brings a different twist to the city-building and economic simulation genre. Rather than the usual stress of city management, time limits, or punishing disasters, this game sets a gentle pace and a focus on letting its world breathe. The game asks players to build and connect cities, manage trade, and ensure prosperity for their kingdom, all set within a wooden toy-inspired landscape.

🛒 Core Gameplay: Trade Over Tedium

Let Them Trade centers its gameplay on resource exchanges and an economic ecosystem. Players choose where to found cities on maps scattered with unique resources. Cities manage their own needs, leave the micromanagement to the AI, and trade with each other to meet their requirements. The player acts almost as a guiding hand, influencing broader decisions and watching as the simulation unfolds. Economic mechanics offer some tactical room—setting up trade routes, manipulating supply and demand, and profiting from taxes as cities grow wealthier and happier.

While this hands-off approach is accessible and calming (and will attract fans of cozy simulators), it can sometimes feel too passive. There’s limited opportunity to intervene when problems arise; often your best move is to wait. The core loops, while easy to understand, don’t evolve into anything especially deep. For genre newcomers looking to dip their toes in, this can be a plus, but veterans might find themselves wishing for a bit more engagement and impact.

🌳 Presentation: Charming and Cozy Atmosphere

The visual identity of Let Them Trade is a highlight. The art style—the game evokes a wooden, toylike charm—pairs well with relaxed gameplay. Colorful details bring the world to life, from bustling markets to dancing knights, lending the game an inviting and approachable feel. The audio is similarly calm and unobtrusive, furthering a sense of comfort, though those hoping for a striking soundtrack may feel it fades into the background a little.

🔧 Features and Replayability

The campaign focuses on short scenarios with set goals, and there’s a sandbox mode for those who want to play at their own speed. A level editor and Steam Workshop integration add some life and flexibility, letting creative players build or download challenge maps. However, the core mechanics rarely change no matter the map or mode. Procedurally generated maps aren’t available, and scenarios, while mildly different, don’t deeply alter the formula.

The city and tech development systems are approachable but limited. Upgrades, research, and new options arrive slowly, and for some, the simple tech tree and lack of meaningful endgame might feel too basic. The effect of city wealth and citizen happiness, key systems in theory, just isn’t as impactful as you might hope.

⚔️ Challenge and Balance

Don’t expect the fierce competition or methodical puzzle-solving found in more complex simulators. Let Them Trade explicitly avoids punishing the player. Knights and bandits provide only lightweight threats, and the main challenge is optimizing trade over time. That said, a few bugs—sometimes blocking progress—were observed by early reviewers, so patience can be tested for reasons the developers might not intend.

💸 Value and Monetization

At its current price, the game offers a fair value proposition, especially since there are no aggressive microtransactions or additional DLC packs at the moment. For a one-time purchase, players gain access to both structured scenarios and open-ended play, as well as creative tools for sharing content.

🎯 Who Will Enjoy This Game?

If you’re new to economic simulation or tend to avoid the grind and pressure of more demanding strategy games, Let Them Trade could be a perfect entry point. It’s especially suited to those who enjoy games as a way to unwind, or who want to experiment with trade systems without fear of failure. However, players seeking complex city-building depth, challenging decision-making, or lots of late-game rewards may find the experience a bit too shallow or repetitive.

🕹️ Final Thoughts: Simple, Soothing, but Slightly Safe

Let Them Trade does what it sets out to do: provide a friendly, approachable, and low-pressure space for simulating trade and city growth. Its strength lies in its inviting atmosphere and lack of overwhelming complexity. Still, for players hungry for a deep sandbox or demanding economic challenges, the gameplay may ultimately lack staying power.

If your interest is in a relaxing, trade-focused city builder—especially one that’s easy to pick up and share with others—this is a title worth a look. Otherwise, it might feel more like a pleasant afternoon break than a lasting commitment.