East India Company

Doubters beware; east India Company is not Empire: Total War, but a 150 year-long economic epic beginning in 1600. The agenda of colonisation was to bleed India and Africa dry, and, being the 17th century, the only way to do this was by sea. Success requires grasping simple economics - fill your ships to the brim and sail between the East and West, trading as you go.

That's not to say it's a walk in the park. The game dynamically alters the prices of imports and exports, so keeping a careful eye on the world's first globalised economy is vital. Anyone can make money, so it's about maximising your profits. Automatic trade routes, upgradeable ships and a shrewd business sense will help you fill your coffers to near-bursting.

Alas, historical accuracy denotes your transnational company is not alone. Occasionally rival nations will get greedy and decide to throw some cannon balls your way, propelling you into the game's naval warfare. Playing out like every other ocean-combat game, you can target the hull, sails or crew or opt in for a more personal approach by boarding the enemy's ships. The game's engine lovingly recreates the time period as the ships blow each other to smithereens. The only downside is the ship-on-port combat that's limited to a text screen and number crunching.

East India Company manages to whisk you on a sedate journey through teatime. As your ships chug away and your balance gets fatter and fatter, I can't help but feel the urge to walk into Tesco and demand to pay for some coffee with some bits of wool.