It’s time to take an epic trip to space and see what kind of power we can wield as we take roles in the space Senate and move and shake with all the powers that are in control. So let’s go on an adventure in space politics and see who comes out on top!
Merchants of Andromeda is published by Allplay and plays 3-5 players in 45-90 mins. It is designed by Reiner Knizia and art by Torben Bökemeyer.
Overview:
In Merchants of Andromeda players take on the role of playing the game of space politics, casting votes in the Senate, bidding on lucrative space goods, or resorting to ship combat! Players perform Dutch auction rules to acquire cards and through these cards, you’ll manipulate the market, play intergalactic mini-games, and resolve events. In the end, the player with the most money wins!
Gameplay:
In Merchants of Andromeda players setup the main boards and place them in the play area, including the various action boards that represent different parts of the galaxy such as political influence, production, exploration, and defense. Planet tiles are arranged on the exploration areas, event tiles are prepared, senator cards are placed near the voting area, and each player receives a supply of influence tokens along with starting money. The action deck is shuffled, and the event marker is prepared to track progress toward major scoring events.
Each turn begins with the active player drawing three cards from the action deck one at a time. Each of these three cards must be assigned to a different outcome. One card is discarded, which grants the active player the resource shown on that card. One card is kept, allowing the player to immediately perform the action listed on it. The final card must be auctioned to all players.
When a card is auctioned a timer or the official app begins counting down and the longer players wait, the cheaper the card becomes, but once any player commits to purchasing it, the auction immediately ends and that player pays the current price. The winning bidder gains both the resource and action associated with that card.
The actions gained from cards allow players to interact with multiple systems on the board. Some actions place influence tokens in political areas where players vote on senators and attempt to influence upcoming policies. Elections occur during the game, and winning candidates introduce effects that can alter scoring opportunities or provide strategic advantages. Other actions focus on production, where players advance on resource tracks and compete for position before scoring events occur.
Exploration actions allow players to reveal hidden planet tiles in a push-your-luck system. Players continue revealing tiles until they decide to stop or uncover a negative result that limits their rewards. Successful exploration allows players to claim discovered tiles, which can help expand their presence in different sectors of the board.
Defense actions involve rolling dice to determine the movement of invading ships and the placement of influence. These invasions can remove player tokens or create opportunities for players to respond strategically. Players must decide how to manage these threats while still pursuing economic growth.
Throughout the game, event cards and special event tiles trigger scoring rounds and introduce changes to the board state. Many areas score multiple times during the game, and the timing of these scoring opportunities is visible, allowing players to plan ahead. Since money serves as victory points, players must carefully decide when to spend aggressively in auctions and when to conserve their funds.
The game ends after the final event is resolved and all remaining scoring is completed. Players total their money, and the player with the most cash wins!
Impressions:
In Merchants of Andromeda I experienced another unique Knezia game that also feels a bit familiar if you know and love his games. He is the king of auctions and in this game you get to experience Dutch auction, where the pressure of a countdown will push people into timing their bids just right. This creates constant tension because waiting too long may allow another player to claim a valuable opportunity first.
I love every action in this game and the wide variety really helps to mix things up. Every major system in the game ultimately contributes toward earning more money, whether through auctions, board control, political influence, exploration rewards, or defensive actions. In this you can push towards the win and see what avenue best works for you in your draw and cards kept.
This game is strategic and fun, and one that is definitely going to be for players that love a game with more decision-making and strategy at the table. We will be playing this one a few more times to see what the different angles are for play but no doubt it will be staying in my collection. So grab a few friends and blast off into space for your next game night!
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