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Expansion for Merchants of the Dark Road
Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages
Rules assistance for Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 12+
Rules assistant for Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages is an expansion for Merchants of the Dark Road for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Brian Suhre and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Dice Rolling, and Worker Placement with Dice Workers.
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About the game
As in years past, there is money and fame to be earned from buying and selling goods along the Dark Road. This winter, however, Highreach is alive with secrets and rumors... the clever merchant who takes notice can trade in something as valuable as any goods—information. Hidden paths to three secret villages have been discovered. In each village lies opportunity for intrepid merchants willing to engage the rangers, delvers, and pilgrims who choose to live in these small settlements off the beaten path. And everyone is talking about the latest news out of Farglen—it seems the Baroness of the Bards is missing! While on business in Highreach, merchants should keep their ears open for hints of what befell her, as these rumors are of great interest at the Ringway Inn. This expansion contains two modules: Ringway Rumors and Secret Villages. These modules can be played together or separately. Some content—like the companion die, a set of wagon upgrades, and the all-new event types—can even be used with just the base game. The Ringway Rumors module incentivizes visits to certain districts by providing “rumors” that can be bartered at the Ringway Inn for small favors, while the Secret Villages module offers three new travel destinations as well as “leads” that reward you for repeat trips. All of this integrates smoothly with solitaire play thanks to the addition of a card system that allows the private concern to interact with and balance against these new gameplay features. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Elf Creek Games
Questions and answers
Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages supports 1–4 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 Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages is 60–120 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 Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages 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.
Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Exploration, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Dice Rolling, and Worker Placement with Dice Workers. 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 Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages are: Brian Suhre. 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 Merchants of the Dark Road: Secret Villages as an expansion for Merchants of the Dark Road. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Merchants of the Dark Road to use it. Check that your edition of Merchants of the Dark Road is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.