- Publisher : Super Meeple
- Designer(s) : Jonny Pac, Carl Van Ostrand, Drake Villareal
- Artist(s) : Mihajlo Dimitrievski
- Players : 1–4
- Playing time : 60–90 Min
- Weight BGG : 2.73
What's this?
Merchants’ Bay is an asymmetrical and competitive board game in which you play as a unique merchant living in a vibrant fantasy world. Forget heroes, monsters, or grand quests: here, the goal is clear and pragmatic… to become rich!
How do you play?
A game is played in 3 rounds , each divided into 4 main phases :
1. Arrival Phase
Adventurers are drawn from a bag (warriors, bards, wizards, nobles, etc.) and distributed among the six boats in the harbor. These boats will determine the customers available for the round. Some Thugs (unwanted characters) may also infiltrate, depending on the active Thug card.
2. Production Phase
This is the heart of the game: each player takes turns activating the actions in their shop to:
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Produce your own goods (related to your specialty).
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Recruit locals to strengthen your team.
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Gain patronage by attracting specific clans.
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Reorganize the boats to anticipate the sales phase.
Time management via a clock is central. Each action costs a certain number of hours (and sometimes corruption), represented by an hourglass that is advanced. Whoever has the hourglass furthest back plays first. This creates a dynamic and potentially unbalanced rhythm, which is very clever.
3. Market Phase
Customers are now at the dock: it’s time to sell!
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Large goods are sold at the Bazaar Quay .
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The little ones at the Quai de la Grand Place .
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And all (but with a risk of corruption) on the Black Market .
The price depends on the number of customers of the correct color on the platform. After sales, players also earn gold based on their patronage icons and the adventurers present in the Clan Halls.
4. Cleaning Phase
We put the boats back to sea, we update the Grand Place and we prepare for the next round.
🔚 End of Game
After 3 rounds, a final count is carried out.
➕ The Extensions – More variety, more asymmetry!
One of the great joys of Merchants’ Bay is its asymmetry. And what better way to enrich this diversity with new merchants, mechanics, and surprises than with expansions? Here are the main expansions available:
🏚️ The Secret Hideout
What it brings :
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New Corruption , Inhabitants and Rogue cards .
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Alternative mechanics to vary the games.
Interest : Perfect for those who want a little more depth without complicating the basic rules.
🍺 The Innkeeper
Type : New Merchant
Concept : Manage a tavern frequented by adventurers.
Gameplay :
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Prepare drinks
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Manage the hostel’s attendance.
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Offer services at the right time to make a fortune.
🐉 The Dragon Breeder
Type : New Merchant
Concept : Grow dragons, feed them, and sell their eggs (or services).
Gameplay :
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Livestock management with specific resources.
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You must feed and maintain your dragons to make them evolve.
🔮 The Oracle
Type : New Merchant
Concept : Read the future to predict customer needs.
Gameplay :
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Manipulation of chance and cards .
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Possibility of anticipating or modifying certain events
Is it good?
The main quality of Merchants’ Bay is undoubtedly its asymmetry . Each player embodies a merchant with totally unique game mechanics . From the Blacksmith to the Alchemist, including the Chronomancer, the Innkeeper, the Dragon Breeder or even the Oracle (expansions), each character offers a radically different gaming experience . As a result, you want to try them all, and even play several games with each one to master all the subtleties .
The merchants themselves are not complex, but it should be noted that some mechanics may lack clarity or intuitiveness , depending on the specific rulebooks. A minimum investment is therefore required , with each player having to learn the rules specific to their merchant before starting.
What’s nice is the variety of mechanics offered:
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installation of workers,
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dice management,
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card manipulation,
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exploration,
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roll & write,
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stop or again…
In short, a compendium of inspirations from the best modern gaming styles, intelligently integrated into the same universe.
The time management system with the hourglasses works very well: it’s fluid and tactical. The interaction between players is certainly limited , but very present: you will have to monitor what your opponents produce to try to block them by manipulating the distribution of customers on the platforms.
On the material side, it’s a real success: 3D stalls , 3D boats , unique equipment for each merchant , all nicely illustrated and well thought out.
What I like less:
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Some rules are poorly explained or not very intuitive depending on the merchants.
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A possible imbalance between merchants (tip: leave the strongest ones to the beginner players).
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An important manipulation , especially during the boat phase , which can slow down the game.
The Secret Hideout expansion enriches the game with additional modules that add maps , strategy and new gameplay possibilities , while strengthening replayability without weighing down the basic rules.
In summary, Merchants’ Bay is a rich, varied and very original game , which offers a strong and well-thought-out asymmetry . With excellent material , careful artistic direction and varied mechanics, it is a game that will reward invested players who are curious to discover all its facets.
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Merchants' Bay review
Positives
- Great asymmetry between merchants, each with its own rules
- Varied mechanics (worker placement, dice, cards, exploration, etc.)
- Quality material
- The essential Secret Cache expansion
Negatives
- Some unclear rules
- Possible imbalance
- Lots of manipulation
- Requires learning time for each role
