
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,189
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Fjords
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2022

Rules assistance for Cacao: Big Market
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cacao: Big Market is an expansion for Cacao released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 8–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Phil Walker-Harding and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Tile Placement.
The Big Market is a 5 value market and replaces one 3 value market. It was previously contained in Brettspiel Adventskalender 2015 for Day 17 together with the Golden Temple. The single promo was given out by Abacusspiele at Spiel 2016 in Essen.
Cacao: Big Market supports 2–4 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 Cacao: Big Market is 8–45 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 Cacao: Big Market for ages 8 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.
Cacao: Big Market 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.
Cacao: Big Market belongs to these categories: Economic, Territory Building, and Farming. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Tile Placement. 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 Cacao: Big Market are: Phil Walker-Harding. 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 Cacao: Big Market as an expansion for Cacao. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Cacao to use it. Check that your edition of Cacao is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.