Let Them Trade

About

Let Them Trade is a single player economy city builder game with economy, medieval and historical themes. It was developed by Spaceflower and was released on July 24, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Is this game something for you? ✅ What Let Them Trade offers:A relaxed city builder in a friendly atmosphere Simulated supply chains influenced by the trade of resources between cities A vibrant world full of details to discover Lightweight combat with knights & bandits Sandbox and a campaign of scenarios with different goals and challenges ⚠️What Let Them Trade is not:A puzzle game whe…

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 496 reviews

gameplay35 positive mentions

replayability8 negative mentions

Unique and charming board game-inspired art style with cozy atmosphere and relaxing gameplay.
Engaging economic and trade system focusing on building autonomous cities connected by trade routes, offering satisfying logistics and resource management.
Accessible and beginner-friendly with a smooth learning curve through tutorials and campaign, suitable for casual players and fans of city builders.

Limited campaign length and overall game content leading to low replayability; gameplay becomes repetitive after completion.
Performance issues and poor optimization on some hardware, including crashes and inefficient resource transport systems affecting late game experience.
Some UI/UX design flaws with unintuitive interfaces, unclear information, and cumbersome controls for upgrades and building management.

gameplay
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by a relaxing and accessible resource management and trading loop with well-designed core mechanics and a smooth learning curve, especially when following the tutorial and campaign. However, many reviewers find the gameplay repetitive, lacking depth, challenge, and meaningful variation, which limits long-term engagement and replayability. While visually appealing and charming, the game could benefit from additional content, complexity, and polish to fully realize its potential.
- “The reason why this game is special is that it does come together nicely and it concentrates on a few core mechanics and does those well.”
- “A gentle campaign introduces mechanics at a comfortable pace, while sandbox modes allow players to experiment freely without constraints.”
- “I love how simplistic the basic gameplay is, but also how in-depth it gets with a full research tree to explore and upgrade your production chains for cities to trade.”
- “I've played through the entire campaign hoping the game would blossom as the new mechanics were added, but it never did.”
- “Overall, the campaign ends up being overly repetitive because you are required to perform the same steps to complete your mission objective in pretty much the exact same way on every level, with practically identical access to resources, and no meaningful variation in challenge - it's a sandbox, but it's structured to make you feel like you have to do those levels in order, with the punishment being that you have to revisit the mechanics and gameplay again if you decide to progress independently.”
- “There are also several mechanics that are seemingly designed to just bog down the player experience.”
graphics
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
47%
5%
The game features a charming, cozy art style inspired by board games, with wooden toy-like visuals and a warm, handcrafted aesthetic that many find delightful and relaxing. While the graphics are praised for their simplicity, clarity, and unique tabletop presentation, performance issues and a barebones graphics settings menu have been noted as drawbacks by some users. Overall, the visuals effectively complement the game's atmosphere, making it appealing for fans of relaxed, strategy-focused gameplay.
- “First I'd like to point out the strengths of this game: the graphics are great, it is a really cozy and relaxing game just as advertised.”
- “The standout feature for me is the unique tabletop-inspired art style—it gives the game a charming, original identity that sets it apart in the genre.”
- “Visually, 'Let Them Trade' reinforces its relaxed design philosophy with a warm, handcrafted aesthetic.”
- “While the game looks nice, sadly its performance is poorly optimized and the graphics settings are lacking.”
- “The low graphics settings make the game look quite bad, but there is no way to turn off the shadows and reflections that my computer seems to struggle with the most.”
- “Graphics are low quality, and animations are stiff and unconvincing, further cementing the feeling of an outdated product.”
story
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
90%
4%
The game's campaign story is considered repetitive and overly linear, with missions largely consisting of "build this" tasks that limit player creativity and strategic decision-making. While it effectively teaches gameplay mechanics and eases players into more complex economies, it lacks depth, variation, and a compelling narrative, resulting in a somewhat shallow and short-lived campaign experience. Many players express a desire for more diverse, challenging missions, richer lore, and a more meaningful progression or endgame beyond the initial goals.
- “The campaign has good missions that slowly ease you into more complex economies.”
- “The game unfolds on a wooden table in a cosy games room, giving the whole experience a handcrafted, storybook feel.”
- “While they say don't expect a story driven campaign, it still has a goal and teaches you slowly and effectively.”
- “Late mission has a quest to defeat 2 bandit camps but only spawns 1.”
- “Seriously, especially the early missions (not tutorial, actual missions) tell you 'build this' and when you do the next step is 'build this'.”
- “Overall, the campaign ends up being overly repetitive because you are required to perform the same steps to complete your mission objective in pretty much the exact same way on every level, with practically identical access to resources, and no meaningful variation in challenge - it's a sandbox, but it's structured to make you feel like you have to do those levels in order, with the punishment being that you have to revisit the mechanics and gameplay again if you decide to progress independently.”
replayability
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
56%
32%
Replayability is generally viewed as low due to limited content, predictable strategies, and lack of depth, with many players feeling the game is effectively "solved" after a single playthrough. However, community features like map editors and workshop support provide some extended replay value through user-created scenarios. Overall, the game is charming and enjoyable for a short time, but would benefit from more content and complexity to enhance long-term replayability.
- “Community features such as scenario creation and workshop support further extend replayability, giving players tools to craft new challenges or simply enjoy different map layouts.”
- “I am surprised how much replayability I'm getting out of this.”
- “It's not the hardest game out there, but it is a fun game to spend an afternoon tinkering with every so often, and the map editor gives it great replayability.”
- “Basically no replayability.”
- “There is zero replay value; once you figure out the meta strategy, you're kind of done.”
- “For more experienced players, the game lacks content and replayability beyond about 7 hours of gameplay.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
36%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing, cozy, and fitting style that complements the aesthetic and atmosphere, creating a pleasant and engaging experience. While the soundtrack is enjoyed for its charm and quality, some users note it can become repetitive over extended play. Overall, the music significantly enhances the game's laid-back, enjoyable vibe.
- “I was able to sit back, relax, listen to the wonderful soundtrack and build up my trading empire.”
- “Music deserves a special mention as well; integrates perfectly with the aesthetic, and helps encourage that relaxed Sunday-afternoon-gaming feel.”
- “Beautiful art, absolutely fantastic soundtrack and super fun gameplay!”
- “Soundtrack is very limited for a game that spans such a long time frame.”
- “I wouldn't call it that as much as having no particular song and dance for winning other than purchasing the useless class.”
- “Still, the soundtrack isn’t bad by any means.”
optimization
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
Optimization in the game offers satisfying trade and production flow management that complements its cozy, laid-back style, appealing to players who enjoy smooth-running systems without overwhelming challenge. However, performance optimization is notably poor, with frequent complaints about bad performance and minimal graphics settings, limiting players' ability to improve it. Despite some enjoyable optimization gameplay, technical issues undermine the overall experience.
- “You can play it in mindless mode and just enjoy the flow of goods or you can put your brain to work and do things in an optimized way.”
- “If you love the satisfaction of watching a system run smoothly after careful setup, this one absolutely delivers.”
- “It becomes an art to ensure that the entire economy runs smoothly; that every town has goods to sell to the others, to ensure that the supply can meet demand so that the wheels of progress keep churning.”
- “While the game looks nice, sadly its performance is poorly optimized and the graphics settings are lacking.”
- “I think the game is remarkably poorly optimized, and the graphics settings menu is extremely barebones, which makes it difficult to identify the performance bottleneck.”
- “The performance is really bad relative to how the game looks, with horrendous performance and no clear explanation since it doesn't use demanding features like full path tracing.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is widely praised for being clever, tongue-in-cheek, and well-balanced without overwhelming the experience. Its anti-monarchist and satirical elements add a unique charm, complemented by funny dialogue that enhances the relaxing and engaging gameplay. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal and replay value.
- “The mechanics and sense of humor in the game are fun and creative enough to keep me coming back for more.”
- “I didn't expect it; it was just one of very, very many that I'd never heard of and tried without much expectation, but it truly stood out for being well made, with many great little details to fill it out, a good sense of humor (but not overwhelming), and freedom to be creative while still providing meaningful gameplay.”
- “The economics are interesting, if abhorrent (force monopolies on individual communities, so you can tax their trade coming and going! It's globalization, the game!) The tongue-in-cheek humor is greatly appreciated.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect somewhat tedious and occasionally grindy, with complexity in managing production and economy systems contributing to the feeling. While some appreciate the strategic planning required over mindless grinding, others feel certain design choices make progression feel repetitive and overwhelming. Overall, grinding is seen as a challenging but sometimes monotonous part of the gameplay experience.
- “I understand it's probably meant to be difficult but it just feels tedious and there's certain things that just don't make sense.”
- “That is extremely tedious and tough, and may put many people away very rapidly.”
- “But as your kingdom progresses the game gets very tedious.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The atmosphere is praised for its cozy, easy-going vibe enhanced by stylish minimalist art and pleasant music, creating an inviting and immersive experience. Players appreciate the quiet, rewarding ambiance that complements strategic, patient gameplay, though some note it demands careful resource management and pattern recognition. Overall, the game’s aesthetic and atmosphere contribute significantly to its charm and replayability.
- “For players who enjoy watching interconnected systems flourish, prefer strategic planning over micromanagement, and value atmosphere as much as mechanics, Let Them Trade offers a quietly rewarding kingdom-building journey that invites patience, curiosity, and repeated visits.”
- “Very nice music, cozy atmosphere, amazing in-game details - all in all really well done.”
- “The clean, minimalist art style adds to the cozy atmosphere, and it’s easy to lose track of time while playing.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game's approach to economics emotionally engaging, as its unconventional mechanics evoke surprise and comfort. The financial system's departure from traditional supply and demand principles creates a unique, almost whimsical experience that resonates on an emotional level.
- “Money is produced out of thin air from taxes, with no wages or mints or any of that, and it almost made me cry from how it flaunts in the face of supply and demand.”
- “That made me feel comfortable with the game immediately.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Stability reviews are mixed, with some users experiencing frequent crashes, severe FPS drops, and graphic glitches, while others report smooth performance without issues. Common complaints include high memory usage, buggy shadows, and upgrade failures, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Even on the lowest settings, the game keeps crashing, regularly runs 'seconds per frame' instead of fps, and there are buggy shadows glitching across the screen.”
- “Upgrades never complete even though they're queued and I verify there are enough resources to cover the cost, indicating some buggy behavior.”
- “Reports of crashes, FPS drops, high memory usage, and graphics glitches are common, though some users may not experience these issues.”