- BGG rank
- BGG #5,494
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Caravan
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,920
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Starship Merchants
2012
Rules assistance for Starship Merchants
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Starship Merchants
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Starship Merchants is a board game released in 2012 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Thomas Lehmann and Joe Huber (I) and its main mechanics are Track Movement, Commodity Speculation, and Pick-up and Deliver.
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About the game
4049: The galaxy hums with prosperity and peace two millennia after the dawn of space travel. But as mankind and its neighbors colonized the stars, the burgeoning need for resources was apparent. One by one, new geological discoveries revolutionized terraform, construction and energy technology. The sub-temperature properties of the mineral Ice-9 allowed life-giving water to flow on uninhabitable planets. Crystallized Cobalt was accidentally found to be incredibly strong, resistant to extreme pressure. And a single chunk of Deuterium could power a sprawling metropolis for a month! As a plucky entrepreneur you must explore the edges of space searching for precious minerals. Will you buy the fastest ship in the sector or hire the best pilot in the galaxy? Purchase the latest state-of-the-art gadgets, invest in planetary refineries, or pay off your rising debt? The cargo you haul could be worth fortune, so grab your helmet and suit up! The cosmos and a mountain of credits call! In Starship Merchants, each player runs a fledgling corporation looking to stake a claim in the lucrative mining business. Player will buy starships, explore the galaxy and deliver cargo for interstellar credits, all the while expanding their operations. Starting at the shipyard and ending at the dock, players will move clockwise around the four quadrants on the board to complete an entire Business Cycle. During each turn, a player either performs one action at the current quadrant or advances to the next, performing an action there. As players take actions or advance they spread apart across all four quadrants while completing individual Business Cycles. The Shipyard is where you can buy a speedy scout or a heavy load bearing tug. The Market is where Gear, Pilots, Refineries, and claims can be purchased. In the belt, starships are run by spending energy points to explore, pickup mines, or fly to another destination. The final quadrant is the Dock where delivered cargo is traded for credits. A player that ends his turn at the Dock with 100+ credits can declare the Final Run, ending the game. But after completing the Final Run, the player with the most credits wins!
Designers
Publishers
- Toy Vault, Inc.
Questions and answers
Starship Merchants supports 2–4 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 Starship Merchants is 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 Starship Merchants for ages 14 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.
Starship Merchants has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Starship Merchants belongs to these categories: Economic, Science Fiction, and Transportation. Its main mechanics are Track Movement, Commodity Speculation, 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 Starship Merchants are: Thomas Lehmann and Joe Huber (I). 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 Starship Merchants 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.