Mercatoria

Description

Mercatoria is a turn-based grand strategy game set in the Age of Discovery, drawing inspiration from the 1999 classic *Imperialism 2*. Players lead one of six European powers—England, France, Spain, Holland, Portugal, or Sweden—vying for global dominance through trade, industry, colonization, and warfare. The game unfolds on a hex-grid map, with each turn representing a year and every decision shaping the evolving world. Building a robust transport network is key. Resources don't spawn automatically; players must construct roads, railways, and harbors to connect mines, forests, and cities. Rivers offer free transport, while roads take 1–3 turns to build depending on terrain. Industrialization transforms raw materials into finished goods—timber becomes paper, iron ore turns to steel, and wool is crafted into fabric. Workers, the backbone of production, progress through four tiers, unlocking higher output by leveraging luxury goods like sugar, cigars, or fur hats, often sourced from the New World. Exploration drives expansion.