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Is Merchants of Amsterdam, players are attempting to be in first or second place majorities in a variety of categories throughout the game. These include commodity markets, trading colonies, and warehouses in Amsterdam.
On a player's turn, that player draws three cards and decides how to resolve them for the turn. A player can either remove the card from the game, keep it for him or herself, or put it up for auction. The cards allow players to advance or place one of their markers in the various categories.
There are also time-marker cards which, when drawn, move the game through various "historical" phases until the last which ends the game. The historical phases follow a period of time in the history of Amsterdam which can range from no effect, to scoring rounds for particular categories, to bonuses, and towards the end of the game to some penalties as wars begin to disrupt business markets.
The unique twist in the game is that the game comes with a spring-driven auction clock to perform the Dutch auctions throughout the game. You start the clock and it ticks down as all of the players hold their hands ready close by. The idea is that as time passes the cost of the card lowers and it is simply an issue of who will pay for it first by slapping down on the clock and thus stopping it at a certain price.
- great game
- area majority control
- auction mechanic
- obnoxious auction control
- auction and area majority control
- Amsterdam, historical merchant trading
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Players bid to win first/second in multiple areas on the board
- auction/bidding for areas — Players bid to win first/second in multiple areas on the board
- Card Drafting — On your turn you draw three cards, keep one, discard one, and auction one off
- card drafting/draw and discard — On your turn you draw three cards, keep one, discard one, and auction one off
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this episode was made possible in part by the second printing of kfire Chronicles nights fall
- this is actually one of the nicest board game covers in the world that's what first lured me into this game
- the play time on the box is never right
- everything to know to play this game is going to be in the rule book it isn't
References (from this video)
- The game was fun.
- Has a lot of fun illustrations.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dutch auction — The game features a Dutch auction, but does not have a clock.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- All right. Good night everybody.
References (from this video)
- Classic Knizia design
- Engaging with mechanical clock twist
- Production clock complexity might be high
- Trading and economic strategy
- Dutch Golden Age commerce
- Economic simulation with timing and clock mechanics
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Market timing with a mechanical clock mechanic.
- Auction/economic timing — Market timing with a mechanical clock mechanic.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Game design is an art, not a science.
- I'm cursed by new ideas.
- The viewpoint is we are the fellowship. So how can I do it? I have to do it cooperatively.
- Through the desert again. So all you do is you take two of the camels and put them on the board.
- The rules should be simple so people can grasp quickly, but the depth develops through players.
- I have to stay flexible and follow the opportunities that come.