Taipan FOR MAC

Taipan is a trading game that takes place in 18 century Chinese Sea: you need to sail cargo to different locations and use your skills to make more money. Of course, you might also have pirate encounters, so it’s not all that easy.

Right off the bat, the Taipan game prompts you for your company’s name and decide on your current situation: you can opt to have cash and debt but no cannons or to get five guns and no cash or debt.

As you start sailing through the Chinese Sea to get to different locations (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Saigon, Nagasaki, Singapore, Batavia, or Manila), you might encounter pirates and get your funds by deciding to fight against them and capture their ships.

At the same time, you get to buy opium, silk, arms, or general cargo and sell it in a different port in order to make a profit. Note that the prices per unit are different at each location, so make sure you get the best offers.

Within the Taipan panel, you get to see the current ship’s status and decide if you want to repair it or buy a new ship. Note that you ship can be damaged while fighting or running away from pirates.

If you are out of cash, you can borrow money from the Elder Wu but keep in mind that if you don’t repay it, you will not be able to borrow any more.

The fact that you can borrow money can get you out of a lot of trouble, especially when your ship is damaged, or you don’t have enough money to buy cargo.

The point of the Taipan game is to use your business instincts and make advantageous deals in all cases: buy cargo cheap and sell it at a higher price in another port.

Of course, there is also the element of chance is this game: you can encounter pirates on your way and damage your ship while running away, or the price is not high enough in a port so you need to keep traveling.