Live out your inner captain dreams and take the helm of the world’s newest freight company in Ports of Call—a maritime trading simulator. The game was developed by the duo Rolf Dieter Klein and Martin Ulrich.
Buy fantastic ships and build your own trading fleet as you conquer the world’s markets. See how rich and successful you can make your company—but beware! As captain and head of a major maritime trading firm, there are many challenges to stay sharp for. Keep your ships in top condition and make sure deliveries arrive on time.
Top 5 secret tips for Ports of Call
Start your own company and develop your business skills
Ports of Call is an old-school simulation game. That means it’s quite challenging and unforgiving when mistakes are made. You begin by forming your very own company, which you can name yourself.
Then choose which port will be your base. Will it be New York, the stronghold of capitalism? Or Alexandria, the pearl of the Levant?
At the bank, you have around $4,000,000 that you must use wisely to get your company started and keep it running.
Once the ships are purchased, you can take contracts to deliver various goods to the world’s major ports. How about sailing some metal to Hamburg? That sounds profitable. Now your ship is on its way, loaded with valuable cargo, and it’s your responsibility whether it arrives safely or not.
You’ll encounter many challenges, such as a ship on a collision course with you. You must maneuver around it. If you fail, your ship will suffer damage that you’ll have to pay for.
In Ports of Call there’s generally a long list of unforeseen expenses you should always keep in mind. So be sure to save plenty of money as a buffer.
Challenge your friends, and see who’s the best entrepreneur
In Ports of Call you can play with up to four players on the same system; there’s no built-in online multiplayer in this old game, which for some adds a bit of extra charm.
Remember, you can also always read the privacy policy for Ports of Call, where you can learn more about what you agree to when you download the game—look for sentences such as “... you agree to the terms of agreement…”.
Get a glimpse of how global trade works, and learn to manage your income and expenses
The classic appeal of simulation games is that they try to emulate the world around us and deliver new experiences. Ports of Call is no different on this front, offering a strong look at one of the world’s largest and toughest industries.
This game is for those who like to juggle many things at once and keep track of income and expenses. If you can learn to spend as little as possible and earn as much as possible, you’re well on your way to the core pillars of finance.
If you’re interested in trade and finance, you can get a simple yet solid insight here and try some of the basic disciplines and skills required to thrive in such a sector.
Ports of Call’s retro design will satisfy nostalgia lovers
Ports of Call is a game with many years behind it. It launched in 1987 and it shows—with pixelated graphics and iconic machine-like sound effects. The design will surely resonate with those who grew up with it and feel nostalgic about it.
If you’re a modern user without that experience, it may feel cheesy or too dated. The game is driven by simple point-and-click menus that don’t feel very smooth today, but back then it was something quite special.
Other games like Ports of Call
Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe (Danish), from publisher MicroProse, is a trading simulation game like Ports of Call. Here, it’s trains instead of ships. Hone your trading skills even more with this free game.
Ports of Call is an excellent old-school trading simulation that teaches you how to manage a large company with a lot of money at stake. Push yourself toward the edge of success—there are many fun hours to be had here.
Download Ports of Call free for Windows and become king of the seas
📱 Ports of Call on mobile? (Android & iOS)
Many fans are looking for a mobile version of Ports of Call—but there is no official app for either Android or iOS.
Although there have been experiments and unofficial attempts to port the game to mobile devices, the classic version is only available for Windows (with the option to run it via DOSBox or emulators).
👉 If you want to play Ports of Call on your phone or tablet, you can try running it via:
- A Windows remote solution (e.g., Steam Link, Parsec, or Moonlight)
- Emulators like DOSBox in Android versions (requires technical setup)
But the best experience is still on a Windows PC.
