Patrician III

About

Patrician III is a medieval trading simulation game that allows players to rise through the ranks of Hanseatic League cities. Build and upgrade your own production facilities, ships, and trade routes to amass wealth and influence. Engage in political intrigue, complete missions, and navigate complex economic systems to become the leading merchant in the Baltic Sea region.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 445 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Engaging and relaxing gameplay that allows players to immerse themselves in trading and building their empire.
Offers a nostalgic experience with its charming graphics and deep economic simulation.
Provides a variety of gameplay options, including trading, piracy, and political maneuvering, keeping the experience fresh.

Difficult to run on modern systems, often requiring compatibility mode and various fixes to function properly.
The user interface and tutorials can be confusing and lack clarity, making it hard for new players to learn the game.
Some players experience frequent crashes and bugs, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its origins from the early 2000s, with many users noting a nostalgic charm in the pixelated art style. While some players appreciate the simplicity and character of the visuals, others point out technical issues, such as resolution limitations and graphical glitches, which can detract from the experience. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not meet modern standards, they do not significantly hinder the enjoyable gameplay.
- “The graphics while dated maintain a character and level of detail that highlights the effort of the developers.”
- “I really love the style of the game - its graphics, the way you feel when playing it, the whole immersiveness of it.”
- “The graphics are a little dated but still enjoyable and the game works so well, with nothing odd or ill fitting.”
- “You will probably play it at 800x600 resolution because higher resolutions tend to break the game's visuals.”
- “I wouldn't recommend buying this if you have bad eyesight though, the text is blurry due to some sort of graphics bug, so it can be hard to read at times, even if you have 20/20 vision.”
- “Old, poor graphics, nothing works well in high resolution even when patched.”
gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The gameplay of Patrician III is characterized by its deep and complex trading mechanics, requiring players to engage in strategic planning and micromanagement to succeed. While the core loop of buying low and selling high is simple, mastering the game involves navigating a realistic economy and various additional mechanics, which can be overwhelming for some. Despite its age and occasional clunky interface, many players appreciate the game's immersive atmosphere and find it rewarding, though it may not appeal to those seeking straightforward gameplay.
- “Patrician III is a classic old school merchant trading simulation that has a simple core gameplay that's easy to understand yet difficult to master, all executed perfectly.”
- “Really nice trading game that combines good immersion, credible price/supply/demand mechanics, and easily understandable mechanics.”
- “The game has a very deep gameplay that’s hard to master but fun as hell to pull off once you learn.”
- “The game launched in 2000 (not in 2010 like this page shows) and it clearly shows its age, and gameplay feels clunky sometimes.”
- “It just sucks you dry and I can't figure out auto trade, and I'm not interested in wasting any more time with this game to go elsewhere other than the game to figure out some basic mechanics.”
- “The problem is that hotspot trading has always suited the casual fast-paced board-game-like type of gameplay better than overcomplicated UIs, spreadsheets, and the ability to automate trade routes ever could, and as a result, the genre has not really survived all that well.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The game's story revolves around the player's journey to become an alderman, featuring a variety of missions such as trading, battling pirates, and city-building. While the narrative offers engaging quests and opportunities for expansion, players note a lack of mission variety and occasional bugs that can disrupt gameplay. Overall, the story provides a rich backdrop for exploration and strategy, though it can become repetitive at times.
- “On your road to rank alderman, there are missions to storm a strong pirate hideout, start a new town of your own from scratch, and establish a land route for trading.”
- “There is plenty of interest such as expeditions, quests to become alderman, becoming mayor, and building and protecting your city.”
- “The advanced missions (e.g. destroying a pirate nest or building a new town for the Hanseatic League) are rather difficult but awesome.”
- “Another issue is the lack of mission variety; the options are mostly escort, hunt pirates, deliver packages, or deliver goods, which becomes repetitive.”
- “The biggest con is that certain missions are too random or bugged.”
- “You might sign up for three of these missions, and all the confusion with the nomenclature leads to errors with significant penalties.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting bugs and graphical glitches that can hinder gameplay, particularly on modern systems. While it runs well on Linux and has no major interface issues, there are significant loading problems and a lack of support from developers for troubleshooting. Overall, players may need to seek community fixes for persistent issues.
- “It runs great on Linux, and there are no interface issues. Most of my playtime has been spent with the game paused in the background while I was doing other things, but it just takes a long time to learn.”
- “Game does not load - no sign of any fix or troubleshooting from the devs despite widely known problems.”
- “Graphical glitches made the game unplayable.”
- “It can be a little buggy on modern systems, so I recommend that if you get an error code, you punch it into Bing and find fixes from other people.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration with the user interface and the need for extensive micro-management. While some enjoy the depth of building and trading, many feel that the automation features are poorly implemented, making the overall experience feel laborious and time-consuming.
- “I prefer to get the best prices by doing things myself, but that just becomes so tedious and never-ending.”
- “It's interesting that they include fleet automation in the game, but make setting up that automation incredibly tedious.”
- “If you are not smart with expansion and diversification, you will find yourself doing a lot of needless port grinding.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The game excels in creating a rich 13th-century atmosphere, with detailed maps of Northern Europe and vibrant town environments filled with interactive elements, lively visuals, and engaging music. Players feel a strong sense of immersion and exploration, contributing to a cozy and dynamic world. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its depth and credibility, enhancing the gaming experience.
- “The map of northern Europe, where you'll likely spend a fair amount of time, is very atmospheric.”
- “The town maps are also atmospheric, with lots of people walking around, talking, music playing, and many buildings you can click on to learn and interact with. As a result, you get a distinct feeling that there is a whole lot to do and explore throughout the world of P3.”
- “The visuals are lively, and the music adds tremendously to the atmosphere.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and atmospheric qualities, significantly enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of good music and sound effects, which contribute to a lively and immersive environment filled with exploration opportunities. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that elevates the game's appeal.
- “The town maps are also atmospheric, with lots of people walking around, talking, and music playing. There are lots of buildings you can click on to learn and interact with the town, resulting in a distinct feeling that there is a whole lot to do and explore throughout the world of P3.”
- “The visuals are lively, and the music adds tremendously to the atmosphere.”
- “After 10 years, this is still the best game of the franchise. The atmosphere and music are fantastic, gameplay is as solid as usual, and now I can even run it at 16:9 and higher resolution thanks to the people who shared the modded files on Steam.”
- “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
- “While the visuals are impressive, the music fails to leave a lasting impression and often feels out of place.”
- “The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience as much as it should.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game offers high replayability, particularly for players who enjoy planning and management, with the ability to choose different parameters for each playthrough. However, some users note that once the game is completed, it may feel less replayable, especially after investing around 30 hours.
- “High replayability.”
- “Replayability is amazing; you can always choose different parameters to follow as you play.”
- “Pleasant graphics and very cool gameplay if you like planning and managing, but not really replayable if you finish the game (took me ~30 hours).”
- “Pleasant graphics and very cool gameplay if you like planning and managing stuff, but not really replayable once you finish the game (took me ~30 hours).”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both very funny and a key element that contributes to the addictive gameplay experience.
- “Very funny, addictive gameplay.”
- “The humor in this game keeps me laughing out loud!”
- “I love the witty dialogue and hilarious situations throughout the game.”