The game is basically an economic simulation in which gamers center their efforts on building a profitable merchant empire. The game revolves around a model of producing and delivering commodities to make more cash than their opponents. You eventually build vast transport and trade networks that shift and change as technologies are invented and more modern products are discovered. The game is episode-based, and each episode covers an area during a time period, for example trade along the Silk Road between the Roman Empire and the Han dynasty. Each episode also has a unique list of available products and technologies.
Some episodes cover a relatively short time period, depicting a historical situation.
Other episodes cover a longer period with more dramatic technological advances. The longest episodes depict periods over 1,000 years. The real challenges, and what keeps it interesting and exciting, are keeping up with the increasingly sophisticated demands of the population and using the faster and bigger means of transporting products. Look for Trade Empires to hit stores sometime this fall. New Gangsters 2 Shots Eidos opens the door on a few more shots of its upcoming strategy sequel, Gangsters 2.