- BGG rating
- 7.6
East Indiaman: Solo and 5 player
- 1–5 players
- 40–100 min
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,982
- BGG rating
- 6.9
East Indiaman
2018
Rules assistance for East Indiaman
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 60–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for East Indiaman
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
East Indiaman is a board game released in 2018 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by David Wang and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Majority / Influence, and Worker Placement.
Expansions
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About the game
Witness the birth of the most powerful international conglomerate in the history of man! The time is the 17th century when shipping routes on the Indian Ocean are bustling with trade ships. Who will emerge as the final victor to seize all the lucrative trades in the Age of Discovery? In East Indiaman, players operate their own East India Companies by building their trade posts in the Far East and dealing with exotic spices, silk, tea and china as they manipulate their fleets to create their trading empires! Starting from the first player, players take turns in clockwise order. Each player performs two actions during their turn until all players have chosen to pass the round. Players can choose from the following seven actions and perform them in any order. Additionally, you can choose to perform the same action twice: Send ship to buy cargo: Choose this action to send ship(s) to purchase spice, silk, tea or china Exchange cargo: Choose this action to exchange cargo A with cargo B Complete an order: Use cargoes in your possession to complete orders Increase investment level: Use cargo in your possession to increase your investment level and receive a new ship Build a trade post: Use ships to build a trade post and adjust the prices of cargo A round ends when all players have finished their actions for the round. The game lasts five rounds, and at the end of the final round, scoring takes place: Completed order cards score corresponding to the investment level Influence from the trade posts that players have built Players also score for their arms level The player with the highest total score wins. —description from the publisher
Editions
- East IndiamanenDavid Wang Studio2018
Designers
Publishers
- David Wang Studio
Questions and answers
East Indiaman 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 East Indiaman is 60–90 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 East Indiaman for ages 12 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.
East Indiaman has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
East Indiaman belongs to these categories: Economic and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Majority / Influence, and Worker 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 East Indiaman are: David Wang. 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 East Indiaman 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.