Cozy new city builder Let Them Trade feels like Civilization 7 with less stress

Trading is one of those magical problem solvers in city-building games. Whether it's securing that valuable resource you need to support a unit's production in Civilization 7, or offloading supplies you don't need to secure those you do in Simcity. Indie studio Spaceflower's new game Let Them Trade embraces this fully, setting you on a course to build out an ever-expanding network of cities that can exchange their resources. It's a relaxing blend of managing settlements and optimizing your production lines, and it's out now.

While healthy competition can be satisfying, many of our best city builders are more laid-back affairs, and that's exactly where Let Them Trade shines. You've been charged by the king to build a flourishing empire, expanding out across the lands before you while ensuring you don't fall foul of troublesome bandits. It takes place on a hex-grid map that will immediately feel familiar to Civilization fans, and a lot of the settlement construction plays out in a similar manner.

Here, though, you're free from the yoke of intense competition and arms races; this is a relaxing sandbox game where you're encouraged to experiment with building placements based on the available resources across the map. Each settlement has its own budget and resources, but will manage the needs of its citizens autonomously, leaving you free to focus on the big picture.

As you establish additional bases, you'll connect them with roads to set up trade routes. Each city can buy and sell its resources and the goods it produces independently, and a portion of these trades will make their way into your coffers through taxation. Keep your citizens happy and they'll be willing to pay higher taxes, increasing the revenue you have to upgrade the King's castle.

Your adventures in Let Them Trade aren't without peril; as your wealth increases, you'll find robbers eager to snatch a slice of the pie, so you'll want to make sure you have knights to hand to keep your people and investments safe. Overall, however, this is not designed as a high-intensity experience, even as you rise the ranks; instead, it's a soothing and satisfying sandbox with a clean, striking art style that reminds me a little of Dorfromantik, or classics like The Settlers.

The game's main scenario gives you more specific goals and challenges to fulfill, but you're also free to create your own scenarios using a built-in editing tool and share them with others via the Steam Workshop. There's also a freeform sandbox mode if you'd rather just lay out towns and trade routes to your heart's content.

Let Them Trade is out now on Steam, with a 20% launch discount meaning you'll pay $14.39 / £11.99 if you buy it by Thursday July 31, or $17.99 / £14.99 thereafter. Grab it right here if you're ready to start planning.

For even more tests of your organizational skills, here are the best management games in 2025. Prefer to keep things chill? We've picked out the best relaxing games on PC to carry you gently into the weekend.

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