/pic7794273.png)
Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
Another Reiner Knizia standby, this game plays very well with varying numbers of people. The object is to accrue the most points during three rounds, which you do by spending your points to bid on sets of cards. Each turn the current player turns up one to three cards for all the players to bid on, with the highest bid taking all cards. The cards denote a commodity type and quantity/value. The round ends when each player's ships are full, or the commodity card deck is exhausted. After each round, points are awarded to each player having the most of a given commodity, and to the one with the most valuable total "cargo load".
Part of the Knizia auction trilogy.
One of the Knizia Florentine auction games.
Related Games:
Medici vs Strozzi (two-player version)
Strozzi
Mercator, included in Neue Spiele im alten Rom (ancestor to Medici).
Year Published
1995
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 4
This page: 4
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–4 of 4
Video 6WrEOxbmR70
Shut Up & Sit Down special_edition at 48:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 42658 · mention_pk 129581
Click to watch at 48:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Accessible introductory auction/hand-management game
- Tightly designed with elegant economy
Cons
- Not as crunchy as heavier euros
- Thematic integration is more abstract
Thematic elements
- merchants building wealth through trade networks
- Renaissance trade in Italian cities
- classic Euro‑style resource management
Comparison games
- Kalos
- Atlantean
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Limited resources are bid to secure valuable goods.
- set collection / hand management — Players assemble goods and routes to maximize scores.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This town is filled with friends.
- Dragons and sleeping, and there's a dragon hopefully being asleep.
- Delusions of grandeur require a leap, but playing the fool is his full-time job.
- Africa—read me the lyrics.
- Twilight Imperium, you are correct.
- I thought I nailed it.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video aOJKFlf7l_g
The Cardboard Herald game_review at 3:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 36131 · mention_pk 108192
Click to watch at 3:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Part of Knizia's influential auction trio
- Tense pacing and clear strategic objectives
Cons
- Older design may exhibit balance quirks or slower pacing in some plays
Thematic elements
- risk/reward in art dealing, signaling, and auction dynamics
- Renaissance-era art market and trading
- market-driven, with a focus on price signals and timing
Comparison games
- Modern Art
- Tigris and Euphrates
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Players bid to acquire artworks, balancing bid strength against expected value.
- Auction-driven bidding — Players bid to acquire artworks, balancing bid strength against expected value.
- hand management — A player's hand informs bid choices and strategic risk-taking.
- Hand management / bidding strategy — A player's hand informs bid choices and strategic risk-taking.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm invoking RAW
- There are climactic bids and surprise upsets, all with minimal rules overhead.
- It's extremely welcoming to new players while also being really satisfying to uber dorks who have been slinging cardboard for decades like myself.
- The drama really is driven by the heart being in conflict with itself.
- RAW is the best the game has ever looked, with tight flourishes like some marvelous graphic design and UI.
- The ubiquity of so much output getting repackaged means you got to be really selective.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Mjj59O43USE
BGG Live live_stream_discussion at 1:08:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6100 · mention_pk 18091
Click to watch at 1:08:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- tight, fast drafting with meaningful choices
Cons
- older design; some players prefer newer euro themes
Thematic elements
- wealth accumulation through card drafting
- card-driven trade and river economy
- classic euro feel; timeless
Comparison games
- High Society
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — draft cards to form a river; value and color combine to form points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is extra which is a very hard to find game.
- Chaos. I love it.
- Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
- The equals thing... you complete three in a row and you get a free check off.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 6KcJBysABr4
Unknown Channel game_review at 0:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 967 · mention_pk 105060
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Encourages lively discussion, humor, and casual debate
- Emphasizes social interaction and common pattern recognition
- Keeps players engaged through subjectivity and debate rather than strict correctness
Cons
- Heavily dependent on group dynamics and social energy
- Scoring can feel arbitrary since points come from matching others rather than objective rules
Thematic elements
- Pattern recognition and social alignment through card placement
- Casual social game night with friends
- Casual, lighthearted discussion with humor and debates
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players draw cards from a deck and select one to potentially play.
- Card drawing — Players draw cards from a deck and select one to potentially play.
- pattern matching — A card is placed to try and fit the emerging pattern among exposed cards.
- Social scoring — Points are earned when a player’s card matches other players' patterns.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Maybe you don't want a strategy game.
- There's no right or wrong answer here,
- "No, you're wrong, and this is why."
- See what I mean?
- Vibes.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–4 of 4