In The Guild DS the gamer takes the role of a trader, who starts as his father's heir almost destitute into the working life. Presented as a turn-based strategy game, step by step he has to build up his family's company again. After a while he develops the system of guilds and promotes a union of traders for the commonwealth. While playing the game it is necessary to either convince the adversary of a certain thing or to corner them by controlling the market. Trading is mostly done by travelling from town to town and buying or selling goods. It is also often needed to take on robbers in sword fights, which is done by tapping the screen with the stylus. It is an adaptation of the long-running The Guild PC series where the player has to achieve a good reputation and has to get the possibility to buy himself a adequate title by doing clever economic activities and trade. To achieve reputation and a high social rank is the main aim in this game. The reputation can swing heavily between the extremes reputable and despicable, depending on the player's actions.