Guide: How to Unlock Trade Routes in Foundation
Image Credit: Polymorph Games, Foundation
At some point, your village will run out of key resources, and your only option will be to start trading—unless you enjoy watching your villagers stare at unfinished buildings. To fix that, you need to unlock a trade route. Here’s a quick guide:
Step 1: Build a Market
Before anyone will trade with you, you need a Market where goods can actually be sold and bought.
If you haven’t already, build a Market and set up stalls for food and goods.
This also helps your villagers, since they now have an actual place to shop instead of hoarding berries.
Step 2: Open the Trading Window
Now that your Market is up, you can access the Trading tab in the Economy menu.
This is where you can see potential trade routes and what they offer.
Step 3: Pay to Unlock a Trade Route
Each trade route costs a fee to unlock, because apparently, merchants don’t trust random villages for free.
Choose a City to trade with (there are three available).
Pay the unlocking fee—which usually involves gold, so save up first.
Step 4: Enjoy Your Free Territory
As a bonus for unlocking your first trade route, you’ll get one free territory expansion, which means more land to build on!
Final Blurb
Trade routes are essential for getting resources you can’t produce yet, like Tools in the early game. Just make sure you have enough gold before trying to unlock one, or you’ll be left staring at the trade menu like a broke peasant.
