- BGG rank
- BGG #6,451
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Craftsmen
- 2–5 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,860
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Mercatores
2017
Rules assistance for Mercatores
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15–45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Mercatores
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mercatores is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 15–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Krzysztof Matusik and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Trading.
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About the game
New geographical discoveries opened new possibilities and demands. The Old Continent craves New World goods like tobacco, corn, cotton, cocoa and coffee. In Mercatores players take to role of the merchants and try to make the most profit of the new market. The wealthiest player wins the game. Mercatores consists of two phases: invest phase and profit phase. In the invest phase, players take turns, which consists of two mandatory actions: First, player must trade with the market in the middle of the table by exchanging card in hand for two or three cards in the market. Second, player must play a card. Player can play cards in three different ways: play any number of a single good, play two cards of different goods or play a special card. After that player passes the turn to another player. When any player plays the thirteenth card in front of them, that player gets the captain card and other player can play one more round. After that, the game goes into the profit phase. Players take turns selling their goods and using the special cards, like warehouses or ports. When all players resolve all their cards, the game ends and the player with the most points wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Tailor Games
- Hornet Games
Questions and answers
Mercatores 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 Mercatores is 15–45 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 Mercatores 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.
Mercatores 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.
Mercatores belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Trading. 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 Mercatores are: Krzysztof Matusik. 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 Mercatores 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.