Game Overview
Global Trade Empire is an immersive international trade simulation game where you take control of a nation's economy and navigate the complex world of global commerce. Your mission is to grow your national treasury, maintain a positive trade balance, and respond strategically to world events that shape commodity markets.
Core Objectives
- Grow Your Treasury: Start with $10 billion and expand through smart trading decisions
- Maintain Trade Balance: Keep your imports and exports balanced to ensure economic stability
- Maximize GDP Growth: Make decisions that lead to positive economic growth year over year
- Respond to Events: React to world events that can dramatically shift market conditions
Quick Start
Begin by reviewing your country's resources, then look for commodities with positive trends (โฒ) to trade. Click the "Next Year" button to advance time and see how markets evolve!
Key Metrics Explained
Treasury
Your total available funds for trading
Trade Balance
Exports minus imports (positive = surplus)
GDP Growth
Year-over-year economic performance
Current Year
Game timeline starting from 2024
Interface Guide
Header Bar
The top header displays your real-time economic indicators: Treasury, Trade Balance, GDP Growth, and Current Year. These update automatically as you make trades and advance through years.
3D Globe Map
The interactive 3D globe allows you to visualize your trading empire. You can drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, and click on country markers to switch nations. Use the control buttons to toggle auto-rotation, reset the view, or focus on your current country.
Left Sidebar
- Country Card: Shows your selected nation's flag, name, population, GDP, and trade volumes
- National Resources: Displays your five resource categories with current amounts and production rates
- Trade Agreements: Lists active bilateral and multilateral trade deals that reduce your tariffs
Center Panel - Global Commodity Market
The main trading floor where you can browse, filter, and trade commodities. Use the category tabs (All, Energy, Metals, Agriculture, Technology) to filter products.
Right Sidebar
- Trade Activity: Your recent transaction history showing imports, exports, partners, and values
- World Events: Current global events affecting commodity prices and trade conditions
Control Panel (Bottom)
- World Map - Scroll to the 3D globe section
- Negotiate Agreement - Establish new trade deals (coming soon)
- Analytics - View detailed trade statistics
- Next Year - Advance time, update markets, and collect resource production
Playable Countries
Each nation has unique economic characteristics, resource endowments, and strategic advantages. You can switch countries using the 3D globe or the country selection buttons.
| Country | Type | Population | GDP | Strongest Resources |
|---|
| United States | Advanced Economy | 331M | $25.5T | Technology, Oil, Agriculture |
| China | Emerging Superpower | 1.4B | $17.7T | Textiles, Technology, Minerals |
| Germany | Export Powerhouse | 83M | $4.2T | Technology, Minerals |
| Brazil | Resource Giant | 214M | $1.6T | Agriculture, Minerals, Oil |
| Japan | Tech Leader | 125M | $4.2T | Technology (highest!), Textiles |
Country Selection Strategy
Beginners: Try United States for balanced resources. Exporters: Japan or Germany for tech dominance. Resource traders: Brazil for agriculture and minerals.
Resource System
National resources represent your country's productive capacity across five key sectors. Resources accumulate each year based on your production rate.
The Five Resource Categories
Petroleum
Oil & energy production
Minerals
Mining & raw materials
Agriculture
Food & crop production
Technology
Tech & manufacturing
Textiles
Clothing & fabrics
Resource Mechanics
- Amount: Current stock level (0 to 1,000 max)
- Production: How much is added each year (+X/yr)
- Progress Bar Colors:
- Green (>60%) - Abundant supply
- Gold (30-60%) - Moderate levels
- Red (<30%) - Low supply, consider importing
Commodity Market
The global commodity market features 12 tradeable products across four categories. Prices fluctuate each year based on market conditions and world events.
Energy Commodities
- Crude Oil - ~$85/barrel - The backbone of global energy
- Natural Gas - ~$2.85/MMBtu - Essential heating and industrial fuel
Metals
- Gold - ~$1,985/oz - Safe haven asset, high value
- Copper - ~$3.82/lb - Industrial essential
- Iron Ore - ~$118/ton - Steel production base
Agriculture
- Wheat - ~$6.25/bushel - Global food staple
- Soybeans - ~$13.45/bushel - Protein and oil source
- Coffee - ~$1.85/lb - High volatility commodity
- Cotton - ~$0.82/lb - Textile industry essential
Technology
- Semiconductors - ~$450/unit - Modern economy backbone
- Lithium - ~$25,000/ton - EV battery essential
- Rare Earth - ~$85,000/ton - High-tech manufacturing critical
Understanding Price Trends
- โฒ Green (Positive) - Price is rising, good for selling
- โผ Red (Negative) - Price is falling, opportunity to buy
How to Trade
Step-by-Step Trading Process
- Browse Commodities: Scroll through the market or use category filters
- Select a Commodity: Click on a commodity card or use the BUY/SELL buttons
- Set Quantity: Use the +/- buttons or type directly to set trade volume
- Review Summary: Check the price breakdown including tariffs
- Confirm Trade: Click "Confirm Trade" to execute
Trade Cost Calculation
Import vs Export
- BUY (Import): Spend treasury to acquire commodities. Decreases trade balance.
- SELL (Export): Convert resources to treasury (minus 5% fee). Increases trade balance.
Important
You cannot complete a trade if it exceeds your available treasury. Always check your funds before confirming large purchases!
Trade Agreements
Trade agreements are diplomatic arrangements that reduce tariffs on international trade. The United States starts with four active agreements:
Current Agreements (USA)
- Canada (USMCA) - 15% tariff reduction
- Mexico (USMCA) - 15% tariff reduction
- United Kingdom (Bilateral) - 10% tariff reduction
- Australia (FTA) - 12% tariff reduction
Coming Soon
The "Negotiate Agreement" feature will allow you to establish new trade deals, expanding your tariff-free trading network!
World Events
World events are dynamic occurrences that impact global markets. They change each year and can create trading opportunities or challenges.
Event Types
- Urgent (Red Border) - Crisis events that typically raise prices
- Opportunity (Green Border) - Favorable conditions that lower prices
- Neutral (Gold Border) - Mixed impact events requiring careful analysis
Sample Events
- OPEC Production Cut - Oil +15% (Urgent)
- EU Trade Deal - Wheat -8% (Opportunity)
- Tech Sanctions - Semiconductors +20% (Urgent)
- Harvest Surplus - Wheat -25% (Opportunity)
- Mining Strike - Copper +30% (Urgent)
Event Strategy
When you see an "Opportunity" event, buy the affected commodity before advancing the year. When you see an "Urgent" event, consider selling that commodity before prices potentially stabilize.
Winning Strategies
Strategy 1: Trend Following
The simplest approach: buy commodities with negative trends (โผ) and sell when trends turn positive (โฒ). This "buy low, sell high" strategy works across market cycles.
Strategy 2: Event-Based Trading
React to world events before they fully impact markets. If you see "Mining Strike" affecting copper, buy copper immediately, then wait for prices to rise before selling.
Strategy 3: Resource Specialization
Focus on trading commodities that align with your country's strengths. Japan should dominate technology trade; Brazil should corner the agriculture market.
Strategy 4: Trade Balance Management
Maintain a positive trade balance by exporting more than you import. A surplus strengthens your economy and provides a buffer for strategic imports.
Strategy 5: Technology Premium
Technology commodities (Semiconductors, Lithium, Rare Earth) have the highest values but also the most volatility. High risk, high reward.
Long-Term Growth
The key to sustainable growth is balancing aggressive trading with risk management. Never invest more than 20% of your treasury in a single trade.
Pro Tips
- Watch the Chart: The Market Trends chart shows historical price movements for Oil and Gold. Use this to identify long-term patterns.
- Timing Matters: Resources regenerate each year. Advance the year strategically to maximize production before major trades.
- Diversify Your Portfolio: Don't put all your treasury into one commodity. Spread trades across categories to minimize risk.
- Read Event Impacts: Each world event shows exactly which commodity is affected and by how much. Use this information!
- Check Trade History: Review your past trades to identify patterns in your decision-making.
- Use Category Filters: When looking for specific opportunities, filter by Energy, Metals, Agriculture, or Technology.
- Monitor Resource Levels: Low resource bars (red) indicate you may need to import. High resource bars (green) suggest export opportunities.
- Country Switching: If your current country's resources don't match market opportunities, consider switching nations using the 3D globe.
- Tariff Awareness: The 5% tariff applies to all trades. Factor this into your profit calculations.
- Patience Pays: Sometimes the best trade is no trade. Wait for favorable conditions rather than forcing transactions.
Master Trader Challenge
Try to double your starting treasury ($10B โ $20B) within 10 game years. Track your progress using the Analytics button!