Merchant of Venus (1988)
Merchant of Venus
“Merchant of Venus” is a board game published in 1988 by Avalon Hill, set in an unexplored part of the galaxy during a reawakening of galactic civilization. The game was designed to be a more peaceful and explorative experience compared to other science fiction games, focusing on trade and discovery rather than combat. The game gained a small but dedicated fanbase, and even after going out of print, fan-made versions surfaced, eventually leading to a reprint by Fantasy Flight Games.
Why is Merchant of Venus Popular?
“Merchant of Venus” is popular and significant for several reasons:Unique Theme: The game offers a distinct theme of interstellar trade and exploration, allowing players to represent various alien civilizations and establish trade routes between them.Replayability: The game has a high replay value due to its variable market system, where each culture has a unique set of tokens that cycle, changing the value of items by small amounts.Player Experience: Players can immerse themselves in the role of a fledgling merchant, exploring new worlds, discovering long-lost civilizations, and opening profitable trade routes.
Game Components of Merchant of Venus
The game includes:A double-sided board, representing a fixed map of interconnected systems.Four ship tokens, one for each player.A starting ship and starting funds for each player.Goods tokens, which can be bought and sold between cultures.Upgrade tokens, used to upgrade the player’s ship.Passenger tokens, used to transport passengers and set up spaceports and factories.
Game Setup of Merchant of Venus
Each player chooses a color and places their ship token on the starting position on the board.The game begins with a starting ship and starting funds for each player.Players take turns moving their ships through interconnected systems, discovering new alien worlds to trade with.
Gameplay Mechanics of Merchant of Venus
“Merchant of Venus” is a pick-up-and-deliver game where players move their ships through interconnected systems, discovering new alien civilizations and buying and selling goods. Players can upgrade their ships, transport passengers, and set up their own spaceports and factories. The game is won by the first player to acquire a set amount of wealth, usually $1000, $2000, $3000, or $4000.
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