Merchants of Amsterdam

Draw three cards a turn, then keep, scrap or auction each one while you fight for first and second place in every market.

Designer: Reiner Knizia
Published by: Jumbo
Editions by: Rio Grande Games

Merchants of Amsterdam is all about finishing first or second in as many categories as you can: commodity markets, trading colonies and warehouses in Amsterdam. On your turn you draw three cards and decide what happens to each one. Remove it from the game, keep it for yourself or put it up for auction. The cards move your markers along or place them in the various categories. Time-marker cards push the game through historical phases, which can mean nothing happens, a scoring round for one category, a bonus, or toward the end a penalty as wars disrupt business. When the last phase arrives, the game ends. A 2000 majority game for three to five players, about ninety minutes.

Keep, scrap or auction each drawn cardMajorities in markets, colonies and warehousesHistorical phases that bring scoring and penalties

Who it's for

You like area-majority games with auctions and a bit of nerve, with four or five players and about ninety minutes.

Not for you if…

You want simple turns or a gentle game. Auctions, majorities and shifting phases make it a thinky, competitive one.

Vibe's take

Clever and slightly cutthroat. The auction decides how much a card is worth to you, and every majority you chase might be shaken up by the next historical phase.