The Patrician was a commercial success. By 2000, its sales at full price had totaled roughly 250,000 units. A
Computer Gaming World reviewer in 1993 criticized the identical cities, "simplistic" combat, and "mundane" trading, stating that "the long term appeal of this game, except to bank managers and
chartered accountants, is therefore questionable". He concluded that
The Patrician was "too Germanic in appearance, perhaps needing a bit of British innovation, some French
savoir faire, or maybe some Stateside polish". Another reviewer in 1994 liked the graphics and interface (especially as he criticized the manual's English translation and accuracy), but warned that "once the pricing system is understood, the trading elements of the game becomes somewhat repetitive". He recommended
The Patrician to those looking for an unusual, non combat-oriented strategy game.
The One gave the Amiga version of
The Patrician an overall score of 82%, comparing the gameplay to
1869, stating: "This is the game that
1869 should have been; it has more character, more depth and better presentation ... The historical background adds a tremendous amount of atmosphere".
The One also praised the user-friendly UI and the need to progress both politically and financially, and expressing that expanding their fleet of ships "gives an excellent feeling of power".
ST Format's Rob Mead writes, "This is a perfect game for wannabe managers and, with up to three other human players all sitting round your ST at once, soon turns into a mental battle of wits against your pals as you all try to get one up on each other." ==See also==