- BGG rank
- BGG #3,626
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Key Market
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,335
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Key Market (Second Edition)
2019
Rules assistance for Key Market (Second Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Key Market (Second Edition)
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Key Market (Second Edition) is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by David Brain and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
Originally released in 2010, designer David Brain and developer Richard Breese have now re-visited Key Market, adding four new guilds to the game and updating a number of the original guilds to give an even more challenging gaming experience. All of the guilds have been re-evaluated based on ongoing playing experiences and comments, including the Key Worker guild. So you will find previous strategies may no longer be effective or possible. In Key Market, each player controls an extended family of workers. Over the course of two years, players will organize their workers in an attempt to turn their initial scanty resources into a thriving economic system. After an initial set up phase, the game is played over eight seasons. Each season has three distinct phases, during which players may take a variety of actions. The topography, weather, and seasons will influence the ability of workers to produce crops and livestock in the fields and luxuries in the villages. In addition, resources and luxuries may be bought and sold in the market, or gold and favors sought and acquired. Other workers may be sponsored to join the powerful guilds, where they will acquire skills as they gain promotions to become craftsmen or even the guild master. Turn order throughout the game is determined by the player’s position on the season track, which changes at the end of each season. At the end of the game, the player who has acquired the most gold will win the game.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- R&D Games
Questions and answers
Key Market (Second Edition) 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 Key Market (Second Edition) is 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 Key Market (Second Edition) 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.
Key Market (Second Edition) has a complexity rating of 3.4 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.
Key Market (Second Edition) belongs to these categories: Economic, Medieval, and Farming. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Key Market (Second Edition) are: David Brain. 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 Key Market (Second Edition) 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.