Involved deckbuilding games are a surefire way to make my brain release the good chemicals. The prospect of combining this particular delight with whimsical art of enterprising animals has me curious about the upcoming crowdfunding campaign for competitive deckbuilding game Dale of Merchants. First releasing the title in 2015, the developers at Snowdale Design are back for another round, offering a beefed-up version of the original with some notable new features.
The Dale of Merchants crowdfunding campaign is due to commence on September 22 and promises to “celebrate and enhance the series”. In practice, this is a promise of new decks to add variety to your games, revisions to some of the game’s old decks, and a new solo mode.
The title enjoyed a warm critical reception when it first released. The Broken Meeple awarded Dale of Merchants a Distinction award, while Dice Tower offered the game a Seal of Excellence. Though it’s not quite made our own best board games list, the warm critical reception the original received makes me cautiously optimistic for the crowdfunder.
Dale of Merchants boasts a charming premise. You and up to four other people play as animalfolk merchants, jockying for an invitation to the Dale merchant’s guild. To be invited, you’ll need to win a trading competition. You’ll manage your stock, learn new techniques, and trade goods as you jostle for capitalistic supremacy.
Depending on the animalfolk you choose, you’ll be granted a different starting deck, offering an impressive and tantalizing sense of replayability.
The Dale of Merchants game had sufficient staying power to produce two direct sequels and a ‘Merchant’s Collection’ which expands the roster of animalfolk available to players. Though I’ve not played Dale of Merchants myself, Snowdale’s continued success with the series is cause enough to keep an eye on the crowdfunder, even if we don’t yet know exactly what the new decks and updates entail.
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Source: Wargamer
