7 Games With The Most Realistic Economies

Key Takeaways

• RTS games test economic management through trade mechanics.
• Victoria 3 offers a real-world system economy for strategic balancing.
• EVE Online features a complex player-driven economy in a unique MMO setting.

Alongside warfare and combat, economics and trade are two of the most commonly exploited features of the real world that are included in the gameplay of a title. There is good reason for this, as economics, either at a local or global level, is a complex topic that lends itself well to being simulated in code.

Some games simply simulate a trading economy, with the player trying to buy low and sell high. Others take a more grassroots approach, with the player having to procure resources and set up complicated supply chains. And finally, there are those games that have a fully featured economy that is entirely run by players.

1 Factorio

Complex Manufacturing And Supply Chains

It’s fitting that Factorio is the first entry. For what is an economy without raw resources being turned into components and completed products? In Factorio, players need to set up interlinked manufacturing processes and ensure that raw materials are provided to keep these processes running.

Factorio has a micro-economy, only implementing the manufacturing and production stages. But it does this very well. The player needs to learn how to fulfill logistical demands to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the manufacturing economy in this game.

2 Victoria 3

Grand Strategy With Trade And Industry

Victoria 3 is a historic grand strategy game, set in the 19th century. This is a period in England known as the Industrial Revolution, in the Victorian era, when the country was shifting from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy. This is an incredibly rich period of English history to mine for inspiration for a strategy game.

Unsurprisingly, trade, commerce, and manufacturing are a big part of the gameplay in Victoria 3. The economy is modeled on a real-world system and requires careful balancing to ensure the country is well-funded at all times. Overall, Victoria 3 does a great job of bringing economics to the fore, resulting in a unique strategy gaming experience.

3 Patrician 4

Historical Trading Simulator

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS
• Released: September 2, 2010
• Developer: Gaming Minds Studios, Kalypso Media, RuneSoft
• Genre: Business simulation game, Strategy

Patrician 4 is based loosely on the Hanseatic League, a group of traders and commercial enterprises that was active in medieval Europe. They operated a fleet of ships, which they not only used to forge new trade routes but also defended fiercely.

Gameplay involves buying and selling goods across the map, beating the commercial competition, and ensuring economic success. The game simulates an economy that is driven by the laws of supply and demand and does a great job of mimicking the real world in this regard.

4 The Settlers 7: Paths To A Kingdom

Cute Real-Time Strategy

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS
• Released: March 23, 2010
• Developer: Ubisoft Blue Byte
• Genre: Real-time strategy, City-building game

The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom is a real-time strategy game that is respected for its surprising depth, despite its humorous setting and often cartoon-like graphics. Resource management is a large part of the game, with resources underpinning the entire economy.

Players gather resources, and these feed the complex supply chains for constructing new buildings, training units, and manufacturing goods. The entire resource and construction tree is interconnected, with complex dependencies. Just as in the real world, players need to plan logistics and ensure supply chains are working efficiently.

5 Europa Universalis 4

Complex And Rewarding Gameplay

Europa Universalis 4 is one of the most respected grand strategy games of all time, as is the entire Europa Universalis series. It is praised for the complexity and depth of gameplay, which is presented in a way that is easy to learn for beginners, yet highly rewarding for advanced players.

Local and global economics play a large part in Europa Universalis 4. Players have to ensure that their empire is producing goods and resources efficiently while setting up trades and generating wealth for the empire. This wealth is then spent on colonization efforts, which ultimately leads to winning the game if done right.

6 Capitalism 2

Build A Business Empire

Regarded as one of the best business and commerce simulations, Capitalism 2 is all about making grotesque amounts of money. This is a complex game that requires the player to micromanage their entire commercial empire at all times.

The economy of the game is dynamic, and players need to keep an eye on market trends to avoid losing money and to highlight potentially profitable market gaps. Every part of the commercial enterprise is in the player’s hands; procuring resources, manufacturing goods, marketing them, and selling them.

7 EVE Online

Massive Player Driven Economy

As one of the long-running MMORPGs of all time, EVE Online likely needs no introduction. Renowned for its huge multiplayer battles and political intrigue, it is a game like no other. The economy in EVE Online is completely player-driven and incredibly complex.

Every module and ship needs to be constructed from a blueprint, which first needs to be researched to an efficient level. Miners need to acquire the raw resources, and then a player trained in production needs to produce the item. Ships and modules are then sold on the market, which has its own set of in-game skills to manipulate profitably. The developers of EVE Online, CCP, regularly publish market reports and also release the real-world dollar value of the game’s economy.