Let Them Trade is a mellow city builder that blends Dorfromantik’s breezy tile placement with low-stakes economy management

Fresh off carving my way through hordes of leering demons for our DOOM The Dark Ages review, I was in need of something lighter, a lot lighter. Leafing through pages of Steam demos this morning, I stumbled across Let Them Trade. It’s best described as a cozy, economy-focused city-builder, which in of itself has my attention. But, what really drew me in is the tile-based system that’s more than a tad reminiscent of the excellent Dorfromantik. 

If you missed out on Toukana Interactive’s 2022 debut, it’s a delightfully peaceful city builder that doubles as a gentle strategic puzzle that involves constructing ever-expanding villages by placing tiles. Tiles are randomised and it’s all about building as you see fit not based on some strict order to achieve defined goals. Nothing more, nothing less. No stress-inducing stakes or finicky systems to wrangle. Charming little railways sprout up. Boats meander down calm waters. Windmills churn above gold fields. It’s lovely.

Let Them Trade isn’t quite as pretty as Dorfromantik but it captures the same languid laying down of colorful, pastel tiles, but also throws in a bit more interactivity. The main aim is to construct a functional economy to provide your citizens with amenities but also meet the very reasonable demands of a benevolent King. You’ll plop down a city center then add potato farms, peasant homes, lumberjacks, quarries, and so on to the adjacent tiles to kick off your economy. 

Before long, your settlement becomes a hive of activity as cutesy little carts get busy ferrying resources around. On to your next town, focused let’s say on fishing, which you’ll connect via roads and trade really starts to pick up. You could leave it at that and watch your sustainable economy plod along, but for those that want a meatier city-building experience there’s a chunky upgrade tree with enhancements to boost productivity, unlock new buildings, and grow your interconnected towns even more. It never descends into the crummy trappings of aggressive growth though. It’s measured, safeguarding that relaxing, low-stakes quality.

The result is a game with clear goals and objectives but one that remains distinctly mellow as you dictate the pace of play. Developed by Spaceflower, Let The Trade’s full release is planned for Q3 2025. Beyond the solid foundations shown off in the demo, ‘light combat’ involving knights and bandits is on the way along with a campaign, sandbox mode, and more.