In Patrician IV, the player takes on the role of a young merchant in the area of the Baltic and North Sea during the late Middle Age, the zenith of the Hanseatic League and its naval trading empire. 

Starting from meagre beginnings as a small stall trader, players must use every skill at their disposal to rise through the merchant ranks and become the most powerful merchant in Europe. The authentic supply and demand-based trading system allows players to grow their business and head out to the high seas to form trading routes with other Hanseatic cities negotiating better prices for the buying and selling of goods. 

Rise of a Dynasty, will be the first official add-on to Patrician IV, and will add a variety of new cities, scenarios, cooperative multiplayer and much more.

Patrician IV: Rise of a Dynasty  offers players an exciting and fresh trading challenge with eight new cities to explore and introduces a multiplayer co-op mode for up to four players via the Internet or LAN. New features, based on suggestions of the fan community, have been added along with numerous improvements to the city environments and overall atmosphere of the game. Several timed scenarios are available, which, depending on how quickly they are completed by the player, adjust the difficulty and wealth available of later missions.

Features include:

• Jointly control and grow the same Hanseatic trade organization and fight sea battles as a team; teammates can join or leave a game at any time in multiplayer mode
• Six new scenarios that can be played in single or up to four-player multiplayer co-op mode
• Expand  your trade to eight new cities spread across four regions - the addition of land-based caravans allows the players to expand  their trade empire by sea and by land
• New assignments and missions, including a treasure map which must be assembled from parts gathered throughout the game, provide new challenges and depth of play
• Stylish new interior views of buildings, new citizen animations and behaviors, and animated businesses enhance the game atmosphere; interact with individual citizens to gauge the populace’s attitudes and concerns
• Enjoy many additional game enhancements suggested by the Patrician community

Patrician IV: Rise of a Dynasty is scheduled for release in North America on March 31, 2011 (UK on 1st April 2011).