Machiavelli the Prince

Undoubtedly one of the best --if not THE best-- medieval strategy games ever released, Machiavelli: The Prince is a superb trading game set in the Renaissance, where you assume the role of a merchant who aspires both monetary wealth and political power.

To achieve lasting fame for your family name, you must build a globe-spanning trading empire with caravans and fleets, always looking to buy high and sell low in the world's commodity markets. True to the spirit of the times, the game lets you dabble in politics and religion (e.g. "buying" cardinals), and engage in Machiavellian devices (assassinations, etc.) to dispose of rivals. You must also contend with unpredictable disasters such as storms and pirates.

Despite this staggering array of choices and factors you must keep track of, the game's excellent interface makes managing your empire easier: you can create and modify trade routes for your fleets and caravans, and the level of micro-management is tolerable even when you have dozens of ships.

This version is the much-improved version of the original Merchant Prince game published by QQP in 1993. Definitely not to be missed.

Review By HOTUD