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Merchants of the Dark Road
The Frogames review
A dice-driven caravan game: trading through the long winter night
You've got three lanterns hanging from your wagon: do you spend them on the shortcut to Northbreak, or save them to reroll your journey dice?
On the frozen planet of Lumi, winter is one long night. You're a merchant from the capital, Highreach: you buy goods at the Grand Bazaar, welcome heroes at the «Ringway Inn» and lead caravans to six distant cities.
On your turn you push a night die along to pick a special action, move your wagon around the ring and activate one or two neighbouring districts. Your base score is the lower of your coins and prestige. After 13 rounds, the highest final score wins.
Released in 2022, designed by Brian Suhre and published by Elf Creek Games. Artwork by Andrew Bosley and Joey Julian, graphic design by Matt Paquette & Co.
Game mechanics tap one to see other games that use it
set collectiondice rollingcontractspick-up and delivermarketrondelhidden victory pointsfollowworker placement with dice workershighest-lowest scoring
Only here: Only the lower of coins and prestige countsCategory:Gioco di strategia · Gioco tematico · Gioco in solitario · Esplorazione · Fantasy · Medioevo
At a glance
Why we like it. Dice locked on your wagon make you think two or three turns ahead, and the lowest-value rule forces you to chase money and fame together. Caravans give you a reason to follow everyone else's turn.
Good to know. With four players, the wait between turns is noticeable: everyone makes four or more decisions, and each caravan takes longer as more people join.
What kind of gameFrogScore + Luckjourney dice, lantern rerolls Strategylocked dice set up future turns Interactionno actions against others Pacelong turns, waiting between players Replayability4 buildings out of 10 per game Rated by Frogames · from the rules · what the levels mean
We set the levels by reading the rules, always with the same yardstick: a 3 means the same on every game.
Luckhalf and half
- you decide
- mostly you
- half and half
- often chance
- chance decides
Strategybuild for later
- one choice per turn
- plan a few turns
- plan half the game
- build for later
- the whole game is a plan
Interactioneach to their own
- each to their own
- you compete for things
- you get in the way
- you hit each other
- you attack each other
Pacelots of waiting
- lots of waiting
- long turns
- medium turns
- short turns
- you play together
Replayabilitya lot changes
- always the same
- card order changes
- part of it changes
- a lot changes
- every game is different
When to bring it outFor a full evening, best with three
Best player countfilled = best ·
Solohow solo play works +official mode, against an automa
- Against whom
- Against an automated opponent called «Private Concern», with its own wagon and prestige marker.
- How it plays
- It acts using a deck of 10 action cards and fixed rules; when it delivers, it takes a commission for the city where it has the most commissions and heroes.
- What you need
- The solo rulebook, 10 action cards, 6 Guild Notice cards, 3 Sarcophagus cards, 6 delivery tiles and the opponent's goods marker.
Language dependencePoco
How to play
Watch a game
Official rulebook (PDF) →- 1Free a dieA night die pushes another one out, and you take that slot's action.
- 2Move your wagonAdvance around the Highreach ring by a die's value; a horseshoe lets you adjust.
- 3Activate districtsBuy goods, take commissions, sell to heroes or set off on a journey.
- 4Balance coins and prestigeAt the end, the lower of the two counts, plus victory points from deeds.
What’s in the box
1 board in 6 piecesThe city of Highreach and the outer roads, with the magnetic market wheel.
4 wagon boardsA grid for goods and spaces for dice, lanterns, heroes, commissions and resources.
84 goods tilesDifferent shapes to fit into your wagon, with a basic side and an upgraded side.
28 night diceBlue dice that act as workers: their value sets your action and movement.
Cards in the box · 141
- 48 Hero cards
- 26 Event cards
- 22 Companion cards
- 19 Deed cards
- 7 Steed cards
- 10 automated opponent Action cards (solo)
- 6 Guild Notice cards (solo)
- 3 Sarcophagus cards (solo)
Questions about Merchants of the Dark Road
Does Merchants of the Dark Road work with two players?+
Yes, it plays with two using the same rules. You can add the automated opponent «Private Concern» for a three-way game; in the BGG poll the best player count is three (69%), while 62% rate it recommended with two.
Does Merchants of the Dark Road hold up over lots of plays?+
Yes, the setup changes every game. You use 4 buildings out of 10, each player gets one of 7 steeds and a random starting hero, and commissions, events, companions and heroes are all shuffled; there are official variants too.
How much English do you need to play Merchants of the Dark Road?+
There's little text to read during play. Cards, boards and buildings mostly use icons, explained in the glossary; Event cards have a short bit of flavour text to read aloud, and the rulebook is in English.
How much space does Merchants of the Dark Road need?+
You'll need a large table. The 6-piece board with the market wheel goes in the middle, and each player has a wagon board in front of them, with heroes on top, commissions at the side, a steed and a screen.
Is Merchants of the Dark Road hard to learn?+
It's a medium-heavy strategy game: 3.27 out of 5 on BGG. A turn always has four steps (plan, move, activate, rest), but there are lots of resources to track: coins, prestige, goods, lanterns, quartz, dice, heroes and commissions.
How do you win Merchants of the Dark Road?+
The highest final score after 13 rounds wins. You compare coins and prestige and keep only the lower value; then add victory points from deeds and 1 point for each unused lit die.
How long does a game of Merchants of the Dark Road take?+
Between 60 and 120 minutes. The game always lasts 13 rounds; with more players, caravan journeys take longer.
Is Merchants of the Dark Road suitable for children?+
The suggested age is 12 and up. A weight of 3.27 out of 5 and the lowest-score rule call for planning over several turns.
Can you play Merchants of the Dark Road solo?+
Yes, it plays 1 to 4. The solo mode has its own rulebook and pits you against the automated opponent «Private Concern», with dedicated cards and tiles.
How much does luck matter in Merchants of the Dark Road?+
Moderately. Journey dice and Event cards decide rewards and losses on caravans, but lanterns let you reroll the remaining dice, and movement uses a die you choose from your own.
Can you attack other players in Merchants of the Dark Road?+
No, there are no actions against another player. You compete for the market, heroes, commissions and companions, and you can join someone else's caravan to travel together.
What are caravans in Merchants of the Dark Road?+
They're the journeys to the six outer cities. Whoever sets off picks the dark road or the shortcut (3 lanterns) and the destination; the others decide whether to join, each take a journey die and deliver commissions and heroes.
“A strategy game where money without fame is worth nothing: every die on your wagon sets up the next journey.”
Who is behind Merchants of the Dark Road
Who designed it, who drew it, who publishes it, and what else they made.
Publisher
Elf Creek Games
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Santa's Workshop (Second Edition): 2nd Christmas Promo Pack
Santa's Workshop (Second Edition): 1st Christmas Promo Pack
Santa's Workshop (Second Edition): Christmas in July
Designer
Brian SuhreAlso: Freshwater Fly, Coldwater Crown
Artist
Andrew BosleyAlso: Everdell, TapestryAll 22 games illustrated →
All the BoardGameGeek data released 2022 · #1095 overall · #640 tra i Strategici · Powered by BoardGameGeek +
- Rating
- 7,33/10 · 4121 ratings
- Rank
- #1095 overall · #640 in Strategici
- Complexity
- 3,27/5
- Year
- 2022
- Designers
- Brian Suhre
- Artists
- Andrew Bosley, Joey Julian, Matt Paquette & Co.
- Categories
- Esplorazione, Fantasy, Medioevo
- Mechanics
- Contracts, Dice Rolling, End Game Bonuses, Follow, Hidden Victory Points, Highest-Lowest Scoring, Market, Pick-up and Deliver, Rondel, Set Collection, Solo / Solitaire Game, Worker Placement with Dice Workers
- Language dependence
- Poco
Powered by BoardGameGeek
Merchants of the Dark Road in short. A game for 1–4 players by Brian Suhre, published by Elf Creek Games in 2022. A game lasts 60–120 minutes, recommended age 12+. It combines a dice-driven action ring, caravan deliveries to distant cities and a scoring system that rewards only the lower of coins and prestige. English edition, available at Frogames.it
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