The world building, artwork, and music are all beautifully done and very evocative.

What really makes Merchants of Kaidan worth playing are its artistic qualities. In fact, playing this game reminds me very much of what it feels like to play video poker: getting by on marginal trades (pairs, jacks or better) while biding your time waiting for the big score (straight flush) that will propel you to the next level. The excitement in Merchants of Kaidan is of the gambling variety - the occasional thrill of hitting the jackpot when you randomly find a great deal on that cargo you've been lugging around for the past two weeks. There is no realism or predictibility to the economic system whatsoever, and it is not possible to develop a long term strategy by identifying and exploiting favorable trade routes, for example. However the parts that were finished - the core of the game - are good enough for me to give a solid recommendation, provided you understand what you are getting into.įirst of all, the trading mechanics in this game are very simple (I would even say casual). It is definitely a little rough around the edges, and the criticisms raised in the negative reviews are valid. Merchants of Kaidan is one of those former 'early access' games that was never quite finished. I shared my thoughts in a review which has since been buried, so I guess I'll repost them here:

I played it about a year ago and I liked it very much.

Merchants of kaidan review