Merchants of Kaidan Thumbnail

Merchants of Kaidan similar games & best alternatives

Merchants of Kaidan

PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Linux • 2014

Related articles

Quick resume

Regain your riches, restore your honor and avenge your father's murder. A challenging trading game with lots of RPG elements.

Global score

67/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique and immersive fantasy trading simulation
    • Beautiful hand-drawn art and relaxing soundtrack
    • Complex economy with dynamic prices and events
    • Multiple gameplay elements including quests and business management
    • Addictive and rewarding progression system

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve and some ui/ux issues
    • Randomness can frustrate some players
    • Some bugs and minor translation errors
    • Limited character customization and social interaction
    • Late game can become repetitive and grindy

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Status. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Expression.

    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

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose trade routes, goods, and strategies with multiple gameplay options and decision making."

    • Competence
      3

      "Requires skillful market analysis, planning, and adapting to random events to succeed in trading and quests."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal progress and trading success without direct player-vs-player competition or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many players report long sessions and addictive gameplay with ongoing goals and progression."

    • Cooperation
      1

      "Some cooperative elements exist via managing multiple merchants and partnerships, but mostly single player."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players can customize trade routes, manage specialists and businesses, but within predefined game systems."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions are balanced and respectful; no evidence of exerting control or superiority over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Many players use the game for relaxation and immersion in a fantasy world, escaping real life stress."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and enjoyment, not due to obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players explore different trade strategies, quests, and game mechanics to optimize profits and progress."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Game involves discovering new towns, quests, and hidden locations like mines and ruins."

    • Expression
      -2

      "Limited character customization; mostly playing a fixed protagonist with some management choices."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a fantasy medieval world with mythical creatures, magic items, and fantastical elements."

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Primarily a single player experience with minimal social or community interaction."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players learn market dynamics, develop strategies, and improve skills over time."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention and planning; not designed for passive or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "No evidence of forming close relationships or emotional sharing; interactions are superficial."

    • Leadership
      2

      "Players manage multiple merchants and businesses, issuing orders and guiding operations."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on accumulating wealth, upgrading carts, hiring specialists, and expanding empire."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Relaxing music and art create a soothing atmosphere despite some challenging gameplay."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visuals and music are pleasant and atmospheric but not highly stimulating or intense."

    • Status
      3

      "Players gain social rank and merchant guild status as part of progression."

    • Story
      3

      "Includes a narrative about avenging the father and quests that advance the story."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Requires planning trade routes, managing resources, and solving economic challenges."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Random events and risk of loss add suspense but overall gameplay is controlled and turn-based."

    • Value
      3

      "Many players find good value especially on sale, with hours of engaging gameplay."

    • Violence
      -3

      "Combat is minimal and mostly defensive; focus is on trading and management rather than destruction."

    • Survival
      2

      "Players must manage risks like bandit attacks and resource loss to stay financially solvent."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026