Merchant of the Skies similar games & best alternatives
Merchant of the Skies
2020
Related articles
Quick resume
Become the captain of a flying ship! Sell items, gather resources and build your own trade company in the clouds!
Global score
86/100
Genres
Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, Adventure
Similar games
Pros
- Charming art and music
- Relaxing and accessible gameplay
- Engaging trading and production mechanics
- Light narrative and worldbuilding
- Active developer support and updates
Cons
- Short campaign and limited replayability
- Some ui and control clunkiness
- Lack of challenge in late game
- No multiplayer or social features
- Occasional crashes and minor bugs
Analysis
Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Fellowship, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Expression. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Thrill.
How to use the graph
Similar games map
Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.
- Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
- Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
- Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
- Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.
Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.
Motivations
-
Autonomy4
"Players have freedom to choose trade routes, production chains, and progression pace with no forced combat or external interference."
-
Competence3
"Players engage in managing trade, upgrading ships, and optimizing supply chains with some challenge early on, though late game becomes easier."
-
Competition-4
"No PvP or ranked modes; focus is on personal progress and self-set goals without comparison to others."
-
Continuation2
"Some players report addictive gameplay and long sessions, but others note limited replayability and short campaign length."
-
Cooperation-5
"Single-player experience focused on individual trading and management without multiplayer or team-based goals."
-
Creativity3
"Players create and manage production chains, customize trade routes, and upgrade ships and islands, allowing creative economic strategies."
-
Domination-5
"No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are with NPCs and environment only."
-
Escapism4
"Relaxing, charming world with whimsical elements provides a pleasant escape from real life stress."
-
Expectation-4
"Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and relaxation rather than obligation or external pressure."
-
Experimenting3
"Players explore new islands, try different trade routes and production setups, and discover game mechanics progressively."
-
Exploration4
"Exploration of a procedurally generated map with discovery of islands, resources, and secrets is a core gameplay element."
-
Expression2
"Some customization of ships and islands, but limited character personalization."
-
Fantasy3
"Set in a whimsical floating archipelago with fantastical creatures and airships, providing an imaginative fictional setting."
-
Fellowship-5
"No social or community features; gameplay is solitary and focused on individual progress."
-
Growth4
"Players learn economic strategies, optimize trade, and develop production chains, showing clear personal development."
-
Health-5
"Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."
-
Idle-3
"Requires active management and attention to trading and resource logistics; not designed for idle play."
-
Intimacy-5
"Minimal social interaction or emotional connection beyond NPCs; no close relationships formed."
-
Leadership2
"Players manage their own trading company and direct production, but no leadership over other players."
-
Progression5
"Strong focus on accumulating money, upgrading ships, buying islands, and expanding production capabilities."
-
Relaxation4
"Generally relaxing and chill gameplay with soothing music and no high pressure or combat."
-
Sensation2
"Pleasant visuals and music provide sensory enjoyment, though not highly stimulating or intense."
-
Status-5
"No social recognition or status systems; achievements are personal and not publicly ranked."
-
Story3
"There is a light narrative with quests and worldbuilding that unfolds during gameplay."
-
Strategy3
"Players plan trade routes, resource production, and upgrades requiring mental challenge and problem solving."
-
Thrill-3
"Low risk and tension; gameplay is calm and predictable without suspense or danger."
-
Value3
"Many players find good value for price given gameplay length and quality, especially on sale."
-
Violence-5
"No combat or destruction; gameplay centers on constructive trading and production."
-
Survival-3
"Some risk of bankruptcy early on, but overall stable conditions without threats or failure pressure."
Last update: 29/04/2026