Merchants Cove

a lot of rules but they are easy to get when you have your own rulebook for the character you draw. nice to look at and good variety of play. a little on the basic side so not a ton of strategy but fun and an easy learn and play with new people for most of the characters.

This game is very misleading, but not in a bad way. It looks like a much more grandiose and deeper game experience when you first set it up and look at it but it is in fact a much lighter game once you get in to it. Each faction is its own mini-game (and I do mean mini-game as they are not that involved and are just a means to produce the same goods as each other player) and that is fine since there are multiple you can play before having to repeat a faction over again. Definitely check out a few video reviews before buying to make sure it is the experience you are wanting. It was for me and I have been greatly enjoying it. P.S. Pick up the Secret Stash expansion ASAP if you get the core game as it adds a lot to the game (and don't throw away the Secret Stash box, there might be a hidden secret in it....)

Gameplay is exciting and replay value is there (especially with the expansions). Storage solution is very thought out, with reference cards to assist with all component storage (including that of the secret stash expansion sold separately). Offers solo mode which helps to familiarize you with all the various merchants (who each play differently from one another). Component quality is good, although take your time with ship assembly.

I bought this game for my husband who is very into intense, long and strategic games. I am more of a UNO type person BUT we both enjoyed the game. I definitely recommend watching a play through video first to understand how it works as it is a learn as you go type game. Very fun and enjoyable for all gamers.

As a solo gamer, I found this game to be highly engaging as well as challenging depending on which character you choose. And because of the different game mechanisms utilized with each character, it felt like a different experience each time I played (4 character mini games in one box).The one thing I would suggest is for you to purchase the secret stash box to make the experience a little more interesting as well as challenging, especially if you are a solo gamer. It contains a solo campaign book as well as another character and mini game hidden at the bottom of the secret stash box.

Many reviews explain the game and give you a rules overview, And even teach you how to play, I won’t do that. I just want to share my overall experience: Merchant’s Cove is a pretty interesting game, you’ve got a main board in which all players interact and affect each other, yet everyone has their own board and their mechanisms to work with. One messes with time and tries to maximize their actions, another one is trying to mitigate risk vs reward while making potions, another is rolling dice and manipulating the die faces to try and make more out of less moves and another is trying to spread out on their board so they can haul a large reward and maximize their point gain. This is a fun, simple and very interesting game. The only downside is that you as the game teacher will need to learn all the rules for each merchant so you can explain it to your players, but the game’s rules are so simple it won’t take you much. Overall, great game. Highly recommended.