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- 7.2
Big Boss
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
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- BGG #9,302
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Mercurius
2012
Rules assistance for Mercurius
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 45–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Mercurius
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mercurius is a board game released in 2012 for 3–5 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Łukasz Woźniak and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Commodity Speculation, and Stock Holding.
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About the game
The East India Company grows quickly through the delivery of exotic goods from New World and Far East – but to operate on such a large scale, the company needs money, so the first world stock market is opened in Amsterdam. Rich citizens see the opportunity to acquire even more riches, so they invest in the stock market, while also wanting to take part in even more opportunities to make profit. Thus, much wanted exotic goods can be bought and sold, too, and with no secure routes a player can make even better profits by trading them. In Mercurius players take on the role of rich citizens in Holland in the 17th century. They invest their money in stocks of different branches of the East India Company or try to earn much more profit through risky trade in exotic goods. Players have their own information about activities in the far lands and about events which can influence prices at the market, but each of them sees only part of the picture, so they have to look at what other players are doing and which prices are influenced by them. Players have starting cash at the beginning of the game, along with five "changing prices" cards and four cards which allow them to take special actions during play. The game board shows prices for stocks of six branches of the East India Company and for six goods those branches trade. On a turn, a player can make up to three purchases or sales of stocks or goods as he wishes. He then plays one "changing prices" card from his hand. Each card changes the price of one stock and one good. Each card changes the prices three times, once on the turn it's played and on two consecutive turns. The tricky part is that cards move the value of goods twice as much as the value of stocks, so players can earn more by trading goods – but doing so is far more risky. Who will become the richest citizen of Holland and win the game?
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
Questions and answers
Mercurius supports 3–5 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 Mercurius is 45–60 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 Mercurius 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.
Mercurius has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Mercurius belongs to these categories: Economic and Age of Reason. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Commodity Speculation, and Stock Holding. 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 Mercurius are: Łukasz Woźniak. 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 Mercurius 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.