Merchant of Venus (Board Game Review)

Review by Paeter Frandsen

The original Merchant of Venus board game was published in 1988, but for many years after was out of print. In 2012, after some awkward legal confusion, two different companies somehow both holding the publishing license shockingly agreed to work together to release a new version of the game. The new version is actually two games in one box- Merchant of Venus and Merchant of Venus Classic. The classic version has received high praise by an influential few for a number of years now, so this is the first and only version of the game I have tried so far. (However, it should be noted that the rules included for solo play are only for the standard version of the game, not the classic.)

As the text from the official game webpage at FantasyFlightGames.com explains: “The galaxy is bursting with opportunities for savvy space traders to exploit, and the race to profit blasts off in Merchant of Venus. Discover new alien cultures and learn where you can get rich selling their goods in this board game of interstellar trade and exploration for 1-4 players. From your First Contact with alien cultures to the establishment of trade routes and spaceports, your quest for cash demands you keep on the move. Successful traders will quickly locate fast and reliable trade routes, timing their purchases and sales with the interest in the market.”

Each player starts with the same type of ship in the same location on the board. Before the game starts, culture cards are randomly placed face down on the various planets and systems represented on the board. On their turn, players roll dice and travel across the board, revealing undiscovered cultures and beginning to trade with them. Each culture produces a unique good that several other cultures are interested in buying. Players attempt to maximize their turns, buying and selling goods and getting from culture to culture as quickly as possible. The first player to earn a predetermined number of credits wins the game. 

 Many locations specialize in specific technologies which players may use to upgrade their ships, allowing them to move across the board more quickly or carry more goods as they travel. These ship upgrades may help players avoid costly hazards or skip certain types of frequently appearing spaces on the board. 

There is almost no potential for direct player conflict in the game, resulting in a competitive race that is easy to keep friendly. However, this aspect of the game will disappoint players looking for head-to-head competition.

Merchant of Venus is all about productivity. Being productive with each turn and producing income are the chief goals. Fans of productivity simulations found so readily on iPhones and Facebook may find that Merchant of Venus scratches a similar itch. Meanwhile, sci-fi fans will enjoy deciding how to upgrade their ships while avoiding the dangers of space travel.

Genre fans will also enjoy the great looking components. The board, the cards, the spaceships, currency, goods, and other tokens are durable and have great looking art and designs. The game also has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that creates a light atmosphere without being too "cutesy.”

What some gamers may not like is the level of randomness in the game. Movement is determined by dice rolling, but on top of this the board has many intersections called "telegates," where you must assign one of the dice you've rolled as a "navigation die." Branching paths from each intersection are labeled with a number, or range of numbers. You may be wanting to travel down the branch marked "5-6,” but if you don't have any dice in your movement roll resulting in a 5 or 6, you're out of luck and are forced to continue moving in a direction you don't want to go. This is meant to simulate the difficulties of navigating and safely traveling in space, but for many it may just feel like a chaotic obstacle they have little or no way to compensate for.

Another area in which the game may disappoint is in the replay value. Despite the fact that cultures are arranged randomly on the board at the start of each game, this only serves to further remove predictability from the experience, and along with it the development of long-term strategy. Combine this with the chaotic nature of movement and Merchant of Venus Classic feels very much the same from one game to the next. Once the charm of the theme and components wears off, there is little depth to bring back those who value strategy.

The light-hearted nature of the game and the lack of any real story both mean that there is probably nothing about the game that will stimulate thought or conversation regarding spiritual or moral issues. That said, if you're geared to look for themes where none are intended, you could argue that enjoyment of a game like Merchant of Venus is anecdotal evidence that we were made to enjoy work and productivity. The love of being productive points back to the Garden of Eden while also pointing forward to the New Heaven and New Earth.

This game may not be a good fit for gamers who like deep strategy, or who prefer themes that are executed in a more serious manner, but these same gamers may find that Merchant of Venus is a nice "halfway point" that they can enjoy with non-gamer family or friends.

Recommended for ages 14+

Quality: 7.5/10

Relevance: 5.5/10