Port Royale 4

After a lengthy absence the Port Royale series is pulling into port once again.

As with previous entries in the series, the game is all about building an extensive ocean-going trade network. Set around the time that European powers were setting about the colonisation of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, Port Royale 4 has you prove your mettle as a merchant and, if you're feeling a bit naughtier, a pirate...

The game takes place over a network of port towns, with each town having three to seven types of goods that it specialises in.

There are some two dozen commodities in the game, and they're more or less divided into four categories: basic necessities (grain, veggies, wood etc); demanded commodities (ale, precious metals, meat, tobacco - that sort of thing); crafting components (things like cotton which are needed to put together luxury items) and luxury items themselves (fine clothing, furniture and whatnot).

Buying low from a town and finding the right place to sell high is, of course, the name of the game. As your empire expands you can automate it somewhat, setting out routes for your convoys. And, after you've been trading with a town for a while, you'll be allowed to buy a building permit and start producing goods of your own. Progress even further and you can petition to become a town's administrator, assuming total control over what it produces and dictating how it expands.

But there are always less lawful ways to get rich, if you prefer. You can choose to turn to piracy, engaging in turn-based battles out on the high seas.