Merchants of the Dark Road
Drive a merchant wagon through thirteen weeks of winter dark, and keep money and prestige in step.
What it is
A game for 1 to 4 people who want an economic puzzle with some adventure on the side. In a frozen fantasy realm, you run a wagon buying goods, taking commissions and supplying adventurers through thirteen weeks of darkness. Dice set how far you move, and you lose dice as the weeks pass. Your score is the lower of your money and your prestige, plus points from deed cards, which keeps you honest.
What we love
- Lower-of-two scoring means you cannot ignore either track.
- Excursions onto the Dark Road add a push-your-luck gamble.
- The rotating Great Bazaar wheel lets you shift the price of goods.
Honest trade-offs
- There is a lot going on for new players.
- Late in the game you can run out of useful deliveries.
- Shrinking options in the last weeks may frustrate some.
AI summary of player sentiment
Across the tables we polled, players consistently praise the game's approachability and pacing. The most common complaint is there is a lot going on for new players..
This summary is regenerated from new reviews each week. Astra will wire the generation job to the Vercel Cron detailed in the handoff doc.
Content advisory
No content advisory.
Reader reviews
Share your take on this game. Keep it kind and specific. Reader reviews ship with Astra's Supabase hookup.
/api/reviews, auth required.Links to retailers may earn Board Game Tavern a commission at no extra cost to you.