/pic6136538.jpg)
Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
Welcome ashore! Merchants Cove is a highly asymmetrical eurogame where each player assumes the role of a different fantasy merchant with a unique shop. The merchants contend to sell their goods to the arriving adventurers at the cove’s piers—the most famous markets in the Five Realms. Each player uses their own set of role-specific components and gameplay mechanisms to produce their goods, increase their shop’s efficiency, and—most importantly—get rich!
Though the merchants work independently in their specialized shops, they compete against each other to attract customers, influence the demands for goods, and secure sponsorships from the four faction halls. To get an edge, merchants can employ local townsfolk to work in their shops as staff. Or if they dare to cut corners, they can gain leverage from the corrupt lair of rogues—but at what cost? After three days of selling at the markets, the wealthiest merchant shall be declared the winner!
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2021
Featured Videos
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video r8AfGRiYCmY
Allies Are Enemies game_review at 2:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61158 · mention_pk 153708
Click to watch at 2:49 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Terrific production values and standout art (Micho's work)
- Very high variety due to fully asymmetric character designs
- Solid solo mode; enjoyable for both casual and mid-weight players
- Excellent components including uniquely designed boats and adventurer minis
- Strong thematic integration across all characters and systems
- Great potential for expansion and replayability
Cons
- Rules overhead can be challenging for new players
- Not every character resonates with every player
- Expansions can raise price and complexity
- Storage and organization of components can be cumbersome
Thematic elements
- asymmetric treasure-forged economy with time as a resource
- Island world with seedy underbelly and a flotilla of adventurers competing on Dragon Island
- Array
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Merchants Cove is going to have a somewhat specific audience for a few reasons
- it's more of a system than a game
- mid weight experience with a lot of variety and a heck of a high production value
- the components are terrific
- five-star production all the way
- Merchants Cove is well worth a visit
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video VU0OJQMoWaA
Allies or Enemies top_100_list at 9:52 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61163 · mention_pk 153747
Click to watch at 9:52 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- asymmetry across characters
- expansions add variety
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- character_asymmetry — asymmetric character abilities with different win conditions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is specifically for two players
- it's moving cubes around um it's like chits that are hidden
- the panda you're moving and you're chomping away at the bamboo
- it's a great theme
- it's just such a beautiful relaxing game
- two players so i think basically everything on our list does work pretty well for two
- this is a terrific gateway game absolutely
- you can feel his pain as the panda continues to gobble up all of his bamboo
- it's a 10 minute game that does tend to take us half an hour
- it's so pretty and i think the standard edition still is really pretty as well
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video hYB7rD6P5SM
The Wolfpack general_discussion at 2:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 59575 · mention_pk 152130
Click to watch at 2:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Expansions add depth and variability, increasing replayability.
- Iconic presence and components offer a strong tactile experience.
Cons
- Box size and complexity can be intimidating for some players.
Thematic elements
- Economic negotiation, modular content, and exploration of expansion-driven gameplay.
- A bustling harbor town where merchants trade and manage shops with expansion-driven variability.
- Euro-style negotiation with evolving components and player-driven asymmetry.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- expansion_augmentation — Expansions modify boards and options, altering replayability and depth.
- negotiation — Players negotiate trades and manage competing objectives.
- Simultaneous Actions — Actions and plans unfold with timing and strategic consideration.
- simultaneous_actions — Actions and plans unfold with timing and strategic consideration.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- In Tea Garden, for instance, there are a bunch of different ways to score.
- Good games will make you wonder about all of those possibilities.
- The game asks you questions.
- Hence why we play Tea Garden again back to back.
- Time just freaking flies by.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video NOU-ERNNNdg
Board Game Garden top_100_list at 21:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 27918 · mention_pk 81536
Click to watch at 21:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- highly thematic with varied playstyles by role
- expansions multiply replayability
Cons
- heavy component setup and learning curve
- solo play is possible but not initially straightforward
Thematic elements
- merchant trade with asymmetric roles
- medieval coastal town / docks
- multirole / asymmetrical engine-building
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric roles — each player embodies a different merchant with unique abilities
- asymmetric teams — each player embodies a different merchant with unique abilities
- deck/market expansion — draft and upgrade cards to expand actions and markets
- dice drafting — dice-based resource generation and action triggering
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "Miabi is one of my favorite polyomino games it is number 70 here on the list"
- "Seas of strife is absolutely fantastic it is such a fun game"
- "Merchants Cove I do think that if I played this one more it actually can play solo as well"
- "The Search for Planet X is my number 65"
- "Parks is my number 62"
- "Boku is my number 61"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kDRq1MGNwYY
JohnGetsGames general_discussion at 18:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 11290 · mention_pk 33170
Click to watch at 18:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- vibrant components
- variety of factions and strategies
Cons
- complex teaching curve
- large time investment to play
Thematic elements
- merchant competition and negotiation
- fantasy market in a coastal town where players run competing stalls
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting — players select dice values to activate actions at market stalls
- worker-placement-style actions — players place resources/dice to perform marketplace actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- If this was just a job if i was just doing this for money well first of all the channel would be a lot different
- it's been a real problem you know i mentioned that these playing with friends videos have been taking a lot longer to make
- these update vlogs are about me being transparent about stuff
- two cameras that work
- i'm tinkering around hitting a bunch of things with a hammer to see if things get better
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video O4nqGyu1wXU
Peaky Boardgamer rules teach at 0:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9940 · mention_pk 29227
Click to watch at 0:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong asymmetry with four distinct merchant types offering varied gameplay
- Rich action economy driven by time and phase order
- Multiple interaction vectors via Townsfolk, sponsorships, and portals
- Dynamic production and market flow that rewards planning and adaptation
- Incorporation of rogues and corruption adds strategic tension
Cons
- Complex setup with many components and clear rule depth
- Steep learning curve for new players
- Potential for downtime or analysis paralysis due to intricate interactions
Thematic elements
- Asymmetric merchant factions, time as a resource, and adventurer-driven market dynamics
- Fantasy coastal trading with four merchant types and their shops operating in Merchants Cove
- Four distinct factions interact within a shared harbor setting, each with unique actions and progression
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric faction mechanics — Four merchant types (Alchemist, Captain, Chronomancer, Blacksmith) each have distinct boards, actions, and progression.
- Final scoring and tiebreakers — Score combines adventurer symbols, lair/holes, rogues penalties, and corruption counts; ties broken by goods and corruption.
- Ichor, pots, and potions system — Alchemist uses a decanter and pots with ichor/inventory management to craft wares; mishaps can trigger corruption.
- Loading ships and adventurers — Adventurers are drawn and loaded into ships; rogues and corruption mechanics add risk during loading.
- Market phase with bays and sponsorships — Wares are sold across three bays; sponsorships at round ends grant gold based on color demand.
- Phased round structure — Three days per game, with rounds consisting of Arrival, Production, Market, and Cleanup phases.
- Portal and chronomancer time manipulation — Time machines and portal tiles create dynamic action spaces that change over time.
- Rogues and corruption — Rogue cards and corruption add hidden information and strategic penalties; can influence loading and actions.
- Sponsorships and end-of-market scoring — Sponsorship colors influence gold gains at Market's end based on presence in faction halls.
- Time-based action economy — Actions cost time; timepieces and the order of activation drive pacing and determine available actions.
- Townsfolk cards and staff bonuses — Recruit and activate Townsfolk cards; staff boards provide bonuses that modify actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a game for one to four players
- highly asymmetrical game in the sense that there are four different roles and each role plays quite differently.
- Each merchant type plays differently and players perform their unique actions which mainly cost time.
- The color of each customer is linked to the color of ware they wish to buy.
- The game lasts for three days
- That's a thing I like in games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video hM3cMNgohfQ
Foster the Meeple top_10_list at 10:55 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6372 · mention_pk 18819
Click to watch at 10:55 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Deep, puzzle-like optimization across differing roles
- Beautiful components and theme
Cons
- Complex setup and long playtime at higher player counts
Thematic elements
- Trading, strategy, asymmetry
- Asymmetrical merchant guilds in a cove-based economy
- Character-driven economic puzzle with modular roles
Comparison games
- Dwellings of Everhold
- Gaia Project
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric roles — Each player controls a unique character with distinct actions.
- Worker/action placement — Characters perform actions; interactions come from shared market and space control.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's our list let it be
- we're here today with a very exciting video so exciting jeff can't even open his eyes
- this is the most immersive experience
- it's a brain burning game
- I freaking love Role Player Adventures
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video J7cs70HGO2Y
Foster the Meeple top_50_list at 0:00
video_pk 3908 · mention_pk 11431
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's an experience
- it's incredibly mean in Cutthroat
- I would never stop playing it on BGA
- this is the best game one of the best games ever in my opinion
- it's crazy chaos I love this game
- it's not overly light racing game
- I love this game I wish so badly was on BGA
- it's an engine builder
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video lwK1TkxkpdU
Three Minute Board Games game_review at 0:06 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 1248 · mention_pk 81213
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Ambitious asymmetrical design with multiple distinct play styles.
- Beautiful production and visual presentation.
- Strong thematic flavor with varied shops and mechanics.
- High replayability through different factions and expansions.
Cons
- Main board gameplay can feel underwhelming at times.
- Much of the game plays out as solo on your own board, reducing interaction.
- Slow onboarding due to learning different faction rules.
- Reading and understanding faction rules can be time-consuming.
Thematic elements
- Trade, time pressure, and asymmetric strategy across multiple shops.
- A bustling harbor with merchants and ships at the docks, where various shops compete to supply sailors and scoundrels.
- Asymmetric, shop-driven engine-building with a strong thematic flavor of harbor commerce.
Comparison games
- Le Havre
- Root
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action selection and clock management — Players select actions on their boards while advancing a shared clock; the active player is the last on the clock.
- asymmetry — Each player controls a unique shop with its own setup and rules affecting how goods are produced.
- Corruption mechanism — Selling to certain locations can generate corruption, incurring negative points.
- Multiple sale queues by wharf — Different wharfs have distinct sale rules, affecting pricing and strategy.
- Resource conversion via faction-specific rules — Factions convert resources (marbles, dice, etc.) into goods through unique actions.
- Resource management — Factions convert resources (marbles, dice, etc.) into goods through unique actions.
- set collection — Match goods to customers and collect matching cards to optimize scoring.
- Time track — Turn structure and timing create pressure to plan and prioritize, with onboarding overhead for factions.
- Time-based turns — Turn structure and timing create pressure to plan and prioritize, with onboarding overhead for factions.
- Townsfolk and apprentices actions — Common actions to activate townsfolk powers from sideboards, adding variety and asymmetry.
- worker placement — Meeples are placed on boats and later moved to docks and wharf to trigger actions and scoring.
- Worker placement-like mechanics with boats — Meeples are placed on boats and later moved to docks and wharf to trigger actions and scoring.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The best thing about this game is the vision behind it; I admire the ambition driving asymmetric designs like this.
- Merchant's Cove is a medium-length euro game that will appeal to people who want to experience different play styles within the same game.
- It's simply a stunning looking game.
- However, I'm not sure the main board gameplay is strong enough to hold my attention long enough to master all the factions.
- And because each player is using different rules, game start is slow as people read about their faction and it's hard to troubleshoot rules without knowing all the factions well.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–9 of 9