Monsoon Market [Prototype B]


MONSOON MARKET - PROTOTYPE B [Card Drafting & Auction, 3-7 Players, 30 Min.]

Wahoo! Monsoon Market is finally ready for outside playtesting. To recap, Monsoon Market is the card-drafting auction game inspired by the Seven Voyages of Zheng He, the medieval Chinese fleet admiral who sailed across the Indian Ocean trade network that extended as far as southeast Africa.

This is a great place and time for a euro-style board game. The three or four hundred years prior to European contact was relatively peaceful in the trade network. Sure, you had the occasional pirate attack, but all in all a traveling merchant could get quite wealthy in relative safety. Even the seasonal winds were predictable enough that you could calculate departure and arrival within a few days.

Amidst this time of prosperity, Zheng He traveled with a fleet of treasure ships collossal in number and size. According to accounts and archeological evidence, these ships vessels dwarfed anything to come for hundreds of years. But what's most incredible is that Zheng He sailed not for conquest or exploration, but for commerce. His mission was to present a spectacular show of Chinese wealth to all other port cities along the trade network. In this he succeeded quite well!

Developing this prototype, I mashed up Bohnanza's set collection, 7 Wonders' hand-passing, KeyFlower's ability auctions, Jaipur's tableau-trading, and Fiasco's between-player space. So, if you're curious how this all works together, download the print-and-play PDF: MONSOON MARKET - PROTOTYPE B.

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