Play Merchant Colony Online

Merchant Colony came out in 1991 for MS-DOS, developed by Merit Studios. It was one of those early PC games that tried to blend economic strategy with exploration, fitting right in with the era's interest in simulation and resource management. You start with a small fleet and a fledgling settlement, and the goal is to grow your influence through trade or force.

You control a merchant fleet, managing ships, goods, and colony development. The main objective is to dominate trade routes and outcompete rival empires, either by undercutting their prices or engaging in naval combat. Key mechanics include buying low and selling high across various ports, upgrading your ships and colony buildings, and occasionally fighting pirates or hostile traders. The pacing is deliberate, with an emphasis on careful planning rather than quick action; mistakes in budgeting or route planning can set you back significantly. It feels like a tense balancing act between risk and reward, where every decision carries weight.

Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse , "Alt" ,"Enter" and "Space bar".