Merchants of Amsterdam

Players: 3-5 Ages 10 and up

Review by Worthy

Merchants of Amsterdam.  The claim to fame is the 'Dutch Auction Clock'.  For those of you unfamiliar with this concept, it is still in use today at the Holland flower auction.  A lot size and makeup is put up for auction by a vendor.  The price starts  VERY HIGH and the clock winds down the price until someone rings in.  He then pays the price on the clock.  This game takes that element and adds it to the 3 tier scoring mechanism of Taj Mahal.  Now, I never liked Taj Mahal, due to the confusing graphic and labored rules.  Amsterdam, however, succeeds where e Taj Mahal Failed.  The mechanics work, they are easy to learn, and there is very little down time due to the constant auctioning of cards.  By purchasing extra cards, you can in effect get an extra move.  But, your spending you money which basically all that counts in the end.  It's a game built on the wonderful concepts of 'Maximize you investments' while preventing the "waiting for the player with the 'yellow cube' to take their turn."  The theme sticks with Amsterdam also.  At certain points in the time line, good things happen (everyone gets one free x) and other times bad (everyone must lose a resource).  Trick is, is you achieved a monetary bonus, you must maintain it or repay the money.  This makes losing something a real thinker.  There are 3 big bonus' too.  One of each resource (actually 2), One port in each of the four continents, on warehouse in each of the four districts.  Sounds easy, but since you want to rank first in at least one of each area (scoring is based on first and second place in each item/place), the game forces you to not totally abandon the ones you're  not dominate in.  My only knock on this game is that the clock has a very small 'dead zone' and thus is hard to set totally to the top.  I also have to hope the clock lasts as there is no way to simulate the clock with other mechanics.  Still, for now the game is great fun.