Admiral Zheng He

In the years 1405-1433 Ming Dynasty China sailed the most impressive fleets on the world's oceans. More than three hundred "treasure ships" – several measuring 400 feet, more than four times the size of Columbus' Santa Maria – made seven epic voyages through the China Sea and Indian Ocean.

In this game you are a Chief Trader in this fleet, which carries costly cargoes of the empire's finest silks, porcelains lacquer wares, tea and wine. All of this is for you to exchange for gems, incense, medicine, pearls, resin, spices, textiles, fine woods and fauna products.

You decide which of these products to bring to trade with foreign ports, and using the knowledge that you alone possess, which ports to visit. Can you be the Trader who brings home the treasure that most impresses the Emperor and Court and thereby win the game?

Design Notes

• Market model. Unlike most trading games, prices change every turn, not just prices of the items to be purchased, but also the very commodities used to make purchases, that is, the players’ money itself. As in real life, prices don’t change wildly, but move slightly and every once in a while make a big jump.
• Purchasing Dilemmas. Players seek to use their money only when it has its highest value, but this is difficult to predict. Moreover, extra value for the end of the game can be had if they have a monopoly on certain types of items so they will want to buy those. But that might not be the right time to buy in terms of the value of their money.
• Voting. Players decide which types of items will come for trade on each of the 5 rounds by voting on the next port to visit. Each port has a different offering.
• Quick play. Players purchase goods via “once around” auctions so values are set accurately, but it does not take a long time.
• Balancing. A player who does not get to purchase something gets information about one or two ports and can even influence this information a bit.
• Theme. Depicts the actual commodities and ports that featured in real life with extensive background notes about them.