Cash is king in Offworld Trading Company. Whereas firepower might beat funds in your typical RTS, here the winning strategy always revolves around filling your pockets — and ensuring your competitors can’t do the same. It’s a unique experience that’s a true test for the wits, and it’s at its best when you’re playing against your friends.
Your task at the beginning of a game of Offworld Trading Company is very simple: become the dominant economic power on the now-inhabitable planet of Mars. Different players will find different ways of accomplishing that goal; some might use Pirates to prevent other players from stocking up on particular resources, others will focus on their Colonies, and some will concentrate their efforts on the murky Black Market.
Of course, you’ll need to master all these concepts to rise to the top of a competitive hierarchy of Martian businesses. Offworld Trading Company is no simple game, and players work tirelessly to refine their strategies and discover new advantages over their rivals.
Offworld Trading Company is the brainchild of designer Soren Johnson, best known as the lead on Firaxis’ Civilization IV. That’s about the best possible pedigree for a game in this genre, and it’s safe to say that this title features the same sort of considered strategy and intellectual appeal that Johnson’s previous output is known for.
Here’s some footage of Offworld Trading Company in play:
Offworld Trading Company launches on Steam today. For more information on this strategy gem, head to its official website — and for all the information you need to wrest control of the Martian economy, don’t forget to check out the Official Offworld Trading Company Wiki.