Bear Market
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🐸 Una rana saggia sa quando dividere l’ordine… e quando aspettare il salto giusto.
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The FroGames info card
You draw three cards, choose one to bid with. Someone discovers a rare salmon, you raise with two berries. They win, but your cards stay on the table: soon they will be their next temptation.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
Hungry bears bidding for the best food
Bear Market is designed by D. Brad Talton Jr., prolific designer and founder of Level 99 Games, a publisher known for titles like BattleCON and Pixel Tactics. Talton has designed over 100 games since 2010, often inspired by the video game world.
In Bear Market, each player is a bear searching for food. You bid cards from the deck to win the best resources on the market, building sets that score points. The twist: the cards you use to bid remain on the table and form the market for the next round. You have to decide what to bid today knowing that tomorrow your opponents might take it.
What they say abroad
"Tabletop games for a video game generation."
Tabletop games for a video game generation.
— Level 99 Games
Bear Market has just been announced. This sheet is based on the official description and will be updated as soon as we have reviews and playthroughs on the table.
— FroGames
Bear Market
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first read: based on rules and official presentation, updated with first playsWhat you'll find in the deck
The contested resources
Salmon
Valuable food that scores points if you collect more cards than everyone else. Those with less lose value.
Berries
Versatile resources for building mixed sets. Useful for bidding or scoring.
Honey
The most coveted resource. Whoever controls the most dominates the final ranking.
Bid cards
The cards you use to win auctions remain visible and form the market for the next turn.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each round is identical in structure, but different in choices.
Each player draws three cards from their deck and keeps them secret. These cards represent the possible bids for this turn.
Choose one of the three cards and place it face down in front of you. The other two return to the deck. This card will be your bid for the food in the market.
Everyone reveals their bids simultaneously. The player who bid the highest card wins the corresponding food and adds it to their tableau.
The bid cards remain on the table and form the market for the next round. What you bid today will be available to your opponents tomorrow.
⏱️Your first gameMoment-by-moment chronicle▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
You look at the market and assess
The first cards are on the table. Everyone draws three cards, chooses one for their bid. No one yet knows what the others will do. Silence, quick calculations, hands brushing cards.
Someone uncovers a salmon
Bids are revealed simultaneously. Someone bid high on a rare food, someone else bid low hoping no one would notice. The market immediately splits between those who won and those who gave away cards to their opponents.
Your cards become a problem
The second round begins and the cards you just bid are on the table. Suddenly you realize that the honey you let go of is now available to those behind you. You try to correct it, but it's too late.
Someone accumulates sets, someone chases
Mid-game, sets begin to form. Those who accumulated salmon dominate, those who focused on berries try to catch up. Bids become more targeted, more calculated. No one wants to leave anything for others.
Last auction, everything counts
Last round. Points are decided here. Who has the most salmon? Who completed the berry set? The final bids are revealed and someone shouts. The final tally rewards those who built the best tableau without giving too much away to others.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three things to keep in mind
The market rotates continuously
The cards you bid today are tomorrow's resources. There is no neutral choice: every bid fuels the next market. You need to think two turns ahead or risk giving away points.
The draw influences
You draw three cards and choose one. If the draw is bad, your bid will be weak and you will lose the auction. Luck doesn't decide everything but it can compromise a round.
It ends in fifteen minutes
A clear 15 minutes. No time for long planning: you assess, bid, collect. If you like slow and meditative games, this is not your pace.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when the deck runs out. At that point, points are counted.
Victory
- You have the most cards of a type of food (salmon, berries, honey).
- You have built mixed sets with balanced variety.
- You won the right auctions without giving away valuable resources to opponents.
Defeat
- You accumulated food of one type but someone else has more: you score zero points.
- You bid strong cards that ended up in other players' tableaux.
- You aimed for sets that you couldn't complete.
Bear Market promises quick and consequential decisions in a pocket-sized box. It remains to be seen if the system holds up to the table test.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Bear Market
How long does a game really last?
The official description indicates 15 minutes. From the mechanics (simultaneous auctions, no downtime) it seems realistic. The first few games might take a few extra minutes to understand the scoring system.
What mechanics does Bear Market use?
Simultaneous auction/bidding and set collection. The twist is the rotating market: cards bid today become the resources available tomorrow. It's a closed loop that rewards those who plan two steps ahead.
Does it scale well for all player counts?
From 2 to 5 players, identical duration. We don't yet know if it works better with 2 (tactical duel) or 5 (controlled chaos). Simultaneous auctions should avoid downtime issues.
Is it suitable for children or families?
Recommended age 14+. The theme is light (bears looking for food) but the bidding and scoring system requires calculation and planning. It's not a game for small children, but it works as a gateway for teens and adults.
Is it available in Italian?
The edition for sale is in English. The text on the cards is likely limited (food names, numerical values), so language dependence should be low. The rulebook will be in English.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Bear Market is a competitive card game for 2-5 players with 15-minute games, designed by D. Brad Talton Jr. for Level 99 Games. The game combines simultaneous auctions and set collection with a unique mechanic: cards bid today become the market for the next round. Each player is a bear accumulating food (salmon, berries, honey) trying to build the most valuable tableau without giving away resources to opponents. Recommended age 14+ years. Bear Market will be published in 2026. Available on FroGames.it.
Bear Market
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
⏳How do pre-orders work?
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