Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road cover
2020BGG rank #778

Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road

by Fabio Lopiano · Osprey Games

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Players1–4
Time90m
ComplexityMedium
Age14+

About the game

What is Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road?

Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road is a tense economic game charting the rise and fall of the greatest city in the world. In Merv, players are vying to amass power and wealth in the prosperous heart of the Silk Road. Through careful court intrigue, timely donations to the grand mosque, and favorable trade deals, players attempt to redirect as much of that prosperity as possible into their own pockets. Meanwhile, beyond the city walls Mongol hordes approach. If you help construct the city walls, you give up on precious opportunities to build up your own stature, but leave it unprotected and you will burn with the city. Every decision is weighty and the consequences of each misstep are dire. Will you rise to prominence or fade into oblivion? —description from the publisher

How it plays

Mechanics

Auction: Turn Order Until PassContractsModular BoardOwnershipRondelSet CollectionSolo / Solitaire GameSquare GridTrack MovementTurn Order: AuctionVariable Set-up

On the shelf

Categories

ArabianCity BuildingEconomicMedieval

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?