PLAYED FOR YOU

Mercurius

East India Company ANd Stock MArket

A a wealthy powerful Dutch burgher in the 17th century you speculate on the Amsterdam Stock Market, by investing in the Dutch East India Company and in commodities imported by the company.

A player turn comprises 1) three financial actions, that is, buying or selling shares and/or commodities at current market prices or – instead – playing Black Market or Dividend; 2) Playing a Price Change card from your hand 3) Adapt prices of shares and commodities accordingly 4) Draw a new price change card. Each player also holds three special cards – Black Marked, Dividend and News; each of those cards can be used once in the game: Black Market allows you to place up to three commodities or shares markers out for selling in the next round. With Dividend you choose a chamber (= Town) that has not yet paid dividends and cause it to pay. News can be played instead of the Price Change card, News is laid out face-down and moves with the Price Change cards, but does not influence prices.

You continue to play until all playes are left with three Price Change cards in hand and then you add up the values of all your shares and commodities at current market prices and win if you are the richest player.

Mercurius is a hidden jewel of a game, offering lots of strategies as you know prices for two rounds in advance and you know that cards for each of the chambers – each chamber offering two commodities – regulate prices in anti-cyclic patterns; share prices are apt to rise during the game, commodity prices to fall. Buy? What? Wait?! But not too long, if you speculate in commodities! The God of Trade, Mercurius, is well-disposed towards Mercurius!

Players: 3-5

Age: 10+

Time: 60+

Designer: Łukasz Woźniak

Artist: Jarek Nocoń

Price: ca. 35 Euro

Publisher: rebel.pl 2012

Web: www.rebelgames.eu

Genre: Trade game

Users: With friends

Version: Multi

Rules: en pl

In-game text: no

Comments:

Very good rules

Impressive designs

Allows a variety of strategies

Compares to:

All trade games based on changing shares and commodities prices

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 1

Tactic (turquoise): 2

Strategy (blue): 3

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0