Sea Trader: a guide to the trading game
Sea Trader is a single-player strategy and trading game. You have one ship, starting money and 14 days to trade between five ports in the eastern Mediterranean: Jaffa, Limassol and Alexandria in the east, and Piraeus and Izmir in the west. Buy low, sell high, watch out for storms and pirates, and try to end the season with as much money as possible. The game is currently in Hebrew only.
Two game modes
- Daily challenge. On a given day all players get exactly the same sea: the same prices, the same weather and the same events. You compete on a daily board of its own, so the only difference is your decisions.
- Free play. A new and surprising sea every time, with an overall high-score board.
The important rules
- Prices. Prices change every day and in every port. After every sale, the price of that goods in that port drops until the next day, so it doesn't pay to sell everything in one place.
- East and west. Spices can be bought only in the east and carpets only in the west, and in the other region they fetch a lot. The big profit is in sailing between the regions.
- Time. Each day is divided into morning, noon and night. Jaffa and Alexandria, and also Piraeus and Izmir, are half a day apart. Limassol is a day from all of them, and the west is two days from Jaffa and Alexandria.
- Night. At night you can sail to a port half a day away, but there is a risk of getting lost and more pirates.
- Weather. Check the forecast before sailing. Storms damage the ship and sometimes sweep away cargo.
- Pirates. They mostly attack loaded ships. In battle you fire the cannon yourself and move the escort ships to block the attackers.
- Escorts. Escort ships are hired separately for each voyage, and the price rises the more cash and goods are on board.
- Bank. The bank pays 1% interest per day, and money in the bank is safe from thieves and pirates. But to buy goods you first have to withdraw it.
- Shipyard. At the shipyard you repair the ship after storms and battles, and expand the hold: each expansion adds 20 units of cargo.
- Tavern and encounters at sea. At the tavern you buy rumours about prices and pirates. At sea you may meet merchant ships offering deals.
Strategy for beginners
- Start by sailing between regions. Buy spices in the east and sell them in the west, and on the way back bring carpets.
- Spread your sales. Sell some in one port and some in another, because the price drops after every sale.
- Keep money in the bank. Money you don't need for the next voyage earns interest and can't be stolen.
- Don't ignore the forecast. One storm can wipe out several days of profit.
- Plan the last day. At the end of the season the goods left on the ship are sold, but it's better to finish near a port that pays well for them.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to appear on the high-score board?
No. At the end of the season you write a name, and the score is saved on the board.
Can I play on a computer?
Yes. The game works on phones and computers, in any modern browser.