# Virtual Economies in Strategy Games (Ep.95)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275/virtual-economies-in-strategy-games-ep-95
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275/virtual-economies-in-strategy-games-ep-95.md
Podcast: [Critical Moves - Strategy Gaming](https://stenobird.com/podcast/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275)
Published: 2026-08-21T15:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/criticalmoves/3070059
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/324240/3070059/criticalmoves/2026_08_15_09_28_51_790f0fce-e204-4856-a501-c7d0b2c52b75.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/critical-moves-strategy-gaming-7033275/episodes/virtual-economies-in-strategy-games-ep-95
Duration seconds: 3655

## Resource

Jack and Adam dig into how strategy games model their economies — from Victoria 3's fully simulated supply and demand to Stellaris treating resources as a means to an end. Along the way they cover limited versus unlimited resources, why money can feel like a cheap way out of a tight spot, the wildly different scales games use for wealth, and whether they'd rather play scarce or swimming in surplus. Games discussed include Victoria 3, Stellaris, Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron 4, Anno, Tropico, Civ 6 and 7, Offworld Trading Company, City Skylines and more.

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## Transcript

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