- BGG rating
- 6.9
Samarkand: Isfahan
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,591
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Samarkand
1980
Rules assistance for Samarkand
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 40 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Samarkand
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Samarkand is a board game released in 1980 for 2–5 players, 40 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Sid Sackson and its main mechanics are Race, Set Collection, and Trading.
Expansions
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About the game
A trading game in which you don't trade with the other players. Instead the commodities are displayed on the board in a number of "nomad camps." If your move brings you to a camp, you must present a gift to the camp -- then you can trade your cards for any cards in the camp. You can also buy goods from the deck at "oasis" squares. Once you've amassed a number of a particular commodity, you head for the city where that commodity is bought. There are a few other details to complicate matters, but basically everyone repeats this process until someone has the 500 cash in hand to win the game. Samarkand is an entertaining exercise with no especially brain-taxing strategies to figure out and makes a good family game. This game is sometimes called Bazaar II, because Schmidt Spiele originally published this game under the name Bazaar, even though Bazaar is a completely different game. Both games are by Sid Sackson.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Schmidt Spiele
- ABACUSSPIELE
- Rio Grande Games
- Grünspan-Spiele
Questions and answers
Samarkand supports 2–5 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 Samarkand is 40 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 Samarkand for ages 9 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.
Samarkand has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Samarkand belongs to these categories: Economic. Its main mechanics are Race, 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 Samarkand are: Sid Sackson. 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 Samarkand 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.