
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Pingyao: The Golden Pawner
- 1–4 players
- 30–70 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2019

2017
Rules assistance for Pingyao: First Chinese Banks
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pingyao: First Chinese Banks is a board game released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Wu Shuang and 王徳繁 and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, and Worker Placement with Dice Workers.
During the Qing Dynasty, a time before coal-powered travel, citizens of Pingyao relied primarily on camels to cross through deserts, wilderness, plains, and cities to trade wealth and goods. The nation was divided, unable to operate an efficient economy. A national agency of bankers was established as a means to connect all of China. With a network of banking created, wealth began to accumulate, and the city of Pingyao became the financial heart of China. Pingyao: First Chinese Banks is an economic dice-as-workers placement game in which players assume the role of famous Jin merchants in the Qing Dynasty. During the blossoming age of banking, players expand from Pingyao to open agencies across China, offering remittance services to businessmen in order to earn profits. The goal of the game is to build up money over eight rounds and be the wealthiest player by game's end. Throughout the game, players must recruit reliable managers to oversee their agencies, which can grant powerful abilities. With cash in hand, players may deposit their earnings to gain interest or offer loans in exchange for government favors and fame. Pingyao: First Chinese Banks also includes a solo mode in which you are challenged by a series of quests. —description from the publisher 在道光年間,晉商首創了票號(銀行)並逐漸執掌中國金融界。這是一個現金流遊戲,玩家將會扮演一位晉商在一定的時間內(8個回合),經營自己的票號,派遣自己的掌櫃開票號、放款、做匯兌、培養人才、攀聲望、和官府合作,讓自己的票號開遍全中國。遊戲結束後誰是最成功的商人(分數最多)誰將獲得遊戲勝利。 —description from the publisher (Chinese)
Pingyao: First Chinese Banks 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 Pingyao: First Chinese Banks is 60–90 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 Pingyao: First Chinese Banks 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.
Pingyao: First Chinese Banks has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
Pingyao: First Chinese Banks belongs to these categories: Economic and Dice. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, 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 Pingyao: First Chinese Banks are: Wu Shuang and 王徳繁. 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 Pingyao: First Chinese Banks 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.