The Voyages of Marco Polo

Each player starts with five dice, nine trading posts, and the capacity to hold two contracts. They also begin with a set of resources including silk, gold, pepper, camels, and money. The game board is set up with various cities and routes, and a market of contracts is laid out for players to acquire.

The primary objective of the game is to accumulate the most victory points by the end of five rounds. Players achieve this by establishing a vast network of trading posts across Europe and Asia, fulfilling various public and private contracts, and strategically managing their resources and dice to become the most successful merchant.

At the start of each round, players roll their five dice. If the total is less than 15, they gain either a camel or a coin for each point under 15. On their turn, a player takes an action on the board by placing dice. Actions include gaining resources, moving their meeple, and placing trading posts in cities. When gaining resources, the lowest value die placed determines the column from which rewards are collected. For blue spaces, later players can stack dice by paying coins equal to the lowest die they place. Moving the meeple is based on the lowest die placed plus any money spent, with an option to pay less to move less. Placing a trading post in a small blue city grants a reward, while in a major city, the first player gains a special tile and an additional dice placement action spot. Placing a trading house in Beijing scores points and makes resources with points available at the end of the game. Contracts can be bought by placing dice in the contract market, with the number of contracts available depending on the die's location.

Victory points are awarded from multiple sources. Players earn points by completing public and private contracts, which often require specific resources and travel to certain cities. Placing trading houses in major cities also scores points and can provide end-game resource points. Additionally, certain special tiles and achievements throughout the game contribute to a player's final score. The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

The game concludes after five rounds. At the end of each round, the contract market is cleared and replenished with a new stack of contracts. After the fifth round, final scoring occurs, and the player with the highest total victory points wins. The game emphasizes strategic planning over luck, with mechanisms to compensate for low dice rolls and variable player powers that offer unique advantages.