Traders: The Intergalactic Trading Game

Traders: The Intergalactic Trading Game is a turn-based multiplayer game released in 1992 for PC and Amiga. It was developed and published by Linel.

The game is a M.U.L.E. clone and was inspired by the classic title's gameplay mechanics. It was created by André Wüthrich and published by Merit Software. Players take on the role of alien creatures called Plubbers, living on a planet called Fat-Star, which was once called Earth. The planet is ruled by a ruthless reptilian overlord named Fat Mike, who is also the players' landlord.

In Traders, the goal is to make enough money to purchase a ticket off of Fat-Star by annexing land, building structures, harvesting resources, and playing the market. However, the only rent payment accepted by Fat Mike is snails, which the player must acquire either by buying them from other players or by sending rocket expeditions out into space to harvest them from other worlds. Players must also be careful of space pirates who can shoot down their ships while they travel through space.

The game's mechanics can be confusing for first-time players, and there are no explanations provided on how things work. However, with practice, players can quickly learn how to buy, sell, and harvest resources efficiently. There are also mini-games that players can partake in, such as designing robots to raid enemy warehouses or playing the lottery during end-of-round shopping sequences.

Traders has a unique and strange setting that may not appeal to everyone. The outcome of each round relies on chance to some extent, which can be frustrating for players who prefer more strategic gameplay. The game was also overshadowed by other popular titles like Star Control II, or Dune II: The Battle For Arrakis, which were also released in the same year. Despite these flaws, Traders is a highly customizable and robust title that offers a lot of content to players who are willing to put in the time to learn its mechanics.