- BGG rating
- 7.7
Arcane Alley: Moonstruck Market
- 2–6 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,191
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Arcane Alley
2019
Rules assistance for Arcane Alley
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Arcane Alley
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Arcane Alley is a board game released in 2019 for 2–6 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Corwin Riddle and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Push Your Luck.
Expansions
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About the game
Welcome to the black magic market. In Arcane Alley, each player is a merchant wizard, competing to sell items for gold while minimizing the infamy gained from their leftover unsold items during a round’s inspection. Each player starts with a full storehouse of nine items. On your turn, you’ll try to make sets (three identical items in a row) in your storehouse, which awards you gold for the sale and removes those infamous items from your storehouse so you won’t get caught with them in the upcoming inspection. You’ll continue selling until a player triggers the inspection and ends the round. Then, each player gains infamy for any items remaining in their storehouse. If those items gain you too much infamy, you’ll fail the inspection and be forced to spend your precious gold on fines. To win the game, be the player with the most gold after three inspections. -description from designer
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Strange Space Games
Questions and answers
Arcane Alley supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Arcane Alley is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Arcane Alley for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Arcane Alley has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Arcane Alley belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Push Your Luck. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Arcane Alley are: Corwin Riddle. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Arcane Alley as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.