- BGG rating
- 7.2
Merkator: Messe Sonderkarte
- 1–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,825
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Merkator
2010
Rules assistance for Merkator
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Merkator
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Merkator is a board game released in 2010 for 1–4 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Uwe Rosenberg and its main mechanics are Set Collection, End Game Bonuses, and Pick-up and Deliver.
Expansions
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About the game
Merkator is about the rise of Hamburg after the Thirty Years' War. You visit cities to collect goods or fulfill orders. The collected goods are added to the cities when a player visits a neighboring city. Fulfilling an order provides you with another better, but more complex order additional to the fulfilled order which you keep and can fulfill again, although the number of orders you can own is limited. Each order itself is worth a certain amount of points at the end of the game. Also you can exchange these points for special cards which provide additional goods in certain cities or more victory points if you fulfill certain conditions at game end. Depending on the city you want to enter you either receive a resource called "time" or you have to spend it. By paying a certain time-fee you are allowed to accompany another player on his trip to a town to fulfill your orders in this town (but not to collect goods). The game ends when a player receives the order with the highest value by fulfilling the order one level below. UPC 4015566030602
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Lookout Games
Questions and answers
Merkator 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 Merkator is 45–90 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 Merkator 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.
Merkator has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
Merkator belongs to these categories: Economic and Pike and Shot. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, End Game Bonuses, and Pick-up and Deliver. 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 Merkator are: Uwe Rosenberg. 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 Merkator 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.